There are currently no auditions scheduled, but check back regularly as we will post as soon as they are announced.     Audition Corner Auditions are a necessary evil to ensure the success of a production. Most people feel very nervous about them, but knowing how to properly audition and being well-prepared will ease those anxieties. While the audition format has changed a bit in the past year (in-person vs. virtual), audition etiquette has not, so it’s always good to go back to the basics of auditioning. In this article we'll discuss the basic terms and how-to’s of theatre auditions. First, there are two groups of people you’ll want to know. The production team is comprised of the people holding the auditions, plus stage managers, backstage crew, lighting and set designers, and producers. The creative team is the panel of directors for a production, along with the choreographer and music director if the show is a musical. There’s likely to be some overlap between these two teams since the production team’s job is to accurately portray the creative team’s vision. Casting the right actors in the right roles is a big part of this, which brings us back to the audition. There are different kinds of auditions — cattle-call, chorus call, chemistry read, dance call, etc. — but for all the different types, the basic principle stays the same: you are expected to be respectful, prepared, and always willing to learn. One of the most important parts of auditioning is finding the right material to use. If you’re lucky enough, the production team will provide you with sides to prepare and perform. These are handpicked scenes (and songs if it’s a musical) from the show you’re auditioning for. If they want a cold read, they give you the sides at the audition instead of beforehand to test how well you do reading the script with little preparation. The best way to prepare for either of these types of auditions is to have read and studied the show’s entire script in advance. It’s important to fully understand the characters, their relationships to each other, and how they tie into the storyline. For most auditions, however, the production team has you prepare a monologue and/or song of your choice from other published sources that shows off your individual talents. It’s best to choose material that matches the style of show you're auditioning for. While you might have a killer dramatic monologue that helped you land your last role, if you’re now auditioning for a comedy that takes place in the 1800s, you’ll need to develop a different piece. When looking for monologues, you need to find the right style, genre, and time period. If you’re auditioning for Shakespeare, use another Shakespeare monologue. If you’re auditioning for a show that takes place in the 1960s, find monologues from plays that take place in the 1960s. And of course, find dramatic monologues for dramas, comedic monologues for comedies. To find monologues, many young actors rely on monologue books, which are relatively inexpensive. This is an ideal source, but you have to be careful. Some monologue books consist of original monologues, meaning the pieces don’t come from plays and instead were written specifically for that book. There’s nothing wrong with these types of monologues, but they generally lack subtext — the underlying, hidden meaning behind the words — since they are not part of a larger story. Other books contain monologues from plays, and chances are that this is the type of monologue the production team prefers. You might also inquire if you can use your own original material, though this is by far the riskiest option. The important thing is to know far in advance what sort of material the production team wants you to use for your audition. If you’re auditioning for a musical, this same guideline of matching audition material to style of musical applies to songs as well. For example, if you’re auditioning for a Christmas musical, you might want to select a song from a different Christmas show. If you’re auditioning for Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat written by Andrew Lloyd Webber, you might sing a song from a different Andrew Lloyd Webber musical. No matter what, you want to select a song that demonstrates your vocal range, showing both the lowest and highest pitches you can sing well. Be sure to note the requirements for how long your audition piece should be and how much material you need to prepare. All auditions that require a monologue will tell you how long it should be — generally about one to two minutes though sometimes as long as five minutes. It’s best to practice by recording and timing yourself to hear how your monologue will sound and be sure your timing is correct. For audition songs, you might see things like 16-32 bar cut, which means you need to find 16 to 32 measures from a song of your choice. Depending on the type of song (a ballad, pop song, classical piece, etc.) 16 bars is about 30-45 seconds, 60 seconds maximum. A simple online search can even help you find sheet music for your song, and sometimes you can find a 16-32 bar audition cut that someone has already made! Tip: try to find songs that are not overdone or songs that most people might not have heard before in order to stand out in the audition and expose others to music that you like. Try and support small artists and composers when you can! Now that you have figured out what material you will be using, you have to do the most important part of the audition process... practice. The single best way to shake the nerves of auditions is to be as prepared as possible and know your audition material inside and out. No matter what monologue or song you’ve chosen, you always need to read through the entire play that it came from. You can’t play a character convincingly in an audition if you know little about them, their backstory, how their story ends, etc. It’s the day of the audition and now is the time to show off. It’s always best to look nice, but not too nice. You should show up wearing something clean and professional, but not a suit and tie or a fancy dress. My go-to is usually nice jeans or khakis with a simple button-up and nice clean shoes. For girls, the same or even a nice modest dress in a solid color. An easy way to stand out and have the team remember you is to wear some kind of unique color like red, yellow, or blue, instead of brown, gray, or black. Guaranteed, they will remember the person in the yellow shirt more than the one in the black. The day of the audition, you also need to have your slate down pat. “To slate” is to introduce yourself to the panel and give them an idea of what they will be hearing. For example, I would say: “Good afternoon, my name is Chase Conlin, thank you for having me! Today I will be performing ‘When the Booth Goes Bright’ from Amelie the Musical by Nathan Tysen and Daniel Messe.” Then I would perform my 32 bar cut, thank them when I am finished, then proceed to, “Now I will be doing a monologue called ‘Locking the Store’ by Tara Meddaugh.” When I am done with my monologue, I wait to see if they have any feedback or ask any questions. Finally, I thank them by saying something along the lines of “Thank you for having me today, I appreciate your time!” It is the longest, most unnerving 5-10 minutes you will experience in your life, but once it’s over, you can finally relax... at least until your next audition! Auditions are tough. You won’t always get the part you want, and you will always wish you could change something about what you did. It’s natural to feel that way. As long as you prepare well, practice your material often, and go into it with confidence, auditions can become second nature. And always remember, directors are really looking for stage presence how well you can captivate an audience. When singing your song or performing your monologue, make bold choices to stand out and be the biggest character you can be. The production team is always rooting for you. They want you to do well. Once you understand this, it’s one way of making auditions less nerve-wracking. Audition Checklist: 1. Research the show you’re auditioning for and figure out the style, genre, time period, etc. 2. Learn what type of audition material they require and if need be, find material that fits the show for which you’re auditioning. 3. Practice, practice, practice. Practice in front of the mirror, record yourself, time yourself. Over and over again. 4. Find the right clothes for the audition and make sure they are clean and well-pressed. 5. Practice your slate. 6. Go into the audition with confidence and professionalism. SOURCE: PioneerDrama Newsletter: The Basics of Theatre Auditions By Chase Conlin https://www.pioneerdrama.com/Newsletter/Articles/Audition_Basics.asp?Campaign=NL20201117#more Courtesy of PIONEER DRAMA (www.pioneerdrama.com)   (508)-764-4531 Gateway Players Theatre | Southbridge, MA