Some of you regular readers may know that I am an integral part of a well-respected theatre company here in NY. We recently held auditions for our Company of Apprentice Actors. And it amazes me how many actors are still struggling with the auditioning process.
You must be prepared! You must know the material, know the job, the part, etc for whatever you are going in for – sometimes you just don’t get that in advance, but if you do – there is no excuse to not be prepared.
You must be honest! Both in the work and in the interview. New York is a very big city, but the acting community is small, and people know everyone. So if you say that you are taking a class with a renowned actor, you might want to see if they are a company member of the theatre you are auditioning for – and if so, you need to be honest about what that class was. It may well have been a two month scene study course, but if it was a 2 hour evening of listening to his stories, don’t lie and say you’ve worked with him – you have only been in his presence at that point.
You must be engaging! Rarely do actors get the opportunity to talk and interview after an audition – so when that gem comes along, make it sparkle! Talk about yourself – not in a conceited way, but let us know who you the person are, we’ve already seen the actor. We want to know if you’re interesting and if we think we can work with you.
Out of about 70 auditions, we saw 14 actors that we knew we wanted. And that’s who joined the company. Those odds are about right – 1 in 5, but I encourage you to strive to improve the odds for yourself!
Break a leg!