5 tips to ace your audition

by Amari Johnson

Auditioning for a role (either in a musical or a play) can be one of the most daunting tasks for an actor. As someone who was an extrovert (I would consider myself more of an ambivert now) who believed I could ace ANY audition, this quickly changed when the COVID lockdown came around. I had forgotten everything that I had learned. The first audition I did post-COVID was awful, to say the least. I stood still while I sang in front of the directors, which is the absolute WORST thing to do when auditioning. Sure, I had terrible stage fright, but I walked out of there believing that I would definitely get called back for something (I did not). Since then, my auditions have improved, and now I’m playing the lead role in my school’s musical. In this section, I will give you 5 tips on how to improve your audition significantly and help you stand out to your directors!

1. Be yourself!

I cannot stress this one enough. Sure, you’re auditioning for a character, but many directors are looking to see what YOU bring to the table. My directors appreciate seeing a bit of each person in the character they’re portraying because it makes the performance more relatable and personal to the audience. Trust your gut to know what to do. As Dorothy, my character gets called a witch-killer by virtually everyone in the cast, including the Munchkins, Glinda, and even the Wiz herself. I thought about it, and I reacted in horror. If I were actually Dorothy and actually living in Oz, I don’t think I would’ve been able to live with myself if I had killed a witch by accident. Connect to the piece as much as you can, but then think about something that you would do that still matches the character you’re auditioning for. I promise you that directors will notice if you try to copy the original performance verbatim. Does replicating show that you have good impersonation skills? Sure, but they want to see more of YOU. If you are chosen for a role, you must present a performance that is authentic to both you and the character you are portraying. Personalize it to YOUR interpretation of the text. Have fun with it! Lastly, be CONFIDENT in yourself! You auditioned for a reason: you have the talent and are ready for the commitment. So, follow through with it! Don’t let anything discourage you from going for what you want. Walk into that audition with your head high, shoulders back, and a smile. You got this! :)

2. Pick a UNIQUE song that is in YOUR range.

This mainly applies to anyone who is auditioning for a musical. I’ll start off by saying that Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Hamilton is an AMAZING musical. The lyrics are witty and catchy, especially songs like "Satisfied," which give you plenty of room for emotional acting. But it is the musical that EVERYONE goes for. During the audition process for The Wiz, many of the kids wanted to sing a Hamilton song; I was even tempted to do it myself. But I promise you, directors have heard enough of Hamilton’s "Burn" or "History Has Its Eyes on You" for the next few years. Directors will likely want you to pick a song from any other musical that can still showcase your singing and acting skills. So whatever you do, AVOID HAMILTON!!! You will not stand out if you do what’s “comfortable” or what everyone else is doing. Theatre is supposed to push you out of your comfort zone! Pick a song that someone else is less likely to pick. It is also important to note that you should pick a song that fits YOUR range. If you’re an alto, go for a song where the singer has a similar range. You should not be straining your voice for an audition. If you get the part, it is important to save as much of your voice as possible.

If you don’t know what song to pick, consult your theatre friends! I promise that making these connections early on will help you in the long run! For my Dorothy audition for The Wiz, my friend suggested I sing "Heart of Stone" from the musical SIX. It was perfect for my range; no one else had picked it. There are so many great online resources specifically outlining songs for your range, so USE THEM!

Here are some playlists with plenty of unique audition song options!

3. Prepare, Prepare, PREPARE!

Do NOT, and I really mean this: DO NOT start practicing your audition the night before! It is way too stressful for you to try your ABSOLUTE best late at night. SO, DO NOT PROCRASTINATE! Also, for larger productions, depending on whether you’re going for a lead/supporting character, you will need to spend a few days learning the character, practicing their mannerisms, learning their songs, etc. Ask yourself questions like:

If I were to talk with this character, how would they act?
What are their goals?
How do they interact with other characters? Do their mannerisms change in any way?

These are the ways you can start connecting with the character you’re auditioning for, and it will make your performance 100 times better. Auditions involve competition, and if you slack off on rehearsing, there will likely be someone else who is more prepared than you. There will be people in there who are insanely talented and VERY serious about their audition, so you must keep the energy. This is not to intimidate you; it’s simply the world of theatre. Put in the effort that you would expect from someone else.

And I cannot emphasize this enough: DO YOUR RESEARCH! You should never go into an audition cold or not know what you are auditioning for, especially if you’re going for a lead/supporting role. There are plenty of character synopses and videos that you can find on the internet for you to get an understanding.

4. Bring energy to EVERY audition and callback.

Having energy is one of the things that will make the directors notice you. If you have the right energy and ATTITUDE, you are giving yourself a better chance of getting a role (or one of the roles) you want. If theatre is the thing that you love, show it! Adding onto that, KEEP YOUR ENERGY, especially in callbacks!!! It isn’t wrong to have your sights set on one role, but the one thing you cannot do is purposefully give less energy or perform poorly for another role that you don’t want. Over the course of my theatre journey, I have seen so many kids only want ONE role, even though they could be really good in other roles! Directors DO notice this, and if they see this negative attitude towards a role you weren’t as interested in, you are more likely not to get a role at all. Don’t give less energy because you may be selling yourself short of another great role you would be perfect for! Be flexible!

5. Embrace your physicality.

My sophomore year audition was a complete mess because not only was I going for a lead as a sophomore, but I also STOOD STILL during my audition. I hadn’t really practiced, and as someone who was still HIGHLY uncomfortable around other people due to being locked up in my house for nearly 2 years, I didn’t know what to do, nor did I understand what an audition truly was (the ones in middle school don’t really count…all we did was stand and sing for the role we wanted). But please, PLEASE don’t do what I did and just stand there. It is a director’s BIGGEST pet peeve when someone auditioning just stands there and reads/sings. Use the space you have! Don’t be afraid to move around and make bold choices! Directors will love it more if you nearly stumble than if you just stand there and give them nothing to work with!