Content

• Steps
• Method 1 of 3: Finding Sample Opportunities
• Method 2 of 3: Preparing for Samples
• Method 3 of 3: Samples
• Tips
• Warnings

In this article, you will learn how you can get a role in a theatrical production. The techniques described below are taught in drama schools around the world.

Steps

Method 1 of 3: Finding Sample Opportunities

1. 1 Find out what the plays can be. There are many different categories of plays that are not limited to dramas and comedies. Some classical productions (for example, Shakespeare, Chekhov, Greek playwrights) use more complex language and unusual long constructions. Do not be afraid of this. When you start working on a play with the director, it’s easier for you.
   • Consider the requirements of different productions. Casting auditions for a theatrical production usually start with monologues, and if the director decides that you might be suitable for the role, he may invite you to read the dialogues with other applicants.
   • Know what you are preparing for. If you don't have a strong interest in theater or can't fit into your chosen role, theater may not be the right fit for you.
2. 2 Look for sample announcements. Now you know what lies ahead. This article will talk about preparing for auditions for a role in the theater, but the methods described can be adapted to auditions for a role in a movie. When you decide you want to play in the theater, start looking for a production.
   • Typically, audition announcements are posted on stands in theater schools and theater departments. Sometimes, not only students, but also other actors are allowed to participate in educational productions. You can also look for information on open auditions at local theaters. From time to time, directors advertise in newspapers (most often in the entertainment and art sections) and on the Internet.
3. 3 Consider if the proposed roles are right for you. Study the list of roles you will be auditioning for and see if they are right for you. If you are a white man of forty, you are unlikely to be cast as a twenty-year-old Hispanic.
   • If you're a guy and want to read Vagina Monologues or play Snow White in a play for kids, you won't be hired. Consider the type of heroes. But sometimes directors agree to compromise (for example, if you are young and the director cannot find an older actor, and you are good at acting). If you are close to meeting the requirements, don't be afraid to audition.
   • Save all the information you need beforehand (such as phone numbers, title and songwriter, map) so you don't have to look for it at the last moment. It is not customary to remove sample announcements until the samples pass, so leave the announcement where you saw it and do not take it with you (unless the announcements were piled up).

Method 2 of 3: Preparing for Samples

1. 1 Prepare yourself. Review the sample requirements. Most often, the ad contains all the requirements for appearance and preparation, for example: large photos, resumes, dancewear, as well as what will need to be done during auditions. Most often, on auditions for modern productions, you need to read two different monologues (comedic and dramatic).
   • If you are auditioning for a role in a Shakespeare play, classic monologues from other plays by Shakespeare, Marlowe, or Thomas Kidd will do. The ad will also indicate what else you need to do: perform a song, read something of your own composition, and so on. Follow the directions in the ad. Do not prepare a monologue from Tennessee Williams or Arthur Miller to audition for a Shakespeare play, especially if the ad is required.
2. 2 Pick up a monologue. This is one of the most difficult stages. You will have to revise many different plays and anthologies to find the right lyrics. Most often, choosing a play-like monologue that you will be auditioning for is the best choice (for example, if you are auditioning for a Tennessee Williams play, choose a monologue from Arthur Miller). This will allow the director to understand, rather than imagine, how you will cope with the role.
   • For example, if an actor can read Shakespeare, he is more likely to cope with a modern production. If you need help finding a monologue, talk to a theater lover, acting instructor, or talk to the production director. These people will be most helpful to you. They will advise you on sources that you can use.
   • If you are unable to speak with experts, simply start reading plays that unfold at the same time as the play in which you are applying. But if you already have a monologue, consider that half the battle is done.
3. 3 Rehearse before trying. You have monologues, now it's time to learn them by heart. There is no one sure way to do this - everyone teaches differently. But know that the text must be learned very well. Many directors refuse to choose actors who do not remember the text well or read it from the sheet at the first auditions (they can make an exception only if you show something that the director likes or needs). Once you memorize the text, practice reading it every day before listening.

Method 3 of 3: Samples

1. 1 Choose the right clothing. Give up sneakers, jeans, torn T-shirts. Shave smoothly if you're a man and tidy up your hair. You don't have to look messy on stage. If you need to dance during the audition, take a change of clothes with you so as not to spoil the beautiful clothes before reading the monologue.
2. 2 Take your large portrait photos and resume with you. Make multiple copies. If there are several people in the commission at the audition, give each of them a copy. This will make you better remembered.
3. 3 Arrive early. Often, before auditioning, all candidates are asked to fill out special questionnaires and indicate their experience, their key characteristics and the amount of free time. In addition, the questionnaires may provide an opportunity to choose the listening time. The sooner you arrive, the more time you will have to choose. Plus, this will help you warm up before the show. Do voice exercises, stretch, read tongue twisters. Without a warm-up, reading a monologue can go worse than you expect.
4. 4 Be polite to the people around you. Don't initiate conflicts. If they choose both you and another applicant with whom you have started a conflict, you will have to work together for a very long time, and the person will remember how you behaved.
   • Be prepared to work as a team. Actors don't like other actors with bloated egos who look like they think they are stars. There is no reason to think that you are better than others. This is especially true in university or any other amateur theater. After all, the main thing is to have fun and to learn, and since no one is paid much in the theater, no one owes you anything, even if you got the lead role.
5. 5 Listen and watch as you try. Calmly wait for your turn.Listen carefully: Sometimes the director or assistant directors give directions that were not included in the ad. They can be very important as they can be about time constraints or listening order.
6. 6 Wait for you to be called and enter the stage. Before you start talking, make sure everyone is ready to listen to you. Do not start if committee members are still writing or discussing a previous actor.
   • Be confident. The commission wants to see a person who is confident and not shy in front of people. Try to demonstrate this confidence. Speak clearly and don't slouch.
   • Wait for the moment when all the members of the commission look at you, so that everyone can listen to you from the very beginning.
7. 7 Give your monologue. Read the monologue confidently and in the way you rehearsed it. After the monologue, the director may ask you a couple of questions or ask you to re-read some part of the monologue. Be patient, answer all questions honestly, and do whatever is asked of you to the best of your ability. All of these can help you get the role. When you're done, give a slight bow, thank the commission, and leave the stage for the next candidate to take your place.
8. 8 Please be patient after listening. This is perhaps the hardest part of the audition process, even harder than choosing a monologue. At this time, a person feels completely helpless: his fate (at least in relation to this role) is now in the hands of other people. After listening, you can either stay or leave. Wait for the actors to start calling to read dialogs. If not, find out when and where the cast list will be posted. If you need to leave, do so quietly and be polite to the other actors.
   • Don't worry about the trial. After the audition, the actors often screw themselves up, analyze every little thing that happened during the audition, and then find a place for themselves while waiting for the results. Don't act like that. Sometimes it can take many days until the final casting stage, and sometimes additional auditions are held in which individual actors are asked to read dialogues with each other. In the second case, be prepared to work with other actors, including reading the text of characters you don't want to play. But don't be nervous. Now you can no longer influence anything, and if you are not chosen, it will not be because you are a bad actor. Chances are, you just don't live up to the director's expectations.
   • When it is announced who has gotten the roles in the production, ask the director what you should work on and what you could do better during the audition. The directors are usually happy with such conversations, since they can analyze the performance from the outside and explain what exactly they wanted to see. Be polite. Don't blame the director for bad decisions or get angry with him just because you weren't chosen.
   • If you still have chosen, congratulations! You did it. Good luck in the theater!

Tips

• Try not to be nervous before testing. If you are calm and collected, it will be easier for you to read your monologue.
• Remember that getting a role in a production means that you will have to find time to memorize dialogues, monologues, and work out the text as directed by the director. It is important to always be ready (both physically and mentally) to set aside time for more than just rehearsals.
• Be sure to read the entire piece before listening. The director can ask you questions about the text, and you will need to know the answers. It will also be easier for you to work with someone in a pair on tests, because this is not the first time you will be reading the text.
• Always carry copies of your resume with you. Perhaps in the theater you will accidentally meet a person who is interested in you.
• If you can, check out more than just one piece. Read the author's other plays and learn more about the times in which he worked.
• Some auditions have restrictions on the length of the monologue. The assistant director will give a sign when the time is up. Know what this sign may be and when it will be given, because you are unlikely to want to be stopped when you are in the middle of the second monologue.
• Drink water periodically before testing. Take just one big sip before you start giving your first audition monologue.
• Try to demonstrate your skill in moderation: not too bright and not too restrained. Use non-verbal cues to reveal the character you are trying to play.
• If you were not selected, this could be due to various reasons. Perhaps you have a different role or the director just needs someone else. Don't get hung up on this.
• Do not be afraid to sign up for auditions for a new production of the director, even if you were not selected the previous time.

Warnings

• Don't tell lies about your acting experience or distort the facts. It is better to admit that you have no experience than to declare an experience that you do not have. Many directors prefer actors with no experience because they are more receptive to direct directions (in fact, they follow instructions).
• Don't be late, don't make noise and be polite. Disrespect will not play into your hands, even if you show it inadvertently.
• You can't change your mind about taking on the role at the last moment. If you are chosen, it means that you have obligations (unless you auditioned for a minor role, but you were chosen for the main role, and you do not have the energy and time for this job). Commitment means that you can't turn down a role unless you have very good reason to do so.
• Try to distract yourself from the thought that you are being selected. This will keep you from going crazy with anxiety while waiting for the results, and you won't be overwhelmed if you are not chosen.
• Never pay for a sample, no matter what you are told. Paid samples are almost always fraudulent.