What Directors Look For During Auditions
You’ve prepared your song selection and just completed a vocal warm-up. You’ve stretched every muscle and are ready to leap into the choreography. You’ve rehearsed your monologue in the mirror repeatedly and could recite it in your sleep.
Are you ready for the audition? Not quite yet!
Directors consider other elements beyond singing, acting, and dancing when casting roles.
Our expert PAA Artistic Team shares about overlooked audition details that could send you straight into the spotlight or send you exiting stage left.
Actions Speak Louder than Words: When it comes to auditions, directors note more than your monologue, voice, and dance auditions. They want to know if you are a team player.
- How do you interact with the accompanist?
- How do you treat the other actors?
- How do you approach the directors?
Theatre is a team sport, and requires actors to work well with others.
You’re Always Auditioning:
Your effort and dedication in past shows speak volumes to directors familiar with your work. Directors take note when actors embrace their role, regardless of whether it is a lead or in the ensemble.
Did you practice on your own and nail your line? Are you excited and making the most of your time on stage? Directors applaud this level of dedication and root for these students in upcoming auditions.
I have been in casting rooms for children’s theatre, community theatre, regional professional theatre, and even theatre in NYC, and there has never been a time when someone on the team hasn’t advocated for someone to have a chance at a role. – Resident Dance Director Madeline Shaffer.
Conflicts Won’t Crush Your Chances: Scheduling conflicts for actors don’t matter as much as you think – as long as you are up front! When conflicts with rehearsal dates are communicated early on, directors can easily schedule around them. As long as scheduling conflicts do not occur during tech week or show week, they rarely affect casting decisions.
Being upfront is always best. A quick way to disrupt production is to claim there are zero conflicts during casting and then share the conflicts partway through the process.
Your Audition Material Matters:
Choose materials that illustrate the role that fits you best. Researching a show beforehand and knowing your voice type will go a long way!
Are you a soprano auditioning for Ursula (a character with a low belting voice)? This alerts the team that you are unaware of your unique abilities and are not familiar with the show. A better fit might be a sassy mersister!
Selecting material that suits your voice type, acting abilities, and character selections results in a stellar audition and ultimately builds the director’s trust and confidence in you as an actor.
We Love to Gender Bend:
Unless the character’s entire story arc is deeply tied to their gender identity, directors focus on finding the right voice and personality – not a specific gender. A female identifying as Simba? Love it! A masculine Dory? Bring it on!
Do not discount a particular role due to the gender of a character featured in a movie or on stage. If the character’s story is about finding themselves or about being a good friend, for instance, we believe those are universal journeys that apply to all identities.
Tuck these casting insights in your back pocket the next time you hit the stage. Looking for more professional theatre tips? Check out our annual classes and camps.
