Actors
| Irene Ryan Scholarship | Rules | Royalty Information | Tips |
Irene Ryan Scholarship Auditions
Tips
| Selecting Material | Rehearsing the Material | The Audition |
REHEARSING THE MATERIAL
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Make strong, positive and varied choices aimed at putting your character in charge of the scene.
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Locate and exploit counterpoints and tensions between yourself and the character, tensions within the character, tensions between the character and the dramatic situation.
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Take a journey and allow the text to surprise you. Use discoveries, realizations and unusual tactics in the scene to keep the journey the character makes spontaneous and surprising.
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Give movement specificity, dramatic validity, and theatrical finish. Simple but completely realized movements and gestures are the most effective. Avoid literal interpretations of the text in movement and gesture.
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When staging the scene be sure you are 'sharing your work' so that it is open and available to the audience vocally and physically, no matter how intensely involved you are with partner. Avoid upstaging yourself and staging too much of your work in a scene, song or monologue in profile.
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Avoid working on too many physical levels (on chairs, tabletop, etc.) simply to dazzle the audience with unusual staging choices. Look for staging choices that grow more from a thorough understanding of the text than a desire to use the audition venue in a unique and clever way.
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Maintain vocal control throughout the scene. Don't let emotions drive you beyond vocal expression you can control.
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Imagine the physical space appropriate for your scene; set the boundaries and maintain control of that space during the performance.
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Movement should develop organically from the material; the connection between the physical action and its emotional source should be strong and clear.
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In the regional semifinal round and beyond, be sure to clearly specify the ending of the one piece and the beginning of the next. Do not run scenes together. Do allow for audience reaction. To avoid going over the time limit, a good rule of thumb is to use no more than 2 minutes, 45 seconds total in the preliminary round, 4 minutes, 45 seconds in the semifinal round, and 5 minutes, 45 seconds in the final round. This will allow a 30 second cushion (which includes a 15-second grace period) to accommodate audience response.
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Time the performance carefully so that it is always within the required limits; audience laughter is part of your time-you don't get extra time if they're laughing too hard to press forward. Carefully weigh the decision of how long you wish the preliminary round scene to run. If you decide to consume all three minutes in the preliminary round scene, you will have only two additional minutes to perform a contrasting scene in the semifinal round. The choice is entirely yours, but plan accordingly. The confidence, poise, and polish characteristic of outstanding auditions is the result of dedicated, concentrated rehearsal and astute coaching.
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Ask your acting teachers and your coaches to help you with your audition. Bug them until they do. Don't let the regional festival be the first place your audition will be seen by others. Feedback from coaches and as much rehearsal in front of others as possible is essential.
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Adequate rehearsal is vital. A five minute presentation should be rehearsed a minimum of six hours, excluding time spent learning the material and discussing it with coaches.
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Your introduction is an important part of your audition. Make it count. Script and rehearse it as if it is an additional scene in your audition. Be sure both you and your partner are introduced by name (but do not identify your school), and that you identify the title of each piece you are performing. Keep the introductions brief, personable and professional.
