The Audition Speech
Choosing your material – This is critical! Your
choice of material already says a lot about you. It says whether or not you have taken the
trouble to explore beyond the usual and the obvious and whether your dramatic sense
has helped you choose material that is appropriate t your age and abilities. In other words, cast yourself intelligently.
Find a role you could actually play – one that is near to your own age
and that doesn’t involve your assuming an unfamiliar accent, funny walk or
voice or any mannerism that might detract from your performance.
2. Check out the length of the speech. It may be wonderful but schools are very
strict on time. There is no point
choosing something that you love but it’s going to take 5 minutes to get to the
good bits. The audition panel makes
their minds up within 30 seconds on average. They will stop you if you over run and don’t dramatically under run. If you have been given 2 mins you piece needs
to be at least 1min 30 sec.
3. Don’t
make your life difficult. Try to avoid a speech, which forms a climax
in the play. You will not have the
narrative drive to help you to this point nor will the listeners. Generalized emotion is the last thing you
want to convey at your audition.
4. Avoid speech that includes another character
speaking, unless interjections into the scene does not need a response from
you. There are the occasional speeches
where cutting the other persons lines can work but this is tricky and you must
be very careful.
5. Props are best avoided. If you need some basic things then rehearse
with them and ensure they are being used with skill and do not distract from
your performance.
6. What to
look for. Look for a speech that shows off as many
facets of the character as possible, one that contains plenty of thought
changes and isn’t on one emotional note.
An effective audition speech has a strong emotional journey but also a
sense of argument reaching some sort of resolution by the end of it. This doesn’t mean that it has to end in
decision but that it doesn’t simply trail off.
A speech that tells a story often offers excellent opportunities but
makes sure that as the narrator you have a strong emotional involvement in
it. You will have to do contrasting
speeches. This does not mean just happy
or sad. Could be contrast in style,
content, the characters personality and the environment and the physical
requirements of the speech.
Working on the speech
‘The
nitty gritty’
- Read
the play. NOT just the bit your
speech is in! You will have
questions on the play asked of you! RESEARCH IS CRITICAL!!!!!!
- Remember
there is no such thing as a speech.
We don’t plan to speak for long periods of time; it just happens
that for a number of reasons we go on talking. One thought leads us on to another, we
get carried away by our enthusiasm for developing an idea, we are trying
to provoke a response from the person we are addressing and if they don’t
reply we continue our verbal prodding, or we are endeavouring to resolve
an argument, etc. The important
point for you as an actor is the realisation that this outburst of
verbalised feeling and thoughts has not been planned.
- Start
with yourself. You are the
character. Don’t fall into the trap
of judging them in any way. You
don’t like or dislike them, they are you.
You have to see the world through their eyes.
- Read
over the speech several times before you begin working on it in
detail. Don’t make decisions too
early. If you have time to read it
over several times then leave it for a day. When you come back to it you will have
digested all the initial information and you will be surprised at how much
more you will discover when you approach it with fresh eyes.
- Ask
the 4 ‘W’ questions
·
What
has happened before the speech begins?
·
What
are you doing? – Transitive verb
·
Who are
you taking to? (Remember if it is the audience you still have a relationship
with them.)
·
What do
you need?
- Be
careful not to impose a generalised emotional label on the speech, such as
‘he is angry’ or ‘she is upset’.
Try to deal in moments. Our
emotions change from one minute to another, play the moment.
- Don’t
make up your mind about the speech too early. Let ideas suggest themselves as you work on it. Keep an open mind and the speech will
give you more information.
- Look
for key words, the changes in emotion and thought, and the climatic
points. Be greedy for things to play.
The more aspects of the character you find to play, the more
‘things are going on’ in the speech, the more secure you will feel and the
easier it will be to play.
- Don’t
plan a lot of impressive or showy moves before you have really studied the
speech. Remember we never move
without a reason. Each move must
tell us more about the character and their circumstances and can give
valuable clues to the feelings underlying the speech or enforce what is
being said. Remember the panel want
to see your face.
1 0. Volume is not emotion.
This is an important point as all too often actor confuse intensity of
emotion with extremes of volume, and either shout or whisper under the mistaken
impression that they convey deep feeling.
11. Observe
punctuation. It is the playwright’s
means of giving you clues as to the character’s thought and emotional
changes. A ‘full stop’ needs air, time
to really play the change in gear, find the extension of the thought or the new
idea. Commas, semi colons and colons are
also changes but on a smaller scale – these can be a subtle difference in the
level of emotional energy, a moment’s hesitation in the flow of thought or
slight change of direction in the line of argument. Ask yourself why they are there and use them
to help you find out more about the character and the author’s intentions.
12. Beginnings and
endings. Remember that on the whole your
speech will not be from the beginning or the end of a play therefore you can’t
play the speech that way. Previous and
forthcoming events are going to have a say in how you start and end your
speech.
13. When working on the
speech it is a good idea to work in a few moments of thought to lead you into
the actual text. This way your first
line will be in response to some stimulus rather that a statement arising from
thin air. Make sure you clearly
establish your state of mind and your relationship to the recipient of your
speech before you start. Similarly with
endings, the character, unless they’ve drawing their last breath, goes on
living and thinking after the end of the speech. Work out what they will be thinking after
they finish speaking, then play that thought at the end of the speech before
you revert back to yourself. Don’t
impose a false ending
Presenting
the speech
- Remember
you are communicating the playwright’s ideas. You are the instrument through which
their talents are communicated to an audience.
- Your
physical position when you deliver the speech is important. Gauge the right distance. Too near is intimidating for you and
them. Too far is giving you and
them unnecessary difficulties as far as audibility and subtlety of
playing. Assess the playing area.
- Remember
you are being judged the moment you walk into the room. If you are nervous, announcing yourself
and giving the titles of your speeches in a clear and composed way can be
more difficult than it sounds.
Rehearse this.
- Don’t
lumber yourself with unnecessary bags and coats.
- Don’t
give copies of your speech to the panel.
They will not prompt you.
- Take
time to focus before you start each speech. Establish the space and atmosphere and
who you are talking to you.
- Don’t
be thrown if you are stopped half way through to give you notes. This is usually a good sign.
- When
you have finished your speeches, smile at the panel, say ‘Thank you’ and leave.
- Drying
can be traumatic. You try not
to. If you do never apologise, come
out of character. `remain in
character, look down, lower your eyes and breath out. This 9 times out of ten refocuses
you. If you do completely loose the
text then you have to come out of role, apologise, and ask the panel
permission to start again. Take
time to get back into character
- The most important thing of all is to ENJOY. Enjoy working on them
rehearsing
them and performing them. They are chance
to do what you love!
The interview
The actors interview is an integral part of the
process. It’s about selling yourself.
1. Answering questions intelligently is crucial.
2.
Also
showing your personality is as critical.
Remember they want to know if they can spent 3 years with you. Can they
build a relationship with you? Can you
be you?
3.
What is
your attitude? This is the nearest thing
to ‘the magic formular’ needed to be successful in an interview. If you ask any interviewer if they need to
choose between 2 actors they will always opt for the one who has the air of
relaxed, quiet confidence. A respect for
yourself and your talent inspires reciprocal feelings in others.
The
purpose of the interview
1.
The
director / interviewer will be able to assess whether an actor is open and
responsive to direction
2.
The
interviewer will be able to judge how compatible you and they are and whether
their feelings about you and your ideas about the schools / course / your
portrayal generally coincide.
3.
By
talking to you face to face it will be easier to decide whether their
personality is suitable for the course.
4.
In an
interview situation an actor will become more relaxed and, consequently, give a
better account of themselves. However
there are some people who interview who might try to intimidate, others who
will be very supportive. What ever you
face be professional, smile and as long as you know your stuff then you will
survive.
How to cope with the interviewer.
1. Remember
they are human. It is easy to lose sight of the fact that the
person sitting opposite you waving all the apparent power is just another human
being. They are only human and suffering
from the same fears and doubts that we all do.
If they temporarily appear to have forgotten their human fallibility and
they are being unbearably grand you can always resort to the old trick of imagining
them stark naked in embarrassing circumstances.
One asset of being an actor is having a vivid imagination.
2. Don’t be
a victim. Instead of approaching the interview as if you were a lamb to the
slaughter, vaguely hoping that interviewer will take pity on you and decide to
be friendly, go in as if you are genuinely looking forward to meeting those
present. Use your actor antennae to
sense their mood, their style and try to tune in to it. Respond to them as if you were a guest in
their house. Notice if their greeting is
casual or if they use a more formal approach and adjust your manner
accordingly. Acknowledge everyone in the
room, before concentrating more fully on the main interviewers (This includes
any student helpers in the interview)
3. Listen
to what is being said. It is so easy to let nerves partially deafen
you so you only take in a fraction of what the other person is saying. If you really concentrate, not only is the
information you receive is valuable, but you will find that your anxiety begins
to lessen as your focus changes from yourself to the topic in hand.
4. Have
some answers ready. Interviewers are not renowned for originality
when it comes to questioning, so you can work out your responses.
5. Don’t
rely on sex appeal. Be wary of flirting.
6. Be
prepared. Find out as much as you can about the
college, staff, your play, your interpretation, what’s going on in the world of
theatre. Research in every way that you
can.
7. Recognise
your own worth. You have something valuable to offer – your
talent. You believe you can act
otherwise you wouldn’t be there, so why shouldn’t it be recognized?
What
not to do
Remember confidence is not arrogance or aggressive behaviour. Be careful that in an attempt to convince the
interviewer on your belief in yourself you don’t become opinionated and over
bearing. False confidence is just as
alienating as false modesty.
What
to wear - Be careful of wearing
black. Actors of both sexes are apt to
wear it as if it were obligatory. Seeing
endless procession of black – clad individuals can make it difficult at the end
of the day’s interviewing to remember which is which. If you
know people who have auditioned then ask them what each school prefers.
Body
language. Make sure you give eye contact. Sit comfortably in your seat but don’t
sprawl. Rather, lean slightly forward so
you appear to be attentive and interested.
Face the person addressing you so they can see your features clearly,
especially your eyes. This does not mean
fixing them with a glassy stare, but looking them min the eye naturally as you
would normally in conversation. Remember
to shake hands when you leave, be sure to include everyone in your farewell,
the spectator (Student) has as much say in the final decision as the main
interviewer.
Controlling
and harnessing those nerves. Nerves can be a positive. The flow of adrenalin can give a sparkle and
an edge. Use this in a positive
way. You are half way to controlling
your nerves.
Consider the following.
1. Breath
2. The Jaw
3. The throat muscles – yawn / smile / open back
of throat
4. The face
5. The body
6. The mind
7. Confidence
