To get a job, you generally have to interview. Auditioning is an actor’s interview. With any job how you present yourself is just as important as what you know. Level 3 focuses on auditioning, and puts to practical use the training from Levels 1 and 2. Students will learn how to read audition notices and identify the characters in plays he/she should pursue. Students will also learn how to choose a monologue written by a contemporary playwright. The last aspect of level 3 will teach students how to establish character in a minimal amount of time. The areas of specialization covered in Level 3 are: Audition Techniques, Contemporary Playwrights, and Selecting Monologues.
If an actor wears flip-flops, shorts and a t-shirt to audition for Hamlet, no director or casting director is going to take that actor seriously. As with any job interview, appearance heavily influences people’s opinion. Audition techniques teaches how to dress for an audition and how to choose clothing appropriate for the part you are trying earn. This component also teaches students how to introduce themselves and present monologues in a professional manner that grabs director’s attention in a positive way.
Choosing a monologue can be tricky. As an actor you want to use monologues that are appropriate for your age and physical type. Part of finding a good monologue is having a working knowledge of plays and playwrights. The component of contemporary playwrights teaches students how to find plays, playwrights and monologues best suited to their individual needs and talents as an actor.
Most auditions are strictly timed. Generally an actor has 60 to 90 seconds, and will be stopped if they exceed that predetermined time limit. Therefore actors must pick material that best demonstrates their type and talents, in a very limited interval. Selecting monologues builds on the study of contemporary playwrights, teaching students how to research and find monologues that can benefit them in a variety of auditions.
