The
following are excerpts from Valerie Accetta’s audition class brochure. This material is
copywrited by Valerie Accetta.
Columbus Children's Theatre has exclusive rights from the author to
publish this material.
Reprinting all or part of this material without written permission of
the author is prohibited.
To obtain additional copies contact Valerie Accetta (614 447-1191)
Bring a Headshot or Photo
(CCT has many people audition and it helps us remember who
you are.)
A. Picture should look like you.
B. Picture should be clear
C. A school picture or snapshot
is fine.
2.
Bring a
Resume – if you have one
(CCT does not require a resume, but if you have one, here
are some suggestions)
A. Resume should be only one page.
B. Resume should include: name,
phone #, height,weight, hair color, eye
color, and voice part (for musicals.)
C. Resume should include the names
of the shows you have done, what part you
played and the name of the theatre. You can include the
director if you want.
D. Resume should include your
education and training such as private lessons, choirs, etc.
3.
Bring your
calendar and/or datebook with you to the audition.
Choosing a
song for a musical audition:
A. Make sure you
like the song and enjoy performing it.
B. Find music
for your song. Acapella singing is never
recommended as the director wants to hear how
well you match pitch to the
piano.
C. Find music
that is age appropriate. For example, for young
people, it is
never a good idea choosing a song that is
usually performed by an older character.
D. Do not make
it too long: 32 bars is good for a song.
E. It is usually
not a good idea to bring props for your song.
F. Ask someone
to teach you the song, help you to prepare
it and practice singing it with an
accompanist.(make sure it is in the
right key with full piano and markings for the
accompanist.) You could ask your school or church music teacher or find
someone in
town to play for you.
G. Put the music
in a binder with either easy to turn pages,or in
non-shiny
plastic folders. Make sure it is easy to read.
Books that are difficult for
the accompanist to hold open and loose pages
that might fall can cause the
pianist to make mistakes and won’t help your
audition.
A. If scripts are available before
the auditions, check one out and read it.
This will help you feel comfortable and confident.
B. Take your time. You won't get any points for reading your
lines the
quickest.
C. Make sure you look at your scene partners. Keep your thumb in
the margin
of the text to help you find your place when you look back down
at the
script. (Again,take your time.)
D. Breathe, and speak clearly. Think about who you're talking
to, and why
you're talking to them.
E. Take enough risks to move while you read.
Auditioners want to see how you use the space. (Avoid pacing and
shuffling,
however. Your movement can be simple, and should help us
understand the
character and what they're doing/feeling in this scene.)Take enough risks to move while you read.
F. Don't apologize if you mess up. Just keep going,and keep
focusing on your
scene partner.
A. Wear something comfortable but nice, that you feel good in.
B. If you choose, dress only to suggest a character, not
to BE the character.
C. You can bring a change of clothes and shoes for dancing or
make sure the
clothes you have on are appropriate for dancing
D. It is best to wear your hair out of your face in a style
that you like.
E. Never wear a hat, it hides your face.
F. It is always good to do a full vocal
and physical warm,-up
before arriving
at the theatre.
A.
Be professional (positive, happy, organized, polite) from
the second you step out of the car.
B. Make sure to check in when you arrive and fill out an
audition form. Turn the form in and sit quietly in the
theatre or designated area.
C. When it is your turn, be confident,
take a nice,
comfortable stance on the stage and stand tall. Look REALLY
happy to be
there.
D. When you bring your music to the accompanist, BE NICE! He/She
is there
to help you. Give them your tempo (practice this before) and any
markings
worth noting. Make it as easy as possible
for them to play.
E. Make sure you project your voice (including when introducing
yourself)- if
we can’t hear you, we can’t cast you.
F. Take a deep breath and focus. Make a clear nod to the
accompanist when you
are ready to begin.
G. During your performance enjoy yourself!!
H. Do not apologize!!!!!! Even if you make a mistake, or
are sick or have a
cold! Everyone occasionally messes up and directors understand
that and won’t
hold it against you.
Dance Audition
A. If you learn more slowly, stand toward the
front. Pay close
attention and
ask lots of questions ( BUT DON’T BE ANNOYING.)
B. Have personality! Even if you don’t feel
comfortable,
look like you are having a GREAT time! Sell it! If you
screw up a dance
step don’t worry about it. Choreographers know they can
eventually teach you
the steps.
A. Prepare as before. If it is a musical, you will
probably be asked to sing
from the show so familiarize yourself with the script and
music.
B. Dress as before. It sometimes
helps the director if you look the same.
A. Professionals keep a journal of all auditions. This will
help you to learn from each audition and will help you keep
track of
them. The entries must include:the name of the theatre, the
show, the date
and who was at the audition. You might also want to
include: what you wore, what you sang, how you felt about it,
etc.
B. After the audition, don’t stress. Always remember it
takes a lot of courage to even audition and
sometimes people are not cast for things such as height or hair
color. Often
at CCT we have much more talent than roles to fill so keep
auditioning.
THE MORE YOU DO IT – THE BETTER YOU GET AT IT!
Bottom line:
Have FUN! Enjoy yourself!
This is your chance to perform!
