One of the more popular topics among community theatre discussions is the act of pre-casting roles. While it's "shunned" in many circles, there are plenty of other theatres that regularly practice it in order to get the exact talent they want. Many call it unethical, while other might call it necessary based on the show.
Read MoreWith our new feature, “College Theatre Programs to Keep An Eye On”, we’ll be deep diving into programs that you should know more about and who should be high on your list of consideration for theatre training.
Today we’re kicking things off by looking into Collaborative Arts Project 21, known more commonly as Molloy College/CAP21.
Read MoreCan you do a killer impression of Michael Jackson? What about Lady Gaga? Maybe even a Taylor Swift? If so, keep those impressions fresh because they could come handy for not only Las Vegas but for the Great White Way as well.
Read MoreUnifieds. For those who have endured through these audition sessions, I tip my hat to you. It’s a stressful and hectic process which proves to be more fruitless than successful. But there are those times when the stars align that a unified audition goes so well, an offer of admission is made.
These are rare but I’ve seen them happen. More often, a student will come in, give a strong audition and that will at the very least, put them on our radar as a strong candidate for admission later on. Then there’s the flip side, when we see a student give a lackluster audition that disqualifies them from consideration. It doesn’t happen in the majority, but it does happen.
While there isn’t a sure-fire blueprint for success to get into every school you audition for, there are definitely things you can do to help your chances in that room.
Read MoreRecently, I attended a college audition session where there was constant issues with the accompanist. While they were certainly trying their best, they just weren’t skilled enough to be able to play an audition session at this level. And because of this, it had a negative impact on the students auditioning that day. Each person after the next had some issues; whether it was rhythms, key signature, every student seemed to be off when singing their selections.
Over the course of your performing career, this is going to happen to you. While the majority of accompanists are fantastic, talented and helpful, there will be some who can torpedo your audition with their lack of skill.
Read MoreThe theatre is all about perspective. Depending on how you look at a song or characters, the entire arc of the story can change. Take Grease for instance. On one side it's viewed at as a fun, teenage musical about falling in love and getting through high school. On the other hand, it's a cautionary tale, making the statement that it's okay to succumb to peer pressure to get the boy of your dreams.
By looking at some of these shows in a different light, it allows us to see through the eyes of a different character. One musical that comes to mind is Oklahoma!
Read MoreWhenever someone asks me for audition advice, there are two things I mention first:
Know the character and context of your audition material.
Have multiple pieces ready to go.
The first is pretty obvious. It doesn’t matter what monologue or song you’re auditioning with. Know exactly who that character is and what is going on in that moment of the text.
But the second is something you might be surprised more auditionees, especially college bound students, don’t know about.
Read MoreEducators and recruiters are certainly looking to see your versatility, but that doesn't mean your audition material needs to contain a ton of expletives or sexual imagery.
Read MoreOver the years, I have written many articles that offer advice to performers. Whether it's audition pieces, college choices or just ways to be more sought-after. And while it's certainly great to have a much advice out there for performers, I realize there are a lot of areas where directors, designers, and even theatre groups could improve as well.
Read MoreLet me asking you something: Have you ever had a bad day at work? Has your boss ever treated you unfairly? Have you ever become so frustrated with your job that you begin to question why you put yourself through the stress day in/day out?
I'd say most, if not all of us, have had days like this. It's normal to want to vent your frustrations about your workday.
However, I find it interesting that when actors complain about their work, instead of the "I hear that" type of replies, they're thrown the cliché "Well this is the business" or "If you can't handle it, get out" or "You don't know what stress is yet" or any other proverb that tries to disqualify an actor's frustration because it's the industry.
Read MoreBlog dedicated to show reviews of Broadway and nationwide Community Theater. Blog also discusses theatre water cooler topics and stories from personal theatre experience.
