Auditioning for Advanced Drama? Here are some tips!

Choose a monologue that fits you. You may think the monologue from Gypsy is great, but does it fit your character? Do you love performing it? If not, consider choosing another.

Be confident. Hold your head up high, make eye contact, and don’t apologize if you miss a line or trip on a word – just keep going! Not feeling well? Tired? Leave it all at the door and do your best – no excuses necessary.  If you don’t feel confident, FAKE IT! This is an audition for acting, you know. 

Be prepared. Go beyond just memorizing your monologue. Get to know the character and the play from which the monologue was taken. Use the character development worksheet on the KEYS Drama Blog to help you get to know your character better.

Practice in front of a mirror. I know it may sound silly, but you want to make sure you know what you look like when you’re trying to convey a specific emotion. If your portrayal of sadness looks like an evil smirk, it could really throw things off. Better yet, take a video of yourself and review it to see how you could improve.

Practice out loud. You may think you can memorize a monologue in your head and then accurately act it out when you get to your audition, but there is nothing farther from the truth. Don't be afraid of what other people are going to think of you if they see you talking to yourself, waving your arms, and pacing... you'll be doing a lot of that in drama class, and most people in the class are crazy, anyway. :)

Act! Act means TO DO, not to talk. Reading or reciting does not equal acting. Don't be afraid to use your body and SHOW what you're feeling and thinking.  (Click here for a great example of acting without words.)

Use the Stage. You're really not confined to a three square foot area. Move around the stage as necessary.

Slow down. If you think you’re speaking slowly and clearly enough, you probably aren’t. Trust me. While there are some people who can speak quickly and still be understood, it usually takes a lot of practice.

BE LOUD! We not only want to see you, we want to hear you.  Don’t yell, but speak as if you’re trying to talk to the guy standing in the back of a big room.

Don’t be late! Being punctual is not only respectful, it’s expected.

And after you have finished practicing, practice some more! 

What are you still doing here? Go practice!!