I thought I would share some feedback that auditors gave at a General audition for Theatre Puget Sound. TPS is a theatrical organization in the Seattle/Tacoma area that has more of a focus on professional theatre, but I thought the feedback could be helpful for community theatre auditioners as well. Break a leg y'all!
B. Name the ONE most common actor mistake this round in your opinion: Actors tended to stay too far up stage. Not finding their "spot" for best lighting. Going over time limit Not including current contact info on resumes. Running out of time. Not being prepared. Being prepared doesn't only mean you have your song or speech memorized, it means you have worked it physically, emotionally, textually. A theater professional rehearses a play before an opening night - the audition is a 2 minute opening night REHEARSE! Many actors didn't place a focus for their monologue when it was contextually clear that that they were only speaking to one person. Women monologues -- need to choose better material -- no more monologues of relationships gone bad, suicide, poor self-esteem etc.. then I associate this material with them as individuals... Failure to fully commit to their characters, including the emotions and motivations involved. Which results in characters that aren't believable and an unengaged audience. Don't sing "Shy". They should say their name again at the end of the audition Shakespeare Slating. Too many actors have a sloppy slate when they introduce themselves and their monologues. over time Choosing material that didn't show off their talents. Not having timed out their audition piece and unfortunately saving the best part of their monologue for right at the end, right when the time ran out. They should bring it with a punch right in the beginning. Bad choice of monologue/material VOLUME Don't try to shock the auditors by using foul langauage or sexual content, don't do two angry, yelly pieces and cool it on the theatre in-joke pieces. Saying lines without really understanding or conveying their importance. Specifically, it was Shakespeare. But in general, it was actors presenting a monologue that clearly hadn't been thought through on an emotional level. As an auditor I don't care about the material, what I want to see is an actor truly engaging with the role. Not taking a moment to feel on ground, feel the space, and feel the audience, before beginning. Hip thrusts during Shakespearean monologues Poor readiness for the auditions by the college groups I suppose going over time would be mistake. Dry personality entering room wasn't a mistake per se, but didn't help their case(s). TIME, shorter is better. Mumbling, Murmuring, and Poor Diction! We need to understand you! going over time yelling Lack of confidence and/or apologizing with their demeanor. Own it! We will believe you! Not timing themselves. Going over time. Clothing. I would love these ladies and gents to know how lovely they are and that there attire is part of their marketing. So much of the clothing is distracting from their auditions. Ending with your strength - if you're a great singer, sing last - if your monologue is your strength - sing first. And time, time, time everything. Failure to introduce themselves clearly. Doing a monologue from a role you've already performed in production is a big risk. The auditor expectations are certainly higher, and few people meet that "opening night" level of extra depth and polish that we anticipate from a role you've already rehearsed and performed for 8 weeks. Too damn loud. I wear earplugs because the actors project as if they were at the Globe. Not choosing truly contrasting pieces that highlight versatility and demand a thoughtful transition. Placing the focal points/imaginary people theyre talking to in their monologue too far to either of the sides of the room. Pieces that felt over-rehearsed and lacking in spontaneous discovery. And poorly acted songs. I'm really looking for someone who can sing and act at the same time. Time! Getting cut off just doesn't make an actor look prepared. Strongly dramatic and over used monologues. Not having their pieces timed well. (they got stopped) Wearing black against a black backdrop. Dressing ordinary instead of "up" for theatre. Not having their pieces timed properly - many had time called on them. Also, many performed one piece to the right side of the house, and one to the left. This meant that we just got a profile for an entire monolog. Shuffling in and not being professional. Saw good actors using monologues that were 10 years younger than the actors real age. Very frustrating. I wanted to see them perform something that they could be cast for. Overall choosing a monologue that did not match their type.
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