Audition PreparationBy Richie Uminski

Unit Objective: Students will demonstrate their understanding of auditioning techniques by performing contrasting monologues in a mock audition setting and participating in cold reading mock auditions.

2014 National Core Arts Theatre Standards:TH:Cr3.1.HSIII b. Synthesize ideas from research, script analysis, and context to create a performance that is believable, authentic, and relevant in a drama/theatre work.TH:Pr4.1.HSI b. Shape character choices using given circumstances in a drama/theatre work.TH:Pr6.1.HSI a. Perform a scripted drama/theatre work for a specific audience.TH:Re8.1.HSII a. Develop detailed supporting evidence and criteria to reinforce artistic choices, when participating in or observing a drama/theatre work. TH:Re7.1.HSI a. Respond to what is seen, felt, and heard in a drama/theatre work to develop criteria for artistic choices.

1994 National Theatre Standards:Content Standard 7: Analyzing, Critiquing, and constructing meaning from informal and formal theater, film, television, and electronic media.Content Standard 2: Acting by developing, communicating, and sustaining characters in improvisations and informal or formal productions.

Class Level: Intermediate/Advanced

Prior Experience: Students will know basic acting techniques such as vocal variation, physicality, character background, etc. and be able to create these on their own with some guidance.

Lesson Objectives:Lesson #1: Strong MonologuesLesson Objective: Students will acquire the skills to find monologues that best highlight their skill by discussion, journal writing and participation in an activity.

Lesson #2: What Would You Look For?Objective:Students will be able to identify the expectations of college auditions by viewing auditions from the perspective of the auditioner and using this information to justify their monologue choices.

Lesson #3: Building a Performing ResumeLesson Objective: Students will be able to construct an effective theatre resume by participating in creating a resume as a class and individually.

Lesson #4: Mono Rehearsal – Contrasting Feelings Lesson Objective: Students will be able to apply different acting techniques to their contrasting monologues through practicing and peer evaluations.

Lesson #5: Being YouObjective: Students will be able to identify how to present themselves in an audition process through participating in a mock interview and presenting an honest slate.

Lesson #6: Work DayObjective: Students will be able to improve their monologues through completing multiple workshops and working together with their other classmates.

Lesson #7: Mock AuditionsObjective: Students will show their ability to perform an audition piece through participation in a mock audition.

Lesson #8: Callbacks, Recap and ReviewObjective: Students will demonstrate their ability to do cold readings by participating in a cold reading session.

LESSON #1: STRONG MONOLOGUES

Lesson Objective: Students will acquire the skills to find monologues that best highlight their skill by discussion, journal writing and participation in an activity.

Materials Needed: balloons, slips of paper with examples of monologues for balloons (explained below); monologue to be cut, rubric for monologues (in an electronic form as well); chalk/dry erase markers; journals (paper); tape

Step 1: Identifying Good and Bad Monologue Traits Relay (10 min) Split the class into three or four groups, depending on the number of students. Groups should be about four or five people each. The balloons will be placed in a pile away from the groups. One teammate from each team will run, get a balloon, run back to their group, blow up the balloon and then pop it to get the piece of paper out. They can confer with their group whether or not the characteristic goes under the “good” category or the “bad” category. Depending on the class, you may want to make it a more formal competition. If you are doing this, keep a tally point system for each piece of paper that the team posts. The team with the most posts wins.

Step 2: Discussion (7 minutes) Look at the traits that are posted in categories on the board. Ask the students if there is anything that they think belongs in a different category and why. If the class agrees, move it to a different category. Ask if anyone has questions about why an example is in a certain category.

What similarities and differences or trends do you see within the good and bad categories? Why do you think these specific traits make it a “good” or a “bad” monologue?

Step 3: Discussion (5 minutes) Who has auditioned before?

Do you have monologues prepared? If so, think about if those monologues fit these principles.

Was it for a specific play? Has anyone auditioned for a college before?

What do you think are some differences between the choices of audition pieces for a specific play versus for a college auditions, possibly for entrance into a program or for scholarship?

Lead a discussion about how in college auditions, instead of auditioning for a specific character or role, professors/auditioners are looking for contrasting pieces that show off your own strengths and range. They are looking for monologues that are age appropriate. They are looking for people to fill their programs, not just for one person to play one very specific part. They want to see YOU!

Step 4: Pep Talk (7 min) So, who are YOU? Express that during this unit we will be focusing on our strengths. It is not cocky to understand what we are good at. It also is not effective to compare ourselves to others. We don’t have to be the best to say that we’re good at something. How can we confident without being arrogant? Why would an auditioner like to see someone who is confident?

What does being confident look like?What does being unsure of yourself look like?

Step 5: Journal Prompt (7 min) Ask the students to consider their own strengths in acting and in life. Have them consider personal traits that they feel translate well to the stage, personal traits that help them in processing a monologue, things that they like about monologues and/or characters, etc. In their journals (or on a piece of paper), have them 1) make a list of all of their strengths. Then have them 2) choose one or two to expound upon in writing. Explain how that trait helps in an audition setting—whether it is in choosing monologues, performing them, or how it can be utilized in any other monologue aspect.

Step 6: Sharing (15 minutes) When everyone is done, have each student go around and share one of his or her strengths. Make sure that they do not qualify their response (“sometimes I’m good at…,” or “I can be….,” or “Some people say that I’m….”). After everyone has shared, ask how one or some of these strengths can be utilized in an audition setting. These can be his or her own strengths or a strength of someone else that they heard. How is this strength useful? How can this be utilized in auditions? Explain how you want to use your own acting and characteristic strengths to help you pick a monologue that is good for you. What type of monologues do you like? What monologues coincides with your strengths?

Step 7: Review Monologue Rubric (5 minutes)Show the class the monologue rubric (on the projector) so that they know what is expected as they choose their monologues. Ask a student to explain what “contrasting monologues” mean? (Contrasting in feeling, in tone—comedic to dramatic, or excited to sad, etc.) Discuss any other questions the students may have about the rubric. Point out the time limit to the students—3 minutes. Most college auditions are strictly limited in time—either 2 or 3 minutes for BOTH monologues. As you find monologues to be turned in next week, remember this. So how can you cut a monologue to the right time?

Step 8: Cutting a Monologue (15 minutes) Pair the class into partners. Give each partnership a copy of dialogue from a play (every pair will have the same dialogue). Let the partnerships decide how to cut the dialogue. They must cut it to where it creates a monologue that is no more than 50 seconds long. Have them consider:What are the important lines? Which are the storytelling lines? What needs to be said, what doesn’t need to be said? Which lines will present an appropriate arc?

Step 9: Examples (5 minutes) When the students are done, ask for a few partnership volunteers to read their cutting. The other students will follow along. After each reading, we will analyze as a class why lines were cut and how that can be useful.

Step 10: Wrap Up (3 minutes) Ask for some volunteers to recap what makes a good monologue. Ask for volunteers to recap how to cut a monologue, and what we learned about our own strengths and using them.

Pass out the calendar of due dates. Remind the students that one of their monologues (cut version) is due in two class periods, and that it needs to be memorized. One monologue choice is due this next class period. It does not need to be cut or memorized, but you must have a copy of it in class so that it can be approved.

If you have questions, you may bring multiple monologues to clarify with the teacher which will be best.

Monologue Rubric

Excellent (4-5 points) Good (2-3 points) Poor (0-1 points) Points/Comments

Monologue Rubric

Excellent (4-5 points) Good (2-3 points) Poor (0-1 points) Points/Comments

Monologues speak through another character with a specific objective, are not “telling a story.”

Monologues contain some speaking through qualities and some telling a story qualities

Monologues are mainly “telling a story”

Monologues are clearly contrasting from each other in feeling and tone—i.e. comedic, dramatic, etc

Monologues are somewhat contrasting in feeling and tone—i.e. comedic, dramatic, etc

Monologues are not contrasting in feeling and tone

Monologues are cut to stay (together) within a three minute time frame, and are age appropriate.

Monologues are within 3.30 minute time frame and are somewhat age appropriate.

Monologues together are over the 3.30 minute time frame and are not age appropriate.

Total Points

Lesson #/Date Assignment Due Point value#2/-- One Monologue for approval 10#4/-- Both monologues memorized 15#4/-- First Draft Resume 15#6/-- Final Draft Resume 25#6/-- Final Performance 25#7/-- Audition Worksheet 15

Lesson #/Date Assignment Due Point value#2/-- One Monologue for approval 10#4/-- Both monologues memorized 15#4/-- First Draft Resume 15#6/-- Final Draft Resume 25#6/-- Final Performance 25#7/-- Audition Worksheet 15

Lesson #/Date Assignment Due Point value#2/-- One Monologue for approval 10#4/-- Both monologues memorized 15#4/-- First Draft Resume 15#6/-- Final Draft Resume 25#6/-- Final Performance 25#7/-- Audition Worksheet 15

Lesson #/Date Assignment Due Point value#2/-- One Monologue for approval 10#4/-- Both monologues memorized 15#4/-- First Draft Resume 15#6/-- Final Draft Resume 25#6/-- Final Performance 25#7/-- Audition Worksheet 15

Lesson #/Date Assignment Due Point value#2/-- One Monologue for approval 10#4/-- Both monologues memorized 15#4/-- First Draft Resume 15#6/-- Final Draft Resume 25#6/-- Final Performance 25#7/-- Audition Worksheet 15

Balloon Activity Characteristics/Examples:

A monologue that speaks to another character.

A monologue that tells a story.

A monologue where the character wants something from someone else.

A monologue where the character is passive.

A monologue in which the character is a similar age of the actor.

A monologue where the character is a very different age of the actor (much older or younger).

A monologue that shows high emotion.

A monologue that doesn’t show much emotion.

A monologue taken from a play.

A monologue taken from a monologue book.

A monologue taken from a movie.

A monologue that everyone is familiar with.

A monologue that is not well known by others.

EXAMPLE: “You’re going nowhere, you’re achieving nothing, you’re changing nothing until you change.”

EXAMPLE: “Now come on! I want you to speak to me. Let me hear it.”

EXAMPLE: “I’m just not used to havin’ whether I stay or go matter to anybody. I’m not sayin’ it should matter to you. I’m just sayin’ um—but does it…matter?”

EXAMPLE: “Oh no, it’s cool, no your busy that’s cool….I just want you to know that I think your stuff’s great…I wish you could see what I do man.”

EXAMPLE: “How hast thou the heart, being a divine, a ghostly confessor, and my friend professed, to mangle me with that word, banishéd?”

EXAMPLE: “If I may trust the flattering truth of sleep my dreams presage some joyful news at hand.”

EXAMPLE: “I think everything must go back to the fact that I had a very anxious childhood, you know my mother never had time for me. You know when you’re a middle child in a family of five million, you don't get any attention.”

EXAMPLE: “Our knowledge has made us cynical; our cleverness, hard and unkind. We think too much and feel too little. More than machinery, we need humanity. More than cleverness, we need kindness and gentleness.”

EXAMPLE: “Whosever room this is should be ashamed!His underwear is hanging on the lamp.His raincoat is there in the overstuffed chair,And the chair is becoming quite mucky and damp.”

EXAMPLE: “But soft, what light through yonder window breaks? It is the east and Juliet is the sun.”

EXAMPLE: “Edward, you're impossibly fast and strong. Your skin is pale white and ice cold. You're eyes change color, and sometimes you speak like-like you're from a different time. You never eat or drink anything, you don't go out in sunlight...how old are you? *beat* ...seventeen...how long have you been seventeen? *beat*...a while.”

LESSON #2: WHAT WOULD YOU LOOK FOR?

Objective:Students will be able to identify the expectations of college auditions by viewing auditions from the perspective of the auditioner and using this information to justify their monologue choices. Materials Needed:Copies of the part of a monologue adjudication form, video of interviews with professors about what they are looking for in a college audition piece **created and collected ahead of time!**, video worksheet, stop watches. Hook/Step 1: Mock Auditions (20 minutes) Say that we will address their monologues later, but first pass out monologue adjudication forms. Tell them that they will be auditioning someone and they are to evaluate them using these specific forms. Give them a minute to review all of the terms on the form, but do not tell them what they mean (you will talk about this later with them). The teacher will then be the auditioner and model a bad example of both rapport and monologue delivery/choice.  After the audition, give the student a moment to record their scores on the form and then ask the students about what they just observed.

What did you think of the performance? Why?What did you or did you not like?  Why?  

Once everyone has filled out the form, go through each of the terms and make sure that the students are clear as to what they mean. When the students have a good grasp on what exactly they are looking for, tell them that the auditioner will go again. This time, once the students recognize anything that needs to change, they are to yell “STOP!” and then instruct the auditioner what to do differently. After this monologue has finished, then instruct the students to once again use their form to score the next performance. Then model a good audition. After allowing them to score the monologue, discuss the differences from the original audition.  Step 2: Video (30 minutes) Tell the students that we’re now going to see what some college professors have to say about college auditions and what they look for.  Pass out a worksheet with each of the questions on it.  Go over some terms that the students may not be familiar with (slate, dialect). Give them 5 minutes to fill out the worksheet with what they think the professors will say.  After watching each segment, give the students time to recap what the professor said on their worksheet, and then discuss.

What does it mean when different professors answered the same question differently?What does this tell you about auditioning?

                               Step 3:  Justifying (15 minutes)  Now have the students pull out their monologues. They need to have a copy that they can turn into you by the end of class.  If they don’t have one they can turn in, they can write one out now.  First have them get with a partner (which we will select at random) and have them verbally justify their piece to each other.  They should discuss if the choice is a good one.  Then at the bottom of their monologue, they need to defend their monologue choices. Talk about what specifically makes their monologues good monologues for them.  It may be

helpful to review what a good monologue is (goes through another person, has an objective, is talking to another person, is passionate) and write these traits on the board so the students can check their monologue against this criteria. Also ask:

What did we learn about college auditioners’ expectations that can be expressed/shown through your monologues?  

Once the students are finished doing this, they will turn their monologues in to you. Step 4: Cutting (10 minutes) Have them get with a new partner to make sure that their piece is 40 seconds long.  Have them work together to cut it if necessary.  Have them discuss with each other if their cutting makes sense and it shows the best range of emotions. Step 5: Wrap up (5 minutes) Review with them that their monologues need to be chosen in two classes (lesson #4).                                The questions we will ask the professors are:What types of monologues do you like to see in an audition piece?How do you feel about character pieces and dialects for auditions like proficiencies?How do you like an auditionee to act when coming into an audition setting?What do you like auditionees to include in the slate?How should an audience end a monologue?  Transition from slate to monologue and from monologue to monologue?What nervous habits do you notice/look for in an auditionee?How does their personal presentation affect how you view their audition?  What affects their personal presentation (physicality, speech, eye contact, etc.)?Is there anything specific that you look for?

Directions: Answer each question how you think a college acting professor would answer them. After watching their response, summarize their thoughts.

What type of monologues do you like to see in an audition?What I think they’ll say:

What they said:

How do you feel about character pieces or dialects?What I think they’ll say:

What they said:

What do you like to see from an auditioner when they enter the room?What I think they’ll say:

What they said:

How should the slate be presented?What I think they’ll say:

What they said:

How should an audition end?What I think they’ll say:

What they said:

Explain the transition between the slate and the monologue.What I think they’ll say:

What they said:

What about the transitions between the monologues?What I think they’ll say:

What they said:

What nervous habits do you recognize?What I think they’ll say:

What they said:

How should a person present themselves physically (dress and grooming)?What I think they’ll say:

What they said:

What do you like to see?What I think they’ll say:

What they said:

LESSON #3: BUILDING A PERFORMING RESUME

Lesson Objective: Students will be able to construct an effective theatre resume by participating in creating a resume as a class and individually.

Materials Needed: notecards, examples of good performing resumes. There need to be several examples (you can find them on the internet), and four of each (for four groups). One good example of a resume cut up into parts (like a puzzle)—there also need to be four of these.

Hook: Distribute materials (1 minute)Pass out note cards to each of the students.

Step 1: Scatergories Game (15 minutes)Tell the students that they have exactly one minute to write down, on the notecard, as quickly as they can any and all facets that fall under “audition etiquette” or “what you need to be professional at an audition.” This is a game to see who can come up with the most original characteristics of a good auditioner. When the one minute is up, ask for a volunteer to read their list. Anyone else in the classroom who put down the characteristics said by the person reading should cross it off their list. If they have something that is said, they should yell out, “got it,” so the person reading can cross it off of their list. Keep having people read until there is a winner with items unsaid (or as time allows). As people bring up items in the game, have them explain what they mean and if there is a question justify why it is needed for professionalism in an audition setting. It may be helpful to write each of these characteristics on the board.

Step 2: Introduction to Resumes (5 minutes)If the idea of having a resume was not brought up in the game, bring it up.

What is a resume? What does it look like?Why is it necessary to have a performance resume at an audition? Why is it important to have a resume for any professional setting? (it is important as a means of contact, as a means for seeing one’s skills and experiences on paper, to help them remember who you are, etc)

Step 3: Characteristics of a Resume (10 minutes)Ask the class to brainstorm what some parts of a good resume are. List them on the board. Once all of these are listed, ask the class which parts are imperative for a performing resume. Discussion of some points that were listed or stated on the board may be necessary. Points that must be included: name, contact information, organization, clarity, neatness, good spelling and grammar, theatrical experience, education, dates, venues, physical characteristics. Discuss why these items are needed on a resume (so that the auditioning can see what experience you have, can remember who you are, can contact you, etc.) Next discuss the importance of making your resume very organized and clear—easy to read.

Why is it important to be this way? (If a resume is hard to read, no one wants to decipher through it while there are hundreds of others that are organized to consider; you want those auditioning you to see clearly your greatest accomplishments; you want them to contact you, so make it easy to do so; you want to be remembered, etc)

Step 4: Observing a Resume (10 minutes)Next split the class into four groups. Give each group some example resumes (each group should have the same example resumes). Give each group a few minutes to come up with, as a group, two good things and two bad things that they see in the resumes. The groups must be prepared with justification for their choices—why is this bad or good? The groups will then share these choices with the class one at a time.

Step 5: Constructing a Resume (15 minutes)Hand the cut up resume to each group. They must, as a group, solve the puzzle. Which part will they put where, and why? When they are done, hand them the original resume to compare to the one that they constructed.

Did anyone arrange it exactly like the original? What did you have different? Why? What makes it clear? What would you change? Why?

Step 6: Review the Resume Rubric (5 minutes)Hand out the resume rubric so that the students can see what they will be graded on. Go over the items in the “excellent” category to check for student understanding. If there is time, you can have the students start compiling a resume of their own. Students can outline their resume and create a template, and even create their resume by pencil. Their completed first draft resume will be due by the next class.

Step 7: Cutting Monologues (15 minutes)After working on the compilation of resumes, bring the class together again. Explain that we will now have some time to work on our monologues and/or songs and work on cutting them down. Hand the monologues that they turned in back to them. Have them find a partner to work with. With their partner, they will read their monologues to each other, with a sense of the timing that they want to perform them in. The other person will time them to see if they are in the correct time. Go over the cuttings with each other, and help your partner find a good cutting. Keep cutting until you get it down to the right time frame. When the cutting is complete, use the time to start memorizing or deciding on another monologue. During that time, the teacher can answer any questions the students have about their monologue choice or how to find them or how to cut them, or about resume building.

RESUME RUBRIC

Excellent (6-5 points) Good (4-3 points) Poor (2-0 points) Points/CommentsResume is neatly and clearly organized—categories are easy to read and understand

Resume is fairly neat and organized—important sections are mostly easily read

Resume is not easy to read—not organized or clear

Resume is chronologically ordered from most recent to least recent, and contains extensive contact information(needs email, address, and phone)

Resume is chronologically ordered from most recent to least recent, but may contain gaps or not enough contact information(needs email, address, and phone)

Resume is not chronological from most recent to least recent, or is inconsistent in chronology. May or may not contain all contact information

Resume contains accurate information and is concise—no more than one page

Resume is cramped into one page, or a bit longer than a page

Resume is longer than one page

There are no grammatical or spelling errors within the resume

There are a few grammatical or spelling errors

There are multiple spelling and grammatical errors

Total Points

LESSON #4: MONOLOGUE REHEARSAL—CONTRASTING FEELINGS Lesson Objective: Students will be able to apply different acting techniques to their contrasting monologues through practicing and peer evaluations. Materials Needed: signs with one tactic on each, as described in the “switching game” activity; student evaluation forms. Preparation: Be sure students have enough room to work in pairs on their monologues. Hook: Image Theatre (10 minutes) Have the class spread out and find their own space in the room. Explain that we are going to be using our bodies to express certain words/feelings—this is a NON VERBAL game. The leader (teacher) will call out a word and each person in the class has ten seconds to “morph” or sculpt into an expression of that word. Explain that this is not a descriptive representation—it is more of an expressive one. If the word is “tree,” it is not trying to make your body look exactly like a tree, it is portraying the essence of tree—the feeling of tree—the first thing that comes to mind in your body when you say tree. Some examples of words to call are: tree, red balloon, grumpy pumpkins, silver wind, fear, joy, etc. After doing this individually, instruct the class that they will now have ten seconds to morph into a class image—they must come together and create an expressive image of that word as a class. Do this a few times.

Warm-up: Focus Energy (5 minutes)Have the class silently make a circle, standing. Instruct them to bring their hands about 6 inches apart from each other in front of them, and keeping the hands 6 inches (at least) apart, act as if you were rolling a ball between your hands. Focus on the magnetic energy between your hands. Soon you will be able to feel the magnetism pushing your hands apart—it will feel like you have a magnetic ball in between your hands. While the students are feeling their “magnetic chi ball,” ask them to call out (while staying focused) reasons why we warm up before performing, or auditioning.

Why are warm-up activities helpful? Think about the warm-ups we’ve done today. Why do we need to find our focus, and focus our energy before we perform?

This will be a good starting point for going deeper into “warm-ups” in our next lesson.

Step 1: Justification (5 minutes) Have the students pull out a copy of their cut monologues that are due. They must give a written justification as to why these monologues are good for THEM, and why they are good for a college audition. Prompt them to remember what we talked about (going through another person, contrasting, short enough for the time limit, age appropriate, “I like it because…” etc). Each student will turn in their justification when they are finished. 

Step 2: Memorization/Peer Evaluations/Peer Coaching (15 minutes) Hand each student a peer evaluation form. Then place the class into partnerships. Each partnership will have time to practice their monologues for each other. Discuss with each other how to improve the monologues, and the good points about them. Use the evaluation form as a guide for this exercise. Students may also use the proficiency forms as guides to

help coach their peers. This is student coaching. Teachers monitor the progress, answering questions and helping students stay involved.  Step 3: Re-group (5 minutes) Gather the class back together.

How did it go? How is helping your peers beneficial to your own performing?Was it easy or difficult to coach each other?

Have everyone turn in their peer evaluation forms. These forms are not for your grade—you are not giving each other a grade. You are learning to evaluate and coach. Step 4: Switching Game (30 minutes)Ask for a few volunteers and give them a piece of paper with a tactic on it. Then have a student come to the front of the room. Explain that the student is going to recite his or her monologue. While he or she is performing, the students who have the papers with tactics on them can hold up their paper, only one at a time, and the performer must incorporate whatever that tactic is into whichever part of the monologue they are in. Students silently take turns holding up their papers and watching the different reactions to the tactics.

How could this exercise be helpful to you in learning your monologues? How can it be helpful in light of performing two contrasting monologues in the same time frame?

After this example is done, have each student write down at least five appropriate contrasting tactics on a piece of paper. Then have them group off in pairs—different partnerships than they had for the last round. Each person in the partnership will have a turn practicing their monologues, and each will have a turn calling out or holding up tactics for the one performing to adapt to. The students should get a feel for switching tactics and be able to change from one type of feeling to another quickly. This will enable them to perform contrasting monologues in an actual contrasting way. Also encourage the students to use the adjudication form as they continue to coach each other.  Tactics:  to insult   to anger   to rejoice   to help    to comfort   to destroy   to seduce  

to excite   to beg   to plead  Step 5: Discuss (5 minutes) Bring the class together again.

How did it go? What did you notice about trying different tactics? Was it hard? Was it easy? How did it change your monologue?

 Step 6: Wrap up/Review (5 minutes) Ask the students if there were any questions or concerns about building their resume. Then collect the resumes from each student. 

Name of Auditioner (person being evaluated): _______________________________________

PEER EVALUATION—AUDITION MONOLOGUES

Excellent(needs little to no improvement)

Good(some improvements would make it more effective)

Poor(needs multiple improvements to be acceptable)

Notes

Monologues speak through another character, are not “telling a story.”

Monologues contain some speaking through qualities and some telling a story qualities

Monologues are mainly “telling a story”

Monologues are clearly contrasting from each other in feeling and tone—i.e. comedic, dramatic, etc

Monologues are somewhat contrasting in feeling and tone—i.e. comedic, dramatic, etc

Monologues are not contrasting in feeling and tone

Monologues are memorized

Monologues are mostly memorized—one is the other is not

Monologues are not memorized

Monologues are age-appropriate for the auditioner

Monologues are somewhat age-appropriate, or one is age appropriate

Monologues are not age appropriate

Name of Evaluator: _________________________________________________________________

Lesson #5: BEING YOU

Objective: Students will be able to identify how to present themselves in an audition process through participating in a mock interview and presenting an honest slate.

Materials Needed: None

Hook: As people enter the classroom, have them put their things down and come stand in a circle. Have casual conversation with each other while you wait for the entire class to enter.

Step 1: Gratitude Circle (15 minutes)Everyone stands in a circle. Explain that one at a time, a person will walk across the circle to a person, give that person a sincere compliment and then walk backwards back to their spot never breaking eye contact. The person who just received a compliment will then find someone new and continue the process until everyone has received a compliment. The goal is to focus on the other person the entire time.

Before they begin, tell the class that in order for this activity to be the most effective, everyone needs to be completely focused and completely silent. There shouldn’t be any talking or giggling.

After one or two people have gone take a moment to discuss observations before moving on.

What does it look like when the person is focused on the other person?Those who went, what did it feel like to keep eye contact? What were you thinking about when you were walking?

Continue the activity until everyone has gone. Discuss afterwards. When you focused on the other person, how did that affect your walk? Were you able to focus on the other person the entire time? What took your focus away? How can you apply this to your audition? What can you focus on when entering the audition space?

Explain that for the next activity, it will be helpful for them to incorporate these principles (where to focus so that you are not “in your head”).

Step 2: Mock Interview (40 minutes) Everyone gets out a piece of paper. The instructions are given for the activity. The “interviewer” (the teacher) will call an individual one at a time. That student will have to leave the room. They are then to enter the room, walk to a chair in the front of the room, answer questions from the interviewer and then leave the room. While they are doing this, all the other students will write on the piece of paper observations about the person being interviewed. Write the following questions on the board to help prompt students as they record their observations:

What sticks out to you about this person?How is the person perceived? What is the person’s body language and facial expressions?What do they sound like?

Make sure the students know the importance of being honest in their comments, while not being negative. Be sure to also explain the sensitivity yet importance of this activity: this is a great opportunity for students to learn what other’s first impressions of them are. They should not take offense to the comments but take it as a learning experience. In order to mediate the possibility of offending, the teacher can be the first to go and then after their interview, the class can read out their observations. You can discuss as a class whether or not the comments were appropriate or not, and what the comments mean.

At the end of the activity, everyone tears up their paper into strips and hands their observations to the corresponding person.

Have a quick discussion. What did you learn about yourself? What did you learn about your classmates? Did you notice people acting different when they were being interviewed? Were any of you self conscious when it was your turn to be interviewed, and how did this affect you?

Step 3: Slate (20 minutes) Review what we learned about slates from the professors in the videos the previous week. Everyone is given a minute to flesh out their slate. They will know that they need to say their name and the titles of their monologues. Example: I am David Smith and I will be presenting pieces from To Kill a Mockingbird and The Foreigner.

Once all of the students are ready, each of the students will stand in a line in the front of the classroom and one at a time, the students will step forward and present their slate. After the first couple ones, use them as examples to give feedback. Get feedback from the other students. Make sure that they realize the difference between stating their name and posing their name as a question (the inflection of their voice). It is a stronger and more confident slate if they state their name.

Step 4: Return Revised Resumes (5 minutes) After wrapping up the lesson, use the last five minutes to return the revised resumes with our comments on them. General comments may include: be sure to have your name big and at the top, make sure your email is professional, put your involvement in order starting with the most recent. Have them look over our comments and have them ask any questions before they leave. Remind them that their final copies are due when they perform their auditions.

Lesson #6: Work Day

Objective: Students will be able to improve their monologues through completing multiple workshops and working together with their other classmates.

Materials Needed: station instructions, whistle/bell.

Hook: Instructions (2 min) Give each student a post-it with a number and a letter (1A, 1B, 1C, 1D, 2A, 2B, etc.) and tell them to find the other people in the classroom that have the same number.

Step 1: Instructions (5 minutes)Once everyone is sitting in their groups, tell the students how the activity today is going to go. Your number is your group, and you will begin at the station of your number. You have 13-15 minutes at each station and then you will rotate up (meaning station 4 will go to 5, 5 will go to 1, 1 will go to 2, etc) at the sound of the bell/whistle. At each station, there is a sheet with instructions telling you what to do at that station. Each station instruction sheet will designate whom the leader is at that station, determined by your post-it letter. The leader of each group is to act as the teacher/director/auditioner. They are to make sure that everyone understands the directions, is staying on task and is giving the primary feedback or leading the discussion.

Clarify any questions before they split up into their groups.

Step 2: Workshop rotations (70 minutes)Monitor the different stations. Be available if the students have questions. Sit in on a couple of rotations and observe; still allow the student leaders to lead.

Step 3: Wrap up (3 minutes)Remind everyone that they will be auditioning tomorrow. They need to have their resumes ready to turn in as they audition. Answer any questions they may have.

STATION 1Discovery

LEADER: A

The purpose of this station is to work on the “threshold of verbalization.” One at a time, each student will perform both monologues and will focus on trying to make it seem like this is the first time they have ever said it. They should discover each of their lines before they say it. To help with this, before each line is said, the student should say one of three things:

1) “Oh my gosh.”2) “Wow.”3) Gasp: breathe in deep.

Student B will be first to perform.

STATION 2Opposites

LEADER: B

Each student will perform one of their monologues. They will then perform it again trying to make it completely different. If they yelled a line the first time, they should now whisper the line. If they laughed at a certain part, they should scream or cry. If they are happy, they should now be sad. No line should be said the same way.

This is not how you should necessarily perform your monologue, but it will give you options and will make your monologue fresh.

Student C will be first to perform.

STATION 3Stop/Go Questioning

LEADER: C

During this stations each student will perform one of their monologues. The leader, or the other students, can stop the performer at any time and ask the performer questions. This is not giving advice directly but if there is something that you (as the audience member) don’t understand, or if there is something unclear in the performance, ask the performer questions to make it more clear.

Student D will be first to perform.

STATION 4Critiques

LEADER: D

Each student will perform both of their monologues as they would for the audition. Afterwards, the leader will lead a discussion on specific things that the performer can work on. You are giving each other notes.

Student E will be first to perform.

STATION 5Inner monologue

LEADER: E

Each student will perform both of their monologues. This time instead of saying the words of the text, they will say what their character is thinking while saying those specific lines. Your monologue may not make sense as you jump from thought to thought.

Student A will be the first to perform.

Lesson #7: Mock Auditions

Objective: Students will show their ability to perform an audition piece through participation in a mock audition.

Materials Needed: Adjudication sheets, Auditions Worksheet, warm up audio.

Special Note: This lesson is designed for a class that is used to working on their own outside of the classroom. It is designed for a space where there is a large foyer or hallway outside the class where the students can work and not be a disruption to other classes. If the class/space does not permit for these circumstances, then the auditions should be held in a traditional setting where they perform their monologues one at a time in front of the entire class.

Hook: Instructions (5 min) Have a table set up outside. Do not let the students enter the room until the instructions have been given and everyone is aware of what they need to do. Inform the students how to fill out the audition sheet. Tell them that while everyone is auditioning, there will be one student on the panel as well as the instructors. When you are on the panel, you are responsible to fill out the audition form on that person. Let everyone know we will go into the room to do some warm-up activities and then everyone will leave the room and begin the audition process.There will be a student who will be outside doubling as the stage manager. They will be in charge of finding the next auditioner and finding the next student to sit on the panel.There will also be another student that will be the “teacher” outside who makes sure that everyone is on task and that no one leaves the space.There is a worksheet that must be turned in at the beginning of class tomorrow. students may use this time to outside to complete the worksheet. You may work together, but the answers should be in your own words.Use this time wisely. Prepare as you might prepare if you really were at a college audition.

Step 1: Warm ups (15 minutes)A breathing warm-up following the instruction of the recorded exercise. Have the class find their own space. Tell them to not feel awkward, but if they really allow their body to loosen up, then this exercise can be very beneficial to them. Have them pay attention to their feelings toward the activity. Does it work for you?

Step 2: Mock Audition (55 minutes)One at a time, according to the sign up sheets, the students will enter the room and present their audition. The teacher should fill out the proficiency sheet as well as take notes according to their observations (how the student held themselves, how they presented the slate, the effectiveness of their audition pieces, etc.). When the student leaves, the next person should come in with a new student evaluator. Step 3 (concurrent with step 2): Activities OutsideThe students are being supervised by another student. They should use the time outside to prepare for their audition. This could mean that they are doing vocal warm-ups, physical warm-ups, going through their monologue, focus activities, etc. They should also be working on the Auditions Worksheet that was given to them.

Step 4: Regroup (5 minutes)Thank everyone for their work today and let them know that the following class we will go over what happened today.

Name:______________________________________

Complete this worksheet on the day that you are NOT auditioning.

Define the following in your own words. How do they apply to performing?

CLARITY OF INTERPRETATION1. Character objectives

2. Character tactics

3. Transitions

4. Relationships (people, objects)

VULNERABILITY/IMMEDIACY5. Emotional Range and Honesty

6. Threshold of Verbalization

7. Daring Choices

BODY8. Relaxation/Control

9. Expression of Character

VOICE10. Diction/Clarity

11. Placement/Projection

MONOLOGUE CHOICESOn the back of this paper, list at least 6 things that make a monologue a good audition piece.

Lesson #8: Callbacks, Recap and Review

Objective: Students will demonstrate their ability to do cold readings by participating in a cold reading session.

Materials Needed: Cold reading sides from the class’ upcoming production

Hook: Setup (1 minute)Have the chairs set up differently in the classroom to where they are in a long row or two leaving a large space in the center. As students come in, tell them to sit in a seat and await instructions.

Step 1: Cold Readings (60 minutes)Have the sides placed on a table in the front of the classroom. Instruct the students that the teacher will call out names and characters. Those people are to go get the sides for that specific character and then prepare for their cold read. They will only have a minutes or two to look over their side before they are asked to perform it. This will continue for the majority of the class. The students will be in the room the entire time.

Step 2: Review (20 minutes)Pass back the critiques from their audition yesterday. This will include the teacher’s response and the student response. Also hand back their graded resume. Give them a minute or two to look over the comments. Then have them write a journal prompt responding to these questions:

How did your audition go according to your expectations? Where was your focus during the audition? What have you learned from this experience?What will you do differently the next time you prepare for an audition?

After everyone has finished their journal, allow for some time to discuss some of the things that they wrote. Give ample time for people to respond verbally to the question of “what will you do differently the next time you prepare for an audition?”