Audition Preferences

[RygelXVI]

Recently, OTP conducted auditions for Taking Leave. During the audition process, there were several discussions regarding auditions and how they are conducted at various theaters.

I thought I'd get some feedback on here for future auditions.

1) How do you feel about open auditions? (the cattle call) Do you like auditioning/reading in front of other actors?

2) How do you feel about monologues? Do you think they are helpful as a director? Do you feel they can help you as an auditioner?

3) How do you feel about casting announcements? In your opinion, how should casting announcements be conducted - phone calls? announced at callbacks? posting a cast list?

4) Which days of the week are best for auditions?

5) Would you prefer 1 day auditions with a scheduled day for callbacks?

Feel free to add your own questions or thoughts...

[Dane]

1) How do you feel about open auditions? (the cattle call) Do you like auditioning/reading in front of other actors?

No, I find it very uncomfortable and harder to do my best. I prefer just the production staff at auditions.

2) How do you feel about monologues? Do you think they are helpful as a director? Do you feel they can help you as an auditioner?

As an auditioner, I feel I'm better with cold reads than a rehearsed monologue (weird eh) plus I fill the script read lets me show my ability with the actual material rather than something else.

3) How do you feel about casting announcements? In your opinion, how should casting announcements be conducted - phone calls? announced at callbacks? posting a cast list?

Phone calls are really the best, but casting list are more efficient and don't bother me.

4) Which days of the week are best for auditions?

Weekends are always nice but theaters need to have at least one week-day audition (when your IN a show its frustrating when you have to miss weekend auditions).

5) Would you prefer 1 day auditions with a scheduled day for callbacks?

I usually just audition the one day and do the callbacks as needed. People actually come back multiple days regardless?

[IndyanaTekkie]

Recently, OTP conducted auditions for Taking Leave. During the audition process, there were several discussions regarding auditions and how they are conducted at various theaters.

I thought I'd get some feedback on here for future auditions.

1) How do you feel about open auditions? (the cattle call) Do you like auditioning/reading in front of other actors? Although they make me pretty nervous, I prefer open auditions. As a director, I like them too. I need to see how they perform in front of an audience. If they can't handle singing/dancing/acting in front of 20+ auditioners, how will do in front of 100s of people in a show.

2) How do you feel about monologues? Do you think they are helpful as a director? Do you feel they can help you as an auditioner? I like monologues for auditions so I can listen to their voice, look at the face, their body language, are they putting themself into the monologue or just reading a piece of paper. If its something that keeps my attention for more than half of it, then they would be a consideration (depending on the rest of the audition. As for do they help me as an auditioner, since I talk to fast, I don't do monologue auditions. LOL

3) How do you feel about casting announcements? In your opinion, how should casting announcements be conducted - phone calls? announced at callbacks? posting a cast list? I don't like announcing at Callbacks or simply posting a list. I'll call my people to let them know yay or nay.

4) Which days of the week are best for auditions? Either Saturday morning, Sunday afternoon/evening, Monday evening or Tuesday evening. Just depends on the venue schedule and my staff schedule

5) Would you prefer 1 day auditions with a scheduled day for callbacks? I always do a 2 day audition process then if I need callbacks I'll schedule a day that week for them.

[Dane]

Although they make me pretty nervous, I prefer open auditions. As a director, I like them too. I need to see how they perform in front of an audience. If they can't handle singing/dancing/acting in front of 20+ auditioners, how will do in front of 100s of people in a show.

Had to bring this out cause I hear it a lot and I totally disagree. To a lot of people, performing in front of a handful of people intimately that you know is completely different than 1000 people you don't!
Audiences are always easier (for me) than peers at an audition so I feel its unfair to judge them as so

[IndyanaTekkie]

Had to bring this out cause I hear it a lot and I totally disagree. To a lot of people, performing in front of a handful of people intimately that you know is completely different than 1000 people you don't!
Audiences are always easier (for me) than peers at an audition so I feel its unfair to judge them as so

I'm sorry, people are people. I'd much rather perform in front of friends then strangers. Besides, open auditions or not, your attention should be at the staff who is ACTUALLY judging you, not the other auditioners.

[Dane]

I'm sorry, people are people. I'd much rather perform in front of friends then strangers. Besides, open auditions or not, your attention should be at the staff who is ACTUALLY judging you, not the other auditioners.

No, when your performing, your performing for anyone who's watching. That's like saying, "Tonight i'm only performing for my parents, because they are the only ones that matter." It's not like it makes the other people go away.

[rhondabelle]

1) How do you feel about open auditions? (the cattle call) Do you like auditioning/reading in front of other actors?

I actually prefer open auditions. I've never experienced any other type of audition, but I would probably be more nervous auditioning for a directing panel in a closed setting.

2) How do you feel about monologues? Do you think they are helpful as a director? Do you feel they can help you as an auditioner?

Monologues are great! I like the idea of showing the director what I can do with a prepared piece.

I'm also not disappointed if I don't happen to get the opportunity to read from the script as much as I would've liked because I know the director has heard my monologue.

3) How do you feel about casting announcements? In your opinion, how should casting announcements be conducted - phone calls? announced at callbacks? posting a cast list?

The personal route of making phone calls always impresses me, even if the director calls to say he/she can't use me. I also like to see a cast list posted somewhere (preferably on this site ).

4) Which days of the week are best for auditions?

That's a difficult question to answer. I think it depends on the timing of the audition. If I'm in a show, I'd prefer weeknights (such as Monday and Tuesday). If I'm not in a show, I'd prefer Saturday and Sunday afternoon.

5) Would you prefer 1 day auditions with a scheduled day for callbacks?

That would be the ideal situation, but I also know that directors of shows with larger casts (and musicals) will probably need more time to conduct the auditions in order to make well-informed decisions about their casts.


On the flip side, a show with a smaller cast might have two days total for auditions and conduct callbacks during the second half of the second night.

[Skerdog]

1) How do you feel about open auditions? (the cattle call) Do you like auditioning/reading in front of other actors?

No, I find it very uncomfortable and harder to do my best. I prefer just the production staff at auditions.

2) How do you feel about monologues? Do you think they are helpful as a director? Do you feel they can help you as an auditioner?

As an auditioner, I feel I'm better with cold reads than a rehearsed monologue (weird eh) plus I fill the script read lets me show my ability with the actual material rather than something else.

3) How do you feel about casting announcements? In your opinion, how should casting announcements be conducted - phone calls? announced at callbacks? posting a cast list?

Phone calls are really the best, but casting list are more efficient and don't bother me.

4) Which days of the week are best for auditions?

Weekends are always nice but theaters need to have at least one week-day audition (when your IN a show its frustrating when you have to miss weekend auditions).

5) Would you prefer 1 day auditions with a scheduled day for callbacks?

I usually just audition the one day and do the callbacks as needed. People actually come back multiple days regardless?

fill = feel
your = you're
its = it's

Oh sorry, just correcting your spelling.

[thewillowtree]

No, when your performing, your performing for anyone who's watching. That's like saying, "Tonight i'm only performing for my parents, because they are the only ones that matter." It's not like it makes the other people go away.

Okay, I can see both sides ofthis arguement. On the one hand, I do find it much easier and less intimidating to audition/perform in front of a large group of strangers than a small group of friends. But, on the other hand, chances are that at some point in the show, I will have friends in the audience. And then, what are the chances (especially if you have a "home" theatre where you do the majority of your shows) that you will not know (or be friends with) the director or other member of the production staff. I think the key is that we are all performers, and most of us are professionals (whether or not we get paid), so we just need to deal with it and move on. The audition isn't about what makes you feel comfortable. Theatre isn't supposed to be comfortable. That's boring. It's the adrenaline that gives it energy and makes it come to life.

Just my $.02... you can keep the change.

[thewillowtree]

1) How do you feel about open auditions? (the cattle call) Do you like auditioning/reading in front of other actors?
I actually do. As I said in my other post, I'm more comfortable singing/acting for strangers than friends. My thought is that with strangers, if I'm good, I'll be cast, so I have nothing to fear from the people auditioning with me. If I'm horrible, I won't be cast, and I'll never see these people again, so there's nothing to fear from them, either.
2) How do you feel about monologues? Do you think they are helpful as a director? Do you feel they can help you as an auditioner?
I'm not a director, so I can't answer from that perspective, but as an actor, I really don't like monologues. Well, I take that back. I don't like picking out monologues. That is the hardest part of the audition for me... choosing the audition material that shows everything I can do in 16 bars or 1 minute. There is a monologue that I read in High School (I haven't been able to find it since) that was basically an actor ranting about the impossibilities of having a two-minute audition "This isn't an audition, it's an assembly line! Next! Next!"
3) How do you feel about casting announcements? In your opinion, how should casting announcements be conducted - phone calls? announced at callbacks? posting a cast list?
Growing up, the theatres in Gainesville simply posted a list on the theatre door a few days after the auditions were over, and I was fine with that. But after I moved to Indianapolis and got used to phone calls, I really appreciate the time and effort it takes to call everyone. Plus not having to make the 30-minute drive to the theatre only to find out that I wasn't cast. My only issue is the "don't call us, we'll call you" approach where only those who are cast are called. I realize that in some cases (like mass auditions for an entire season), not everyone can be called, but to assume that someone will get the hint when they haven't heard anything by the first rehearsal (or opening night)? If you don't want to call everyone, at least post a cast list somewhere (either at the theatre or online) and tell people when & where it will be.
4) Which days of the week are best for auditions?
I like the idea of having auditions on Sunday and Monday nights. That way, you get a weekend night and a week night, and most theatres are dark those days/times, so it shouldn't interfere with performances.
5) Would you prefer 1 day auditions with a scheduled day for callbacks?
I like having at least two days of auditions, in case I have a scheduling conflict with one day. Plus, I do mostly musicals, and if you try to cast a show with a large chorus in one day of auditions, you'll be there forever. As far as having callbacks the same night, another night the same week, or a week later, I'm not sure what I prefer. With same-night callbacks, you only have to schedule one night for your audition, but it can be a late night by the time everyone auditions, the production team deliberates, names are called, and auditions held. By having them later, you have to plan to come back another day, and it delays the annoucement of the cast list, but you also have more time to prepare anything that is needed for the callback (songs, sides, etc.)