Auditions and Callbacks(oh and classes)

Hello, and welcome to my first post from UNCG!!! Tuesday night were my auditions. I performed monologue from The Glass Menagerie, and then I sang Being Alive from Company. I think I did alright. I then received a callback for both of the shows that I auditioned for, The Threepenny Opera, and The Fantastic Mr. Fox.

The callbacks were pretty fun. The threepenny callback was simply a dance for the part I was called for. So I did the best that I could and I felt like I was making a really stupid and incorrect face the whole time, but who knows.

And then I really enjoyed my callback for Mr. Fox was really fun. I simply had to read a side (a chunk of the script) but she let us have free range with it. It was loads of fun.

The cast lists come out today so I am super so I am super excited to see what happens! Believe me I will let you all know!   

As for my classes they are whats up! My acting 1 teacher is very cool, and I am stoked for what all we will learn. The same is true about my voice for the actor class. My tech class is cool, you know sets and lights, its all the same. Tap is FUN! but hard ish... I need shoes. Math is so easy it makes me cry when people ask questions. and finally my English class will KICK MY BUTT!  I have always been terrible with writing and and that kind of stuff (but for some reason I have a blog?) So yeah! College life. Not too bad.


UPDATE !!!!!!!!!!
After my math class I made the  minute trek to the Taylor Theater Greenroom, where the cast lists were posted. The first one I saw was for The Threepenny Opera. As I began looking through the names I saw the name of one of my friends and then another, but I did not see my own name. Now at this point I started to feel a little bumbed out. I mean I started going through the classic, "well at least they saw you and were interested enough to want to see you again, you can always work the crew and you have to do some work on it..." All that stuff that actors in these situations say to themselves, when not cast. Of course I double checked it, closer just in case I skimmed over my name. Nope it wasn't up there. So like I'm not sure if within those seconds I forgot about The Fantastic Mr. Fox or what. In remembering it, I said to myself, "Well, its at lest worth looking at." So I kinda look over it, and the first thing I'm attracted to is MY NAME!!! Like my brain didn't start at the top and read left to right down the list, it just zeroed in on my name! As soon as I saw it I glanced over to see the role, not really caring what it was because I would accept it anyway, but there it was the speaking part that I had been called back for! Isn't that great?! YAY! Now a chance for more people to see me, for directors to work with me (the way I feel is best to get to know me as an actor) and a chance to have fun. Like I mentioned before, the call back was really fun and playful, so I can only guess how much fun the actual rehearsal process will be! And I say to all the were cast congrats, to all that were called back way to go, and a big YEE HAW to all that even auditioned. You put yourself out there and did what some can't so good on you, and you know I mean that is really all you can do. Its risky business, but isn't that why we love it?

Auditions

So this Up coming spring my one of my community theaters is producing Hairspray, and today my friend asked me to help her find an audition song. And it made me think. How much do I really know about auditioning? ... The answer is, more than I expected, and more than I practice. So here are the tips that I know: (Even if I do need to put them into practice a little more than I do now)

1. Find a song that compliments/shows off your range.
2. Find a song that is similar to the show you are auditioning for.
3. Try not to pick a song from the show because the auditioner may read that as "This is how I will perform this song if I am cast," and that may not be how they want it. So it seems like an "either or" situation.
4. Try to pick songs that either catch their interest, or so your voice off quickly because you might not make it all the way through the song.
5. If you know the original version of the show and the characters have a certain voice don't use it unless it is your voice. Show off you not the original character.
6. Practice! You can not walk into a room for an audition with a brand new song that you have never practiced.
7. If you are singing to another character in your song put that character just past the auditioners, do not bring them into your scene.
8. Be careful not to get to close to the auditioners.
9. Do not wear anything that distracts from your voice or acting skills.
10. But at the end of the day... you're another day older. (Sorry I couldn't help it.) But really at the end of the day all that matters is that the auditioners have heard you sing and that they know your voice.
11. AND DRINK WATER! Stay hydrated. All day. If you have an audition that evening try to drink water all day long. Warm up, it will help you feel more comfortable singing. Stretch you will most likely feel more relaxed in the audition. And have a good attitude.

So those are my tips for a singing audition, and as I think about it a lot of them would cross over to a monologue audition. always look around for tips. There is one fellow on Youtube that gave a lecture on auditions. Look for it and listen, it will help. Also the more you audition the more you learn about How to do it.
Do NOT get discouraged if you are not cast. In fact this is one of those moments where the phrase "what does not kill us makes us stronger," really rings true. Ask the director why you were not cast, if you have a way of contacting them. Although if you do this please be respectful. Directors WILL remember you, so be nice. Simply ask what they were looking for, and what you could have done differently to maybe have landed the show.
So those are my tips. I'm sure there are more out there, but that is all I can think of. I would like to thank :

• That Guy On Youtube
• Marjory Watson (pro singer and Actress)

And

• Scott Christian (pro percussionist)

For all of these wonderful tips.