Audition Advice - Belinda Bremner

.

You are the best you on the planet. Be yourself at the audition. Find pieces that speak for you. It’s a job interview using someone else’s words.

The auditors really, really want you to be wonderful. The Simon Cowell thing doesn’t go here—or shouldn’t. If you get one of those, you don’t want to work for him anyway. Know that “they” know that what you are doing is harder than being in a play where you will be talking to people who are actually there.

You are in control of the audition. You get to choose what you do, what you wear and, most importantly, how you present yourself. Be the person you would want to work with.

If you have directions (type of material, length of material, number of pieces...) FOLLOW them. Geeesh, what are you saying about yourself by not following directions!?!

Don’t you DARE be rude—to anyone. Nobody hires cocky.

Choose pieces (unless specifically advised otherwise) in your own age range and in your own dialect and which fit the theatre’s mission and season.

Choose pieces wherein you are talking to someone who is actually in the room and awake and alive.

Speak to someone specific to affect change in his behavior. (I think I stole that from Rick Boynton.)

WANT something. More than that, fight for it! Know what it will look like when you get it.

Be a human—not a dog or a fairy.

Contrasting pieces means one of you having a good day and one of you on a bad day; you when you have the answer and you when you don’t. It is not necessary (nor advisable) to try for the stretches you do in class, nor play the 247-year-old Tang Dynasty empress immediately followed by the 14-year-old crack ho in the dumpster.

The scene is about the other person. How you are doing in your quest for that which you want is told is his face.

What stands in your way? When do you have to change tactics? How do you know this?

Folio technique works on EVERYTHING.

Be absolutely sure you know the correct pronunciation and meaning IN CONTEXT of every word. Know the source of every reference. Know whatever your character knows.

Make the strongest choice, raise the stakes as high as possible. This is just as true in comedy.

Be absolutely specific. There is no kinda, no sorta, no some guy...

If asked for a dialect, find out exactly which one. Contrary to what some think, not all Irish/English/Scottish people sound alike. Does a person from Penobscot, Maine sound like someone from El Paso? Well, Dublin and Donegal don’t sound the same either.

Dress appropriately. Don’t distract from your performance.

Anger is the easiest emotion to access. If you asked the janitor to play angry I’m here to tell you he could. Be more interesting, fight the anger. You want something? Who ever gave you anything when you screamed at them?

For heavens sake, get a coach. And do your repetitions. Out loud.

Don’t do the same piece twice for the same auditors. One of the seven early warnings sign of a lazy actor.