The Green Room - Audition Notices

Apr 21^st, 2010 at 8:28am

Silent Knight Offline
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www.maniccity.tv
Manic City

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What things are important to you in an audition notice, the get your interest in a show?

For me, some of the most important are:

1. The Show: Either I'm familiar with it, or it sounds intriguing. I think an unfamiliar show should get as specific as it can in the details of the play. This means story, characters and themes, not "this is exiting and new and it's going to be a great experience for everyone involved!"

2. Director: I won't even consider auditioning for a play if I don't have some idea of who the director is.

3. Character Descriptions: A clear idea of who the characters are, and if specific types are mind for specific roles. "Roles for 6 men and 3 women" is not sufficient, even if it says "ages 25-60".

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"The power is not in the mask. It's in whether we chose to wear it."
-Peter Blustrinsky

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Reply #1 - Apr 21^st, 2010 at 8:36am

gem2477 Offline
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Posts: 111

I would also include what is required for the auditions (do they want everyone to prepare a song, monologue, or be prepared to dance), when call backs will be, and perhaps when rehearsals will be held so that people will now what type of time commitment there will be. When the play runs would also be nice!

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Reply #2 - Apr 21^st, 2010 at 8:44am

Silent Knight Offline
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Manic City

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gem2477 wrote on Apr 21^st, 2010 at 8:36am:

I would also include what is required for the auditions (do they want everyone to prepare a song, monologue, or be prepared to dance), when call backs will be, and perhaps when rehearsals will be held so that people will now what type of time commitment there will be. When the play runs would also be nice!

Good point. Most of those are things that I kind of take for granted, but I have seen some notices which are missing that kind of information, and certainly those are absolute musts. I don't see a lot that list when callbacks will be, but now that you mention it, it's an awfully good idea.

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"The power is not in the mask. It's in whether we chose to wear it."
-Peter Blustrinsky

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Reply #3 - Apr 21^st, 2010 at 8:48am

Rosie Poppins Offline
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Still I'm incandescent
Salt Lake City

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Silent Knight wrote on Apr 21^st, 2010 at 8:44am:

gem2477 wrote on Apr 21^st, 2010 at 8:36am:

I would also include what is required for the auditions (do they want everyone to prepare a song, monologue, or be prepared to dance), when call backs will be, and perhaps when rehearsals will be held so that people will now what type of time commitment there will be. When the play runs would also be nice!

Good point. Most of those are things that I kind of take for granted, but I have seen some notices which are missing that kind of information, and certainly those are absolute musts. I don't see a lot that list when callbacks will be, but now that you mention it, it's an awfully good idea.

I used to list when callbacks would be, but then actors started showing up to callbacks uninvited. I tried putting 'callbacks by invitation only' and still got the same result.

Ridiculous, I know.

Let me make one thing quite clear: I never explain anything.

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Reply #4 - Apr 21^st, 2010 at 9:30am

gem2477 Offline
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Posts: 111

Rosie Poppins wrote on Apr 21^st, 2010 at 8:48am:

Silent Knight wrote on Apr 21^st, 2010 at 8:44am:

gem2477 wrote on Apr 21^st, 2010 at 8:36am:

I would also include what is required for the auditions (do they want everyone to prepare a song, monologue, or be prepared to dance), when call backs will be, and perhaps when rehearsals will be held so that people will now what type of time commitment there will be. When the play runs would also be nice!

Good point. Most of those are things that I kind of take for granted, but I have seen some notices which are missing that kind of information, and certainly those are absolute musts. I don't see a lot that list when callbacks will be, but now that you mention it, it's an awfully good idea.

I used to list when callbacks would be, but then actors started showing up to callbacks uninvited. I tried putting 'callbacks by invitation only' and still got the same result.

Ridiculous, I know.

Wow. Showing up to callbacks uninvited is not a good way to make a good impression.... Maybe only putting the date of callbacks in instances where you are going to call everyone back (like small city productions or little community theaters) would be a better idea.

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Reply #5 - Apr 21^st, 2010 at 10:37am

Silent Knight Offline
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www.maniccity.tv
Manic City

Posts: 1793

gem2477 wrote on Apr 21^st, 2010 at 9:30am:

Rosie Poppins wrote on Apr 21^st, 2010 at 8:48am:

Silent Knight wrote on Apr 21^st, 2010 at 8:44am:

gem2477 wrote on Apr 21^st, 2010 at 8:36am:

I would also include what is required for the auditions (do they want everyone to prepare a song, monologue, or be prepared to dance), when call backs will be, and perhaps when rehearsals will be held so that people will now what type of time commitment there will be. When the play runs would also be nice!

Good point. Most of those are things that I kind of take for granted, but I have seen some notices which are missing that kind of information, and certainly those are absolute musts. I don't see a lot that list when callbacks will be, but now that you mention it, it's an awfully good idea.

I used to list when callbacks would be, but then actors started showing up to callbacks uninvited. I tried putting 'callbacks by invitation only' and still got the same result.

Ridiculous, I know.

Wow. Showing up to callbacks uninvited is not a good way to make a good impression.... Maybe only putting the date of callbacks in instances where you are going to call everyone back (like small city productions or little community theaters) would be a better idea.

I have experienced what Rosie is talking about, and that's definitely the drawback. What I like about the idea of posting the callback schedule is that it makes it easier for auditioners to schedule and plan to be there. But the drawback Rosie mentions is an awfully big one.

http://www.maniccity.tv/

"The power is not in the mask. It's in whether we chose to wear it."
-Peter Blustrinsky

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Reply #6 - Apr 22^nd, 2010 at 3:15pm

Cheeky Monkey Offline
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Austin, TX

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I dunno. I think that kinda takes balls.

"Depends. Did you feel anything for the pumpkin? The midgets?" -Wildcard&&&&If Mary Matalin and James Carville can make it work, ANYONE can. The end.

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Reply #7 - Apr 23^rd, 2010 at 8:09am

Silent Knight Offline
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www.maniccity.tv
Manic City

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Cheeky Monkey wrote on Apr 22^nd, 2010 at 3:15pm:

I dunno. I think that kinda takes balls.

Agreed, but I see "balls' denoting more of a testosterone induced, macho, foolhardiness than a positive boldness or bravery. Ultimately, they're wasting their time, the director's time, the time of the others who auditioned, and demonstrating that they can't take direction.

I believe most directors are like me in that they try very hard to structure a callback to be a good use of the time allotted. Trying to throw in giving a perfunctory second chance to people who have already been discounted is not a good use of time, and is unfare to the other auditioners who'll have less time to show what they can do because the director is indulging an univited guest who has already been eliminated from consideration. It's worse than the dreaded "courtesy callback", because it's the same waste of time without even the misguided social nicety.

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"The power is not in the mask. It's in whether we chose to wear it."
-Peter Blustrinsky

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Reply #8 - Apr 23^rd, 2010 at 9:06am

gem2477 Offline
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I Love PA!

Posts: 111

Silent Knight wrote on Apr 23^rd, 2010 at 8:09am:

Cheeky Monkey wrote on Apr 22^nd, 2010 at 3:15pm:

I dunno. I think that kinda takes balls.

Agreed, but I see "balls' denoting more of a testosterone induced, macho, foolhardiness than a positive boldness or bravery. Ultimately, they're wasting their time, the director's time, the time of the others who auditioned, and demonstrating that they can't take direction.

I believe most directors are like me in that they try very hard to structure a callback to be a good use of the time allotted. Trying to throw in giving a perfunctory second chance to people who have already been discounted is not a good use of time, and is unfare to the other auditioners who'll have less time to show what they can do because the director is indulging an univited guest who has already been eliminated from consideration. It's worse than the dreaded "courtesy callback", because it's the same waste of time without even the misguided social nicety.

Good point. I think in this type of situation, it can be a combination of foolhardiness and the person not knowing the proceedure of auditions, and just showing up. This might be the case if their experience consinsits of very small amateur community or city productions where they have always gone to call backs.

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Reply #9 - Apr 27^th, 2010 at 12:41am

Morgan Offline
Scenery
Backstage Utah
Murray

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Posts: 5

Something that should be on audition notices i think is if all parts are open. I know that this is a touchy subject. but i think that as an actor the more info i have the better prepared i can be and if the roll that i am going for has been pre cast i don't want to waste me time or the directors.
i think it really comes down to respect. And that is a respect for all actors, directors, producers everyone that has a say or any influance at all in a show.
I have no problem with pre casting aslong as i know.

I believe that Drama is ordinary people doing extraordinary things, but Comedy is extraordinary people doing ordinary things!!!

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