Theatre Audition Tips: What to Prepare and Avoid
Good audition preparation is mostly ordinary: pick the right material, know it well, arrive calm and treat the room as a conversation. These tips are for stage auditions, from community theatre to small professional houses.
Before the audition
What are some tips for theatre auditions?
Read the casting notice, choose suitable material, rehearse aloud, arrive early and be easy to work with. Everything else is detail on those five points. The sections below turn them into steps.
Choose material
Pick a piece that suits the production and shows you at your best. Match the genre: comic for a comedy, direct and honest for a drama. Choose a character close to your age range and life, and a piece with a clear want, a turning point and an ending. Keep to the time limit in the notice. A monologue should fit the role and the time limit, so cut it if needed and time it with a clock. Avoid pieces that depend on an offensive stereotype or a long set-up, and avoid reading from a screen.
Rehearse
Learn the piece so well you can think about the other person, not the next line. Rehearse aloud, standing, in front of a friend or a phone camera. Try it several ways with different intentions, so you can take a note in the room. Rehearse the first thirty seconds more than the rest, since the start is when nerves are highest. If you have sides, read them with someone and ask what the character wants.
How to get better at theater acting
Practice and attention. Take a class, join a scene study group, act in small productions and watch live theatre as often as you can. Notice what other actors do with stillness, listening and pace. After each performance or audition, write down one thing that worked and one to change. The craft improves with repetition and honest feedback more than with any single trick.
The five W's of acting
Teachers use several versions, but a common one is: who am I, what do I want, where am I, when is this happening and why does it matter now. Answer those five questions for your piece and your acting gets specific. Use it as a starting point, not a rulebook, since schools and coaches define it differently.
Practical preparation
- Check the address, parking or transit, and the start time. Leave extra time.
- Prepare your headshot and résumé if requested, and keep your résumé honest.
- Prepare a short, friendly answer to "tell us about yourself".
- Sleep, eat and drink water. Skip a heavy meal just before.
In the room
Slate
A slate is the short introduction at the start: your name and the piece you will perform, sometimes with the character and play. Say it clearly, smile if it feels natural, and then take a breath before you begin. Follow any slate instructions in the notice, particularly for self-tapes.
Performance
Take your moment. Pause, picture the person you are speaking to and begin. Keep your focus on an imagined scene partner, usually slightly off the line of the panel, unless the notice asks you to speak to the table. Use the space but do not wander. If you lose your place, stop, breathe and pick up the thread, which is much better than apologising.
Taking direction
Directors often give a note to see how you respond. Listen, say "yes", and try it right away. It does not mean you did something wrong. It shows that you can adjust, which is what a rehearsal room needs.
Singing and movement calls
For musicals, sing from the cut you prepared and move simply. If a movement call is part of the audition, follow the choreographer, watch carefully and give it your best attempt rather than a perfect one. Willingness counts.
Community theatre auditions
At community theatre auditions the atmosphere is usually friendly and the group is often looking for people who will be good company for weeks of rehearsal. Be warm and prompt, listen carefully, and be clear about your availability. See getting started in community theatre if this is your first one.
Common mistakes
- Arriving late or unprepared. Punctuality is the easiest way to look professional.
- Choosing a piece that does not suit you or the production.
- Going over the time limit.
- Apologising before you begin or after you finish.
- Playing the result instead of the want. Show what the character is trying to get, not how they feel about it.
- Ignoring the notice. If it says to bring two contrasting pieces or a specific kind of song, bring them.
- Giving too much information about conflicts. State only the dates you cannot work, honestly, and leave the rest.
- Arguing with a note, or explaining your choices.
- Being difficult with the reader, the stage manager or other actors. People notice, and many companies cast kind colleagues.
Equity and non-Equity differences
If a call is held under union rules, you may need an appointment or may have to wait. Read how auditions work in Los Angeles and the explanation of the Equity waiver so the process does not surprise you.
Nerves
Nerves are energy, and nearly everyone has them. You cannot remove them, but you can manage them.
- Breathe slowly, with a longer exhale than inhale, before you enter.
- Move your body a little in the waiting area: shake out your shoulders, stretch your jaw and hum.
- Focus on the other person, not on yourself. Your attention goes where the scene is.
- Prepare more than you need. Confidence comes from knowing the material.
- Keep a routine before every audition so that it feels familiar.
- Accept that a blank moment happens. Pause, breathe and continue.
- Remember the panel wants you to do well, because finding the right actor ends their search.
After the audition, let it go. You made choices, and the outcome depends on many things you cannot see, like the rest of the cast. Then book the next one. A calendar with the next audition on it makes any single result feel smaller.