JAN
20

10 Rules for Auditioning

By Jon Jory 

Jon Jory is the author of five plays with Pioneer Drama Service.  He also has written two textbooks of tips for actors and directors, respectively. 

It’s a new year, which hopefully means you’ll have new opportunities for which to hold auditions.  As a director with decades of experience, here’s what I watch for.

1. Dressing the part.
   Actors should show that they care.  They should dress nicely in something that leaves them physically free.  And by nicely, I mean “going over to a friend’s house for dinner” nicely, not “I’m auditioning for a pirate play so I need to wear a puffy blouse” nicely.
   
   
2. Showing range.
   You’re looking for someone who makes sense of the lines and gives a sense of the situation, so you want to hear a voice that is not all on one level.  You want to see that they can immerse themselves in an imaginary situation that is important to the character.
   
   
3. Incorporating movement and stillness.
   You want to see them move confidently — not a lot, but enough for you to see they can make it look natural.  I suggest you have a chair available, so you can see how the actors utilize it.  Watch for a variety of positions:  standing in front of the chair, sitting in it, moving behind the chair and putting both hands on the chair, standing beside the chair, etc.  If you don’t want to provide a chair, watch to see if actors move around or find some reason to sit or kneel on the floor for a bit.
   
   
4. Not just standing there.
   Speaking of blocking, you want to watch for gestures, too.  Did they include any gestures in a way that looked completely natural, like brushing something off their shirt sleeve?  For me, an ideal audition will include three gestures that look completely unrehearsed.  Whatever each actor does, let’s hope they don’t just stand there like a stick in the mud.
   
   
5. Putting a fine point on it.
   Watch to see if the actor plays one moment in their audition piece as the most important moment.  It shouldn’t sound like any other moment in their audition.
   
   
6. Working with what they’ve got.
   You shouldn’t allow anyone to bring props to an audition.  You’re not there to watch an actor unload and then reload a moving truck, so they better not bring a bunch of stuff to their audition.  Walking in with a broadsword shouldn’t help anyone get a part.
   
   And yet, it is refreshing when actors incorporate what they might have on them, like a pencil or a phone.  They could re-button a button that’s been left open.  To me, ultra-ordinary actions with ubiquitous items is fair game and shows an ability to non-verbally communicate with what they’ve got.
   
   
7. Pausing thoughtfully.
   You don’t want them to have a lot of pauses, but taking a couple of one- or two-beat thinking pauses so the audition doesn’t feel hurried shows more polish.  Louder and faster is never the way to go.
   
   
8. Being real.
   Sure, some actors, especially those with less experience, might be really nervous before an audition.  But do they have a way to control this, then smile and knock your socks off?  If they can’t do it for an audition, don’t count on them being able to do it opening night either.  You’re looking for someone who’s genuine and sincere, and who can control their nerves.
   
   
9. Being real, part two.
   Sometimes, auditions look...  well, over-rehearsed.  Pick a couple of lines and see if they can say them differently, maybe even three or four ways.  After all, in those dramatic moments of your life, you say things that would never, ever come out the same way twice.
   
   
10. Being gracious.
    You don’t want to feel like the Lord High Executioner, so a genuine “thank you” after they’re done is a nice ending touch.