Posts Tagged ‘Theatre Auditions’

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Never Work With…

Monday, September 27th, 2010

Never work with children or animals is regarded as timeless advice in the acting industry.

With the amount of superstitions and proverbs fluttering about the performing arts world, scrutinising over nervous actors, aspiring models and such like Dante’s demons, it’s a wonder anybody acts!

Here are a few other performing arts quotes and sayings to mull over before your West End castings or theatre auditions.

“It ain’t over ‘til the fat lady sings,” – A reference to the final vocal styling of operatic sopranos who are, as history tells it, generally a little soft around the edges. Specifically, Brunnhilda’s final arias from “Die Walkure” or “Gotterdammerung” is cited as the actual origin of the saying.

“The show must go on!” – A great life lesson to adopt really, especially in the torrent of theatre auditions, model castings and so on endured by performing artists. Or perhaps, if you’re in similar mischievous spirits as Noel Coward, you can ask yourself “Why must the show go on?”

“Three Blind Mice,” is apparently an unlucky tune due to the fact that it contains the number 3; a traditionally unlucky number!

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Break a Leg!

Monday, September 20th, 2010

When it comes to auditions, many of you probably have your own little rituals. During casting calls, many a corridor is crammed with folks hopping, calling their mother and spinning round three times whilst wearing their lucky hula-hoop!

There were simply too many superstitions relating to acting and theatre to fit in here. Here’s just a few of the many theatre superstitions.

* Green, blue and yellow are all, apparently, bad luck! Green perhaps dates from the origins of the outdoor play – wear green and you won’t be seen!

* Unlucky blue is another remnant from a bygone time – dying costumes blue hinted at prosperity (the dye was rather costly), when perhaps the reality was rather different.

* Yellow is the colour of the sun and generally resonates optimism, unless you’re in the theatre and hold true to the belief that the devil was, historically, always depicted in plays in a natty yellow ensemble!

* “Break a leg,” – Good luck.

* “Good luck,” – Bad luck.

There must be some logic or underlying universal principal in there that could be called upon during auditions, casting calls or exams!

The wrong attire can land you in some bad luck – only fake jewellery should be worn, and you apparently should never advertise your own play on your clothes, and never use peacock feathers as an adornment.

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Acting Auditions For The Record

Tuesday, August 31st, 2010

It is easy to get caught up in the heat of the moment with acting auditions. Whether they went well, or not so well, it can sometimes be hard to remember anything more about them. But if you’re serious about your acting career, you would do well to keep a more balanced view of your auditions.

An audition is often a tense and difficult experience. In order to understand what you have gone through, try to analyze where you think you did well, and where you think you went wrong. Make a note of your thoughts. Be as objective as you can about yourself.

No two auditions are the same. If there were elements you liked or disliked about an audition, or aspects that stood out particularly for you, keep a note of these also. For stage auditions, much will depend on the style of the director himself. Try to assess why she or he auditions in a particular way. Keep a note of their name, the production and the date.

After a few auditions, you will begin to build up a picture of your experiences and your technique. You will be clearer about what you have to offer, and about what might be expected of you in future auditions. All of this helps you in your attempts to ‘land the next part.’

At Audition Now, we text you the latest work opportunities direct to your mobile phone: we’re doing our bit to help you land your next part.

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Stage Or Screen For Acting Auditions?

Wednesday, August 11th, 2010

A trained actor has little difficulty in adapting his or her performance style to suit the medium of stage or screen. The trick of minimising a performance to make it ‘fit’ the screen, or of getting used to the portrayal of a role through hundreds of short ‘takes’ is easily learned, and if you have had the right training opportunities, it’s a process that you should be used to.

To make the most of your acting auditions, and to increase your opportunities for work, you should be ready to try for both stage and screen work. Very often film and TV companies require their auditioning actors to have a screen test, by which they can assess a performer: usually you will be given just a few lines, perhaps as part of a dialogue. You will rarely be asked to perform something of your own.

If you are auditioning for film or TV, then you should have a chance to find out about the project, and this will mean you can prepare yourself: be ready for your audition panel to ask you to change your appearance, as a way of their exploring your potential for the screen.

Being adaptable to different performance media will give you more chances to get work. Here at Audition Now, we offer a comprehensive range of acting auditions that could get you work in TV or in film or onstage. If you have the talent we can help you exploit it to the full.

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Acting Auditions For The Stage

Thursday, July 15th, 2010

If you are auditioning for a part in a play, there are a few do’s and don’ts that you should bear in mind.

If it is a new play, then find out what you can about the writer, and try to familiarise yourself with their work and their style. You should also find out about previous performances of their work so that you have some idea what to expect at the auditions.

If it is a play in print, then you need to read the whole of it, perhaps two or three times, and come to a view on what it is about to prepare for theatre auditions. It may be that you see yourself in a particular role. Don’t limit yourself to that, but be ready to be asked to try something totally untypical for you.

When they cannot cast to type, what directors look for at audition is the width of range in an actor’s repertoire. The more you can show a variety of playing styles in your audition, the more possibilities will be available to you when the play’s theatre auditions are over. Very often directors have to abandon their preconceived view of a character because none of the actors at audition match that the wider your range, the more opportunities for you.

Here at Audition Now, we make your opportunities our job. By keeping you up-to-date with all the latest acting auditions, texting you direct to your mobile phone, we help you maximise your chances of getting work in the theatre.

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Being In Charge at Acting Auditions

Friday, July 9th, 2010

It is easy to feel dispirited if TV or theatre auditions don’t go as well as you had hoped. You should not be put off, however, but instead try to think of ways to ‘raise your game.’ Remember, the aim of the casting director is to find the best person for the role. Just because you were not that person, does not mean that you won’t be the best person for the next role you audition for.

An important tip for the audition process is to put yourself in the driving seat. There is the famous story of Barbra Streisand who, at one of her early acting auditions, stopped her song to take the chewing gum out of her mouth, and stick it under a stool seat. At the end of the day, someone checked the underside of the stool, and found there was nothing there. The girl who had been chewing gum had actually been faking it. The effect was undeniable. She had stuck herself in the minds of the audition panel by taking charge of her own audition. As it turned out, she had also proved what a skilled performer she was.

You don’t need to use chewing gum to take charge of your casting calls and auditions, but the more in control you are, the less gruelling your auditions will feel to you.

At Audition Now, we offer a texting service to your mobile phone. We help you plan your career by keeping you up-to-date with all the latest acting auditions.

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Acting Auditions

Monday, July 5th, 2010

If you are leaving drama college you will want to start organising yourself for future work prospects. By now, you will have a firm grounding in a wide range of aspects of stage work, and possibly even some film experience, and you will want to take every opportunity you can to put your training and experience to the test.

You need to ensure that you have a selection of possible pieces for auditions with which you are totally familiar, and which show off your particular talents to the best advantage. It is wise to have variety in this, whether it is contemporary contrasting with classical, or serious with funny or light. This will help the panel at your acting auditions appreciate the range of your ability.

You need to ensure you have an up-to-date CV with a comprehensive account of your past roles, but also your relevant skills, such as fencing or horse-riding. A 10×8 headshot of yourself will help fix your face in the panel’s mind.

Make a point of getting to any acting auditions a quarter of an hour or so early. It helps you to be fully prepared for your two minutes in front of the casting director, and also shows respect.

You will want to get to as many theatre or TV auditions as you can in your first months looking for work. At Audition Now we specialise in keeping our clients informed of all the latest work opportunities, texting them direct to their mobile phone. You couldn’t have a better start to your acting career.

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Belt-Tightening In Theatre Land

Wednesday, June 30th, 2010

The new political landscape in Britain offers an uncertain future for actors. It may even be that the worst of the financial meltdown is yet to be felt, so if you having been wondering whether your next batch of acting auditions are going to be a safe bet, it may be time to take a look at your prospects.

Certainly the effects of the cutbacks will be felt in the subsidised theatre and the amount of theatre auditions available, but the contagion will almost certainly spread to the commercial theatre as people find themselves with less money to spend.

Plenty of acting opportunities exist, but perhaps in areas that you have not yet thought of. Quite apart from various different types of extras work – film, television and even stage – you should also consider other areas of the entertainment industry: film doubles work, or voice-overs for commercials to name but a few.

In financially straitened times, while you may be considering other areas of work, it is very important to try that much harder for the work that you really want. You should in no way be deflected from your main purpose, even if, temporarily, you may be required to supplement your income from other sources. Stretching yourself – by trying to get to as many acting auditions as you can – is a form of ‘belt-tightening.’

Here at Audition Now, we help you maximise your work opportunities, and we make sure that you get to hear of all the latest acting auditions. It’s an up-to-the-minute service that helps you stay ahead through these difficult times.

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Acting Auditions: A Practical Approach

Monday, June 28th, 2010

TV and theatre acting auditions sometimes feel to actors more like a lottery than an opportunity for them to show their talent. It can help, however, if you take a pragmatic view when you prepare.

Aside from whatever audition pieces you have up your sleeve, you should always run through a mental checklist before your next batch of auditions:

- Have you checked the venue date and time of the audition?

- Have you made a journey plan for yourself? You need to be confident of getting to auditions without delays or mistakes a good fifteen minutes in advance of your call. Take into consideration possible public transport disruption, the day of the week, and the time of day – is it around rush-hour, for example? Also, don’t forget to take their contact number with you.

- Have you chosen what you’re going to wear – bearing in mind your own comfort and ease, but also anything you know about the role you may be auditioning for? It can help if you wear elements appropriate to the character you will be portraying.

- Have you updated your CV and photo?

Getting the practicalities right helps because it allows you to concentrate on the more important aspects of upcoming auditions. If you turn up late and flustered you won’t give of your best.

Here at Audition Now we inform you of the latest TV and theatre auditions by texting you direct to your mobile phone. That way you can be sure of access to the best opportunities for your stage and screen career.

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Controlling Your Nerves For Acting Auditions

Thursday, June 24th, 2010

If you suffer from pre-audition frigh,t you might get help from commercially available courses or instruction. But beware – what you feel about auditioning may be what you feel before you go onstage. You can’t just buy your way out of that difficulty at auditions.

Usually the dread is to do with the unknown. An actor is constantly alive to the possibility that the unexpected will turn up, whether they are at theatre auditions or they simply want to be on TV, and that the control he or she has over the scene or the audience will be lost. There is also a fear of just failing. As Orson Welles said, ‘Every actor in his heart believes everything bad that’s printed about him’, and many performers become obsessed with the need for praise, appreciation, or even adulation.

None of that makes the actual acting auditions any easier. What does help, on the other hand, is a methodical approach to your craft. Know your pieces for auditions to perfection, and know how to modulate them so that different emotions can be expressed through them. Keep trying them out on friends and family. Keep looking for new material.

It also helps to know about the project you are auditioning for. Google the people or company involved and see what else they have done. Gear your presentation to what you think they are looking for. Keep a record of past auditions. Above all, keep trying.

Here at Audition Now, we keep you posted about all the latest opportunities for auditions, so you can maximise your career prospects…and keep your nerves under control.

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