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Audition Fun!

Actors are so excited to receive Audition Packets!

For the director, it will involve planning and preparation--it usually takes me several hours and a couple of sessions to plan and complete.

First, you'll need to write a promotional letter. Actors and parents will appreciate knowing your expectations and goals for the production. You might consider, as I recently did, writing separate letters--one to the actors and one to the parents. Make sure to include attendance, memorization, and parental-involvement expectations. Also, make the letter fun! Athough there is work to be done, a dramatic presentation is an exciting event. Do all you can to get everyone interested.

Second, make a schedule which is pretty much set in stone. Parents and actors are committing to this schedule, and you need to make sure it's accurate and unchanging--except in the case of a dire emergency. Be sure to clear the schedule with the principal and/or administrative pastor.

Third, prepare an Audition Form. This will be one page of fill-in-the-blank questions.

Name and grade.
Phone number/e-mail
How many plays the actor has been in.
Favorite play of all time.
Shy or outgoing?
Memorization--easy or difficult?
Why do they want to be in this play?
Which characters are they trying out for?

Fourth, prepare a Commitment Form. On this page have signature lines for the actor and parent to sign. It might read something like...I realize participating in Island of Shalamar is a huge commitment. I will be faithful to attend all practices and performances and to memorize lines. Any dates in conflict with the schedule are listed below.

30-second monologue.
Be sure to mention your audition expectations in the letter to the actors. I like students to do a 30-second monologue, but you can choose a longer time frame. In 30 seconds you're able to see the depth of emotional passion--or lack thereof--that an actor portrays.

Distribute Audition Packets.
Hand out the Audition Packets two weeks before Auditions. This will give students plenty of time to prepare for their monologue and go over the schedule with their parents. Make sure there are a few copies of the Character Lists and Descriptions available at the school or youth-group area.

Preparing for Auditions

List of Pretends
Prepare a list of thirty or so pretends you can quickly refer to. Examples:

You are a flower blowing in the wind.
You are a plane coming in for a landing.
You are a worm chasing down a bug.
You are a kite caught in a tree.
You are trying to catch a cab in NY.
You are a ballerina in your first show.

Checklist
Prepare a checklist you and your panel can use to quickly assess auditioners. Make sure you have one sheet available for each auditioner per judge. You might include these:

Name
Parts actor is trying out for (If possible, fill this out in advance.)--and a grading system such as 1-4 for judges to mark.
Believability: OK, Good, Excellent
Volume: OK, Good, Excellent
Expression: OK, Good, Excellent
Schedule conflicts?
Comments

Bring to Auditions:

Character List with Descriptions
Simple Cast List

You will need several copies of the Cast List for each judge.

Scripts for readings

Make sure you have enough

Checklist--see above
List of Pretends--see above

Audition Day!

Welcome the Actors.
Try to ease their fears and help them relax--everyone is a little bit nervous on this day, even the experienced actors. If time permits, do a drama game.
Tell what led you to choose this play. Give a brief synopsis.
Actors present monologues. Actors will be the most nervous about doing this, especially newbies. Presenting the monologues near the beginning will help some get over their nerves sooner.
Do Pretends. This part is fun and lively.
Actors will read for the parts they're trying out for. This part will take the longest; so allow plenty of time for the students to read. One page of interactive dialogue is enough to see how an actor will portray a character. Feel free to call some back to read again.
Let the actors know when the Cast List will be posted. They will be eager to know. (Don't give away any hints.)

Casting

It's Casting Time.
As soon as Auditions are over, (within the first 5 minutes) I grab a Cast List and write down my first impressions of who I think should be which character. I have each judge do the same. This may take several minutes, but the idea is to do it quickly without reading over your Checklist yet. Your first impressions will be important. Not that they're unchangeable, but they will guide you through this process.

Compare your list with the other judges' lists. Circle any actor's names who you've all cast as the same characters--often the leads will be chosen in this first round. I want 100% agreement in my judging panel. If I'm casting alone, this part is easier--there's no one to argue or debate with--but I believe a panel gives you a rounded opinion and authenticates the auditioning process.

Next, we all discuss why we picked the actors we did. Sometimes I convince the others why Jonny is better as King Kristof than Greg. Sometimes they convince me to change my first impressions. One year, my daughter and I deliberated over casting for eight hours for a cast of 26. That was a rare occurrence, but I was determined we would come to an agreement. In a more recent casting session, it took two hours with three judges casting 24 parts. You can safely count on it taking at two to three hours, so you might want to bring in coffee or go to a restaurant.

After the first round--where you cast quickly--go over your checklists and read some of your comments to the judges. Listen to their thoughts. Remind each other of different actor's monologues, which ones stood out, who read the best, who appeared the most confident. After a time, bring out new Cast Lists and each judge writes down names again. First, be sure to circle the characters you've already cast. As you agree on characters, keep an already-cast list and don't use those actor's names in discussion any more.

Continue with this process until all the characters are cast. If you come to a bog-down where your panel is getting nowhere, you--as the director--can say your vote counts as two, and this usually takes care of the final couple of roles. On occasion, I have done this.

Auditions and the Casting process are huge steps in putting on a production. Each year as you go through the steps, it will get easier. Relax and enjoy this part of the journey--and remember to post the Cast List when and where you said you would. The actors will be waiting with great zeal and excitement.

Happy Auditioning and Casting!

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