Last week I gave you Part 1 of a series, “How to Personalize Your Audition Material.” At the end of that article, we promised two more ways to bring yourself to your auditions. Without further ado…
Find a person in your same type/age category and track their career. This is one of the best ways to find pieces that fit your type. Do some research and find the actors who look/sound like you and tend to do the kind of work that inspires you. Then, go through their résume/credits history and note all of the projects they’ve done. This is an amazing way to discover plays and musicals that might be perfect for you. You can use a local actor or someone on Broadway, or anyone in between. For example, I did this with Kerry Butler and happily discovered the musical, “Blood Brothers.”
Doing this, too, might also allow you some prime researching of how the actors you admire got to where they are. Understanding the history of those who’ve “made it” can make a big difference in your career, because you and see the progression from Point A to Point B.
Use monologue books to find authors who write in your voice. Now, before you contradict that statement with “But I thought monologue books were bad,” let me explain. Monologue books are a great resource for finding playwrights whose style of writing matches your manner of speaking. There are certain writers whose words flow perfectly from our mouths when spoken. Other times, speaking a playwright’s words feel like an ongoing train wreck. Same with singing: There are some composers and lyricists that write in such a way that our instruments respond naturally and easily, and those that it’s like pulling teeth. You want to find those writers to whom your body intuitively understands.
So, grab a monologue book or a musical theater anthology and start cold reading/sight singing the material. Note the writers for which the material flows easily and then start doing heavy research into what they’ve written. This is a great way to find pieces that fit your natural rhythms. Auditions are hard enough (with nerves, memorization, and the great unknown) without having to deal with pieces that are ill-fitting.
When all else fails…Go to your local bookstore (Drama Bookshop and Shakespeare & Co in NYC, Sam French in L.A.) and find someone who works there. Ask them about plays and musicals that feature folks in your age range. (If you’re a singer in NYC, the NY Performing Arts Library is a great resource.) Based on the research we talked about above, tell them what you’ve discovered and they can point you in the right direction.
You can also check in with playwriting groups to get acquainted with new plays that have yet to be published. In NYC, you can head over to New Dramatists to browse their plays and manuscripts. Their staff is friendly and knowledgeable and will be able to guide you in the right direction.
One other thing to mention on the topic of audition materials: Most of the time, you’re asked to bring in your own monologue or song because the people behind the table are still trying to get to know you. Folks they know are usually invited in to sing/read material directly from the show rather than bringing in their own material. So, it serves you best to pick material that is as close to you as possible.
This doesn’t mean there won’t be an element of acting; it just means that in these cases it’s extremely important not to hide behind heavy characterization or dramatic flair. Dialects should be kept at a minimum so that your true voice can shine through. Now, if they ask for a specific dialect or a specific type of dramatic work, by all means show them what you’ve got. But in the absence of that kind of request, staying with a piece that reflects who you are as a person is the very best way to make a distinct impression.
As Judy Garland said, “Always be a first rate version of yourself and not a second rate version of someone else.”
As a producer, I personally am in favor of hearing monologues that are seriocomic. These would be pieces that have elements of both humor and drama that can be flexible depending on the piece/people you’re auditioning for. Having a handful of flexible pieces in your repertoire will serve you better than having only extreme pieces in comedy and drama and will allow your “you-ness” to shine through.
Like this advice? Check out more from our Backstage Experts!
