HOW DO I PREPARE FOR AN AUDITION?

Here are a few things you should know about helping your child audition for a play.

Monologue

Have your child memorize a monologue. A monologue is a short piece that shows what the actor can do with memorization and understanding of a script. Monologues can be found at websites like this. Excerpts from books or poems are also popular choices. Please make sure your child understands what he or she is saying. Shel Silverstein, for instance, is only funny if the kid is in on the joke.

Matt Falduto, who most recently directed Charlotte’s Web, says this about auditioning: “I like to have kids do short monologues, too, because some might not be great readers, but a memorized monologue gives them a chance to show what they can do. For the monologue, they need to understand what they’re saying and understand what the dramatic moments are and how to convey those.”

Cold Reading

Understand, and tell your child, that he or she may also be asked to do a “cold reading.” This is when the child is given a piece of dialogue, usually from the script. This piece from the script is called a “side.”

Evan Hilsabeck, who most recently directed What Could Go Wrong the Night Before Christmas? has this to say about cold readings: “Auditioning is a skill–help your kid practice. No one is born a great auditionee; it’s a learned skill. Almost all children’s auditions include a cold read (reading from a script the child has never seen before). It’s an easy way to help your kid practice. Give them bits of a book to read with confidence and a good strong sound in the living room. A kid who looks confident and can be loud is more than halfway to a successful audition.”

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