What is an audition?

An audition is a showcase of your talent and skills. It is a short opportunity for you to convince a possible employer that you fit the part. Therefore you must have appropriate skills and an appropriate outlook on an audition. As different employers are going to be looking for different things, it is important that you research the company so you can have a better understanding of how the company works, therefore being able to indicate the skills and qualities they will be looking for. Other ways to prepare yourself as an actor for an audition is to develop the character/characteristics you know will be present within the audition. One way to do this is to go through all the facts and opinions you know about a character (their status, behaviour, occupation, likes, dislikes etc.) - essentially breaking down your character. Some people like to go to the audition wearing what the character would wear according to the themes and ideas that create them as a person. By doing research and engaging yourself fully with the character development related to the audition you are more likely to perform well and confidently.

There will be many different types of auditions and you have to be prepared and flexible enough to be able to adapt your skills to fit what the director or employer wants. For example some auditions are monologues, but you may also do a duologue. You could do it with another actor auditioning for a separate role to test your compatibility or you may do it with an assistant so they can test your reaction on stage when you are reading with another person and how you bounce of people to deliver your lines.

There are also different types of roles; stage, film, television and radio. In a stage audition you will be given details about your character (their gender, age, occupation and background,) and from that you will have to prepare your piece appropriately. You may do your audition in front of the director as they will have a picture in their head of who they will want to bring their play alive. A film or television audition will be similar, but in addition to the director you may audition in front of a camera. Someone may be reading with you, but the camera will be trained on your face at all times, so it is important to always be aware of your facial expression and position. Radio is slightly different. You will send your show reel to the casting directors- the show reel will essentially be acting as your audition piece, so it must be good and contain everything the casting directors will be looking for.

When doing either it is important, if given the choice, to pick the right piece. Your piece could be comedic, romantic, tragic or joyous. However whatever emotions your piece contains, an audition, though a showcase, shouldn't pack all your emotional range into one piece because it shows you haven't committed fully to the play and character. There could be more than one emotion in a piece, but you shouldn't just add an emotion into a piece just because you can perform it well; it must fit into the themes of the piece and the characteristics of the character.