In OMS Musical Theater EVERY DAY IS AN AUDITION
What does this mean? This means that the directors and producers are watching. They are watching for behavior issues. Can other students look up to you? They are watching for attitude. Do you feel like you know it so there's no need for you to rehearse further? They are watching to see if you rehearse like you'll perform every time. All of this can be taken into account during a casting process.
Also, Directors talk to other directors.
Come into every class and/or rehearsal ready to work, even if you don't feel like it. You are actors and must remain professional at all times. Fake it until you make it!!
Audition Tips and Tricks
Feeling nervous before an audition workshop is completely normal. Keep the butterflies under control by using meditation or mindfulfulness techniques. Simple breathing exercises can really help too, particularly if you need to calm down just before (or after) the workshop.
Making an audition playlist can help too: choose songs that relax you or make you feel confident and listen on the way to the workshop.
Wear something comfortable you can move around freely in – but don’t be afraid of letting your personality show. Unless you’re given specific instructions on what to wear, an all-black dress code doesn’t have to apply. If you love wearing hats, neon t-shirts or bright print leggings, as long as you can leap around on stage in them, a standout style could help the directors to remember you.
Auditions are exciting but think about the practical things, too: take some water (and a snack, if it’s a long audition); work out exactly where the audition is taking place and plan your route carefully, so you’re not late; arrive at least 15-minutes early so you have chance to take a breath and centre yourself; pop a pen and notepad in your bag to take down any useful info, or swap Insta handles with people you meet.
Auditions start the second you walk into a room and end after you’ve left the building. Directors may clock the confidence you have when you arrive, whether you smile or chat to fellow auditionees and how you act at the end of the audition: if you grab your stuff and bolt for the door, you might not leave the right impression.
Smile and make eye contact with everyone – not just the director. Assistants, producers and other decision-makers may also be in the room. Communicate with as many people as you can, even if it’s just with a smile.
Listen carefully to the director. If you’re asked to perform something in a different way, try it out with an open mind and lots of enthusiasm. You haven’t done anything wrong! The director is simply working out how versatile you are and how well you take direction. Of course, when you do get the chance to act in the workshop, give it all you’ve got. And that goes for singing and dancing, too (you never know, the company’s next season might include a musical…)
Play the long game. If you don’t get a “yes” this time, don’t despair. The director might think of you in the future, if a suitable role comes up or a space becomes available in the company. The more workshops you attend, the more experience you’ll get and the more theatre people you’ll know.
Never take rejection personally. It’s part and parcel of being an actor. Feeling gutted if you don’t get the outcome you wanted is absolutely normal: give yourself time and space to process the news. Hollywood actor Vince Vaughn had a rough time before he made it big. His advice? “Find a process where you’re able to…allow yourself to feel disappointed. I think it’s important that you don’t turn off those feelings. But it is also important [to] do that as quickly as possible to then become productive again.”
Watch this video for some good tips on how to handle rejection
