top 10 oddition preparation tips
Odditions for The Wizard is… Odd!? are happening at the Mississippi Valley Textile Museum on April 13th and 15th. Some folks asked for ideas on how to prepare. I’m obliging, albeit better late than never!
Over the last couple of years, I’ve sat in on several play auditions and read parts if and when the need arose. I’ve also participated in three The Wizard is… Odd!? ‘workshopping sessions’ during which I also read parts. The thing I find most challenging is reading and getting the timing right because without getting lost in the dialogue. That’s less of a challenge when you have a script in advance.
However, we’re not sending out scripts in advance, so you will need to be a quick study on the day. It’s more fun that way 🙂 That said, when you arrive at the oddition, you will be given an unhighlighted script of a scene to acquaint yourself with while you wait. (Yes, there will be some waiting involved though we don’t know how much because it depends on how many odditioners show up for each of the sessions. Thanks in advance for your patience.)
When you go into the actual oddition, you will get a script with a character’s name highlighted like this:
Your co-odditioners will have the same script but with different highlights. The director (Kris Riendeau) will ‘set the scene’ with a little background on the characters. You will then play out the scene by reading /acting each of your roles per your respective highlighted parts. It’s straightforward, but not as easy to do as one might think – especially for novices!
Below are some tips to help newbie auditioners prepare to have a fun and successful oddition whether they are eventually cast or not. The first few are based on my own newcomer-to-community-theatre volunteer experiences, the rest are from several ‘old hats.’
1 ) Print & read
We suggest you print off some sample scripts (I found a pair of short fun ones here: https://www.stagewrite.org/sample-plays/ and you will find others with a quick google), highlight them and practice reading whatever part you choose for yourself. This practice will help you to navigate the highlighted script in the oddition.
2 ) Enlist family & friends
Prepare as above with family and/or friends by reading through a couple of play scenes together. Do the read-throughs standing up as you will probably be on your feet during the oddition. Switch roles (which you will likely be asked to do in the oddition) and read it again as different characters. Discuss the scene you have just acted out and how you might do it differently. Ask your co-players for feedback.
3 ) Look up!
Do a few practice reads in front of a mirror and look up at yourself while you are doing so. This will help you do the same in the oddition (see Will’s first clip here and Catherine’s advice below)
4 ) Be bold not boring
Try doing your character with an accent, or as animal (see clips below), or as a toddler, a teen, your mother, your grandfather. Play the role angry, sad, enthusiastic, grief stricken, worried… you get the idea. Practice being wild and crazy. Kris asked me to be sure to tell you to BE BOLD AND CREATIVE. Unless this comes naturally to you, you would be wise to try your hand at being creative before you try it out in the oddition.
5 ) Choose a tune, sing it, repeat x many times
Pick a song you like, that fits your skill level and that you won’t have any problem remembering the words to. Sing it over and over again. Loudly! Project your voice as much as you can. There is (almost) no such thing as too loud. The actors in our musical will not be miked and the Almonte Old Town Hall is a sizeable space. Practice singing even if you are not odditioning for a singing role because you will be asked to sing in the oddition. If you wish to be accompanied, please bring sheet music for our musical director Ian Guenette to play from.
6 ) Project!
(See 5 above) When you practice reading aloud, increase your volume by several orders of magnitude and maintain that level throughout your sessions. If you have a naturally soft voice, it may feel (to yourself) as if you are yelling. Persist in upping the volume. If you are not sure how your voice sounds to others, ask!
7 ) Record your ‘performances’
Do some audio and video recordings of your practice performances and watch them with a critical eye. How do you look and sound? Play them with the visual only. Do you gesture with your free hand? Are you holding the script away from your face? Do you look up occasionally? Are you engaged with your fellow actors? Listen to the sound without the visuals. Is your voice well-modulated? Do you enunciate properly? Are your words clear? Are you speaking at the right pace? Try different styles to see which suits you best.
8 ) Google audition tips to find other useful information.
9 ) Watch the videos below featuring long-time community theatre actor and director Catherine Clark as well as Stephanie Gilman here and Will Richardson here.
10 ) Listen to Kris’s interview on Valley Heritage Radio 98.7 at 9:20 am on Thursday, April 4. (Click on the red listen live button on the top left-hand side of the home page to tune in.)
See you at the odditions and good luck!
© 2023 Susan Macaulay. I invite you to share my poetry and posts widely, but please do not reprint, reblog or copy and paste them in their entirety without my permission. Thank you.
