Drama school auditions can be frightening! For students interested in pursuing the performing arts, the US offers many great opportunities to study drama. You can read our blog here about the different pathways students can take to study theatre. For most conservatoires (and for some liberal arts programmes), students are required to audition. Vela Education works with experienced actors who have attended drama school! Here are their top tips for managing the nerve-wracking audition process.
Choose an Audition Piece That Suits You
Auditions for drama school usually involve between two and four monologues and a song. If you are auditioning for a musical theatre programme, you will be required to bring a range of songs to perform. Make sure that you know and follow all of a school’s audition guidelines and instructions. Choosing this material is important because it is the first insight the audition panel will have into you as a performer. It is important to choose something age-appropriate that you feel comfortable performing. You should connect with the material: the audition panel wants to see and get to know you! Find material that resonates with you.
Create the World
Think of your audition not as a two-minute monologue, but as an opportunity to take your audience – the audition panel – through a two-or-three-minute play. What is the arc of your character? What is the journey you go on? You never want to end a monologue in the same place you started it. Likewise, you never want to start a monologue with the end in mind. This means that you should take your audience on a journey with you as you tell this story. Think about who your character is speaking to, where they are, what they have just done.
Work With Other People
Whether you get drama school coaching or ask your friends to watch your monologues and songs, make sure to practice in front of other people. You don’t want the first time you perform your material to be in front of the audition panel. The audience is always another character in the scene, and you need to get used to performing your material for an audience.
Take Your Time
It is scary to audition, and it never gets easier. The easiest pitfall is that nerves will make you rush. Try and take some deep breaths and don’t rush through your work. Don’t speak too quickly and try to fully commit to the performance you are giving. If the audition panel asks you any questions afterwards, know that you can take a moment to think about what they are asking of you so that you can offer thoughtful answers.
Take Direction
If you are offered any direction, that is a good thing! A lot of auditions are also to evaluate how flexible a student is. Have you learned your monologue so minutely that you cannot change it if you are given a note on a specific aspect of performance? You want to maintain some freedom and movement in the piece so that you can change it on the fly if you are given a re-direct.
Don’t Be Afraid to Make Mistakes
There is nothing worse than starting a monologue and forgetting that second or third line. This is okay! The audition panel knows that you are nervous. Take a breath and ask to start again. Give yourself time to recover and refocus on the task at hand. It is okay to make mistakes.
Vela Education works with students who want to apply to drama schools and conservatoires. Please get in touch if you have any questions or would like to talk to an advisor.