Hi All,
Training young actors has always been a passion of mine. Over twenty years ago we set up an apprenticeship scheme at Arc to train people on the job. This was at a time before apprenticeships had gained the renewed momentum they have over the past ten years.
Over the years it has been great to see many of those young actors go on to work consistently in the profession.Indeed one of the originals - Natalie Dacosta still works at Arc. A key part of our ambition was to train and support young people, particularly from East London and this remains a continuing commitment of the company.
Most aspiring actors have been told about the precarious nature of the business by concerned parents and teachers. I remember being told myself that I would be well advised to get a 'proper' job to fall back on if I failed. With the current obsession with reality TV talent shows the lure of the spotlight seems evermore present. But the majority of hopeful thesps fall by the wayside early on in their attempts when they realise just how insecure and unpredictable is the life of an actor. The tenacious ones learn to deal with the rejection and quickly develop an important life skill - resilience.
In spite of enjoying many years of training actors at Arc I hadn't stepped into a Drama school studio for at least 8 or 9 years. So I was delighted to be invited Ainslie Masterton (Head of Acting) to spend last Friday as a guest director at East 15 Acting school. I had seen a couple of 3rd year shows earlier in the year and was interested in working with the student actors on the Acting and Community Theatre degree. http://east15.ac.uk/
East 15 is one of the top ten drama schools in the UK and one of the most innovative. The school boasts many famous alumni including Stephen Daltry, Bill Murray, Ruth Sheen, Alison Steadman, Oliver Tobias, Kate Williams, David Yip - to name just a few. The quality of the teaching at E.15 is outstanding, rigorous and demanding. Ainslie has high expectations of her students and the majority rise to the occasion.
I was very much looking forward to working with three groups of third year students and the day didn't disappoint. Their general enthusiasm, energy and commitment was excellent. My session was focused on their audition preparation as getting a theatre job becomes a reality for them. The students are currently working on their final community play projects and took a break from these to attend a workshop with me on their proposed audition pieces.
My brief was to run a practice audition day as close to the real thing as possible. Directors and casting agents do things their own way but there is almost always a need to perform at least one audition piece which should be chosen carefully to best demonstrate skills and range.
It was particularly helpful that I didn't know any of the students and therefore had no preconceptions or expectations. For them it was an opportunity to be critiqued by a director they don't know and to get a sense of how that experience might be. Unlike a 'real' audition however, when you can be in and out of door pretty quickly I had the opportunity to coach each individual for at least 15 minutes. It was also a chance to do some myth busting and give some basic pointers, indeed to share with them some of the common mistakes actors make.
The students were receptive and eager to take on board criticism albeit some of it was tough at times.They are used to high demands and expectations from their teachers. Actors egos can be quite sensitive particularly at the start of their careers - after all their product is themselves and they have to have easy access to their own emotions and life experiences in order to find authenticity in creating character. Its often an extremely revealing task.
I thought it might be of use to those contemplating entering the profession or indeed those regularly auditioning if I were to share some of the coaching tips from these sessions. Most of them are actively employed by acting teachers and directors - my task was to highlight, remind and make them conscious.
So here goes:
Have a good day.
Training young actors has always been a passion of mine. Over twenty years ago we set up an apprenticeship scheme at Arc to train people on the job. This was at a time before apprenticeships had gained the renewed momentum they have over the past ten years.
Over the years it has been great to see many of those young actors go on to work consistently in the profession.Indeed one of the originals - Natalie Dacosta still works at Arc. A key part of our ambition was to train and support young people, particularly from East London and this remains a continuing commitment of the company.
Most aspiring actors have been told about the precarious nature of the business by concerned parents and teachers. I remember being told myself that I would be well advised to get a 'proper' job to fall back on if I failed. With the current obsession with reality TV talent shows the lure of the spotlight seems evermore present. But the majority of hopeful thesps fall by the wayside early on in their attempts when they realise just how insecure and unpredictable is the life of an actor. The tenacious ones learn to deal with the rejection and quickly develop an important life skill - resilience. In spite of enjoying many years of training actors at Arc I hadn't stepped into a Drama school studio for at least 8 or 9 years. So I was delighted to be invited Ainslie Masterton (Head of Acting) to spend last Friday as a guest director at East 15 Acting school. I had seen a couple of 3rd year shows earlier in the year and was interested in working with the student actors on the Acting and Community Theatre degree. http://east15.ac.uk/
I was very much looking forward to working with three groups of third year students and the day didn't disappoint. Their general enthusiasm, energy and commitment was excellent. My session was focused on their audition preparation as getting a theatre job becomes a reality for them. The students are currently working on their final community play projects and took a break from these to attend a workshop with me on their proposed audition pieces.
My brief was to run a practice audition day as close to the real thing as possible. Directors and casting agents do things their own way but there is almost always a need to perform at least one audition piece which should be chosen carefully to best demonstrate skills and range.
It was particularly helpful that I didn't know any of the students and therefore had no preconceptions or expectations. For them it was an opportunity to be critiqued by a director they don't know and to get a sense of how that experience might be. Unlike a 'real' audition however, when you can be in and out of door pretty quickly I had the opportunity to coach each individual for at least 15 minutes. It was also a chance to do some myth busting and give some basic pointers, indeed to share with them some of the common mistakes actors make.
The students were receptive and eager to take on board criticism albeit some of it was tough at times.They are used to high demands and expectations from their teachers. Actors egos can be quite sensitive particularly at the start of their careers - after all their product is themselves and they have to have easy access to their own emotions and life experiences in order to find authenticity in creating character. Its often an extremely revealing task.
I thought it might be of use to those contemplating entering the profession or indeed those regularly auditioning if I were to share some of the coaching tips from these sessions. Most of them are actively employed by acting teachers and directors - my task was to highlight, remind and make them conscious.
So here goes:
- Do your homework on the company, job, role you are applying for, so you are aware of their genre of work and audience.
- Keep the role in mind when you think about what to wear - a subtle outfit that suggests the character you are going for is often helpful, but don't go over the top and make sure you are comfortable.
- You are in the audition the minute you walk through the door - which means even if you are sitting in a waiting area and having a coffee you are being observed.Little comments about your demeanour and attitude do filter through to the audition room. And attitude is critically important, you can be the best actor in the world but negativity sounds the death toll for the rehearsal process!
- Don't overdo the 'pleasing'. Its a real turn off for a director and we can see right through it. Yes of course as an actor you want to give your audience a fantastic experience, but remember you are the servant of the play not the other way round.In my experience its the actors who are comfortable with themselves, are well prepared and know their worth who almost always perform best in auditions.Be yourself.
- Some familiarity with the play or script is very useful. If its a new play and you haven't been sent it before hand you can always call the company to find out a bit more. Some actors prepare speeches from a book of monologues and have no idea about the plot or other characters in the play - that's just plain lazy and a director spots it a mile off.
- How you come into the audition studio is also very important - you make your impression in a matter of seconds. Take your lead from the director - ie; they may stand and shake your hand, they may just ask you to start your piece straight away, they may invite you to sit down for a quick chat. They know you are nervous and take that into account of course, and they want you to do your best - after all you are the essential ingredient to making a piece work! Try not to be over familiar - one actor last week arrived and said to me as he passed the table 'you alright' as he might say to a friend. He recognised that this was a bit of an unconscious habit -Please don't do that however informal it might seem. Be flexible.
- Be prepared to say three things about yourself - choose real things that you care about in and out of theatre. What are your strengths? but also don't be too afraid to expose a little bit of vulnerability alongside your confidence - we are only human after all!
- If you need a chair ask for it!
- If there is a useful small prop bring it with you. (ie; a letter, book etc)
- When you perform your piece be really clear in your own mind about these key things: Where am I?, What am I doing? Who am I speaking to? What is my relationship with the other character(s) in the scene. What has happened in the moments before my speech? Create an imaginary place - so you can see it completely and know exactly where everything is including placing the other characters specifically in your mind's eye.
- If you are performing your piece straight on - make sure you know who you are speaking to, its not good enough to say 'myself' or the 'audience' - make a clear decision about who you are speaking to - even if its a soliloquy.
- Take a moment to breathe and centre yourself before you begin.
- Enter the piece with the emotion and physicality from the last place your character was.
- Don't try a new accent if your'e not sure the piece needs it.
- Hold yourself for 30 seconds when you have finished your speech and then relax.
That's pretty much it for today. If you would like 1-1 or small group audition coaching do get in touch with me for more details. jasminestreetlab@gmail.com or 07412602141.
Have a good day.
