UPCOMING AUDITIONS

Casting For Student Films! 
Casting Breakdown for three Kenyon Student Films. Auditions are February 18, 2012 - 11a -4p in Rehearsal Room Four of the Ohio Theater. Sides will be available next week. If you are interested in auditioning, please e-mail Jon Sherman at shermanja@kenyon.edu


Film by Bryan Kurtzman:
IKE – (14 -17) A local rural Ohio kid with an itchy trigger. He can’t wait to go hunting for the first time.
NATHAN – (35-45): An experienced hunter. He’s calm and methodical doesn’t let his emotions get the better of him.


Film by David Vick:
Leonard: 60-75. Terminally ill with cancer but still maintains his sense of humor. He refuses to take his medicine and wants one last bike ride before he dies.
Nurse: 30-40 year old hospice worker who has seen too much death. She gains a new passion for life when she meets Leonard.


Film by Ned Daunis:
Jade: Young, ambitious, beautiful, Jade is Derrick’s younger sister. She’s an optimist and has dreams of becoming an actress in Hollywood, yet she feels guilt and fear when confronting her dying brother.
Derrick: Physically imposing yet soft spoken, Derrick is Jade’s withdrawn older brother. Derrick’s terminal medical condition causes intense mood swings. He desperately wants his sister to stay.

6 Male Actors needed for Bicentennial Celebration (Paid)

Friday, February 10 Columbus Convention Center
for the Bicentennial Birthday Celebration


BREAKDOWN:
4 doormen stationed at the entrance (they'll be outside all night)
1 elevator operator
1 stair guide (there are 2 levels to the party - he'll be stationed between the floors providing guidance)


Times are 5:30 - probably 11:45 or Midnight, when most of the guests are gone. The party ends at 11:30.


Pay Rate: $100 for the evening


They'll have a break room for you with refreshments. They'll provide overcoats, caps and gloves for the doorman and probably jackets and gloves for the other 2 guys. You are there to serve as greeters and well wishers throughout the night.


If you are interested send your contact information along with a photo to RICHARD MASON: actingincolumbus@yahoo.com.


Columbus Children's Theatre will hold OPEN Auditions for:

When:  February 19 & 20 Callbacks will be on Tuesday, February 21 at 7:00 PM


Where: Columbus Children’s Theatre, 512 Park St., Columbus, OH 43215


Actors should come with a prepared song and music. Accompanist will be provided (no tapes). Bring a current resume and a photo (snapshot is fine) and dress comfortably. Also, bring your calendar to indicate conflicts with rehearsals. Readings will be from the script.


Scripts are available at our office (177 E. Naghten St. Columbus, OH) and may be checked out for 3 days with a $20 deposit. All scripts will be due back no later than Friday, February 17, 2012.


Available Youth Roles (ages 10 & up):          
Mary Lennox  (10 year old girl)
Colin Craven  (son of Archibold)
Martha  (a housemaid)
Dickon  (Martha's brother)


Available Adult Roles (ages 18 & up):
*All adult actors are paid. Must be 18 and a high school graduate.


Archibald Craven  (Mary's uncle, and lord of Misselthwaite Manor)
Lily  (Mary's aunt, Mr. Craven's wife, now deceased)
Dr. Neville Craven  (Archibald's brother)
Ben Weatherstaff  (head gardener)
Mrs. Medlock  (the housekeeper)
Captain Albert Lennox  (Mary's father)
Rose Lennox  (Mary's mother)
Mrs. Winthrop  (headmistress)
Major Shelly  (officer)
Mrs. Shelly  (Major Shelly's wife)
Fakir
Ayah  (Mary's Indian nanny)
Lt. Wright  (officer in Lennox unit)
Major Holmes  (officer)
Claire Holmes  (Major Holmes' wife)
Alice  (Rose's friend)
Lt. Shaw  (fellow officer)

A Checklist for Successful Auditions By Jessica Gardner

Headshots: 


_ They look exactly like you.
_ They represent the "you" that you want to represent.
_ You have a good supply of them.
_ They are uploaded and updated on all the major casting sites. (Now Casting, Actor Access, Nancy Mosser Casting and Casting Networks. Free listing on these sites is sufficient.)
_ Your agent has hard copies, just in case. Check with him or her to see if any are needed.


Résumé: 


_ It has all your updated and correct info.
_ You have a good supply.
_ You have access to a reliable working printer (with extra ink in supply), so you can print extra copies as needed.
_ You have it on a USB drive that you always carry with you in case you need to print it out or update it with a last-minute audition.


Representation: 


_ You have a good relationship with your agency.
_ It has been updated on who your casting contacts are and any other pertinent info.
_ It knows your booking-out dates for the next couple months.


Your acting: 


_ You are studying in class every week, keeping your skills honed and fresh. Remember, athletes train every day if they want to win. 
_ You have a coach to call if you need one for an audition. You have the contact info on hand. 
_ You are confident in your ability to make a choice, perform with conviction, and take redirection in an audition.


Your body: 


_ You are eating healthily and cutting back on unhealthy food, drink, and activities that make it difficult to stay at the top of your game. 
_ You are getting exercise.
_ You are getting rest so you can focus.
_ Your hair looks like your hair in your headshot. 


Clothing: 


_ You have clothes and shoes that you feel comfortable auditioning in—maybe a few key outfits that work together that you only wear for auditions.
_ You always show up looking fresh, pressed and clean.


Transportation: 


_ Your transportation is reliable. 
_ You have a backup mode of transportation.
_ If you have a car, the car's oil has been changed, and it has recently been checked out and tuned up. 
_ You have an automotive service such as AAA, or you know how to change a tire on your own.
_ You have a GPS, a Thomas Guide, or maps. 


In your car 


_ GPS/Thomas Guide/maps
_ Cell phone charger
_ Headshots
_ Résumés
_ Office supplies such as scissors, a glue stick, a stapler, staples, a highlighter, folders
_ For women: travel-size beauty products such as a brush, a mirror, makeup, and makeup brushes. For men and women: deodorant, fresh wipes, Febreze, wrinkle releaser, hand sanitizer, a lint brush, Band Aids, a nail file, stain remover, a sewing kit, dental floss, lip balm, toothpaste and a toothbrush, an umbrella
_ Bottled water and snacks
_ Change for parking meters
_ Portable entertainment such as books and magazines to keep yourself occupied while you are waiting, and maybe even to take your mind off the audition. Bring along a Back Stage Magazine for entertainment and inspiration.


Your life: 


_ Your days are flexible for auditions, and your nights are flexible if you need to study for auditions. All plans during the week are "maybe."
_ At home, you have a quiet place where you can work on lines and sides with no distractions or interruptions. 
_ You have a positive, confident attitude. You are polite to everyone you meet. 
_ You have surrounded yourself with positive people who support you. 
_ You have someone to call if you've had a bad audition and need cheering up.

Acting for TV Commercials - Introduction to Acting for the Camera

PHOTO: Acting in Columbus
Student BRENT H. currently
appearing in a National
MEINEKE AUTO CARE
Commercial

Saturday, February 18, 2012 1:00pm - 8:00pm $175


Click here to register: http://actingincolumbus.net


Learn how to audition for and break into the local commercial and industrial industry. You will learn how to make the first contact with the agents. By taking this class you have the opportunity to show the agents that you are serious about pursuing this type of work. This workshop will give you experience with the actual audition process:


You'll work on-camera all day doing both prepared and cold readings, and receive plenty of feedback from instructor Richard Mason.


Script analysis skills: We have written our own textbook that breaks this process down and makes it simple.


Comfort in front of the camera: How do you stand? How do you hold the script? How do you deal with your partner and the camera at the same time? What is a slate? What do you do with your hands?


Practice at doing all types of commercials: Scene work, improv, one-liners, bite and smiles, handling products, etc. You'll also learn how to market to the casting directors, all about pictures and resumes, how the unions work, etc.

The Theatre Roundtable of Central Ohio present 2012 Unified Auditions

EVERY ACTOR IN CENTRAL OHIO SHOULD ATTEND THESE AUDITIONS!

With an audience of Central Ohio casting directors, producers, directors and more!


WHEN:
Saturday, February 25, 2012
10:00 AM – Mid-Afternoon


WHERE:
The Roy Bowen Theatre
Drake Performance & Event Center/OSU Campus
1849 Cannon Drive
Columbus, OH 43210


Free to all TRT Individual Members
$20 Registration fee for non-members.
This fee will also entitle you membership in the Theatre Roundtable as an Individual Member.


PARKING:
There is paid parking in the lot across the street. Up to $3. Credit cards and coin only automated lot.


Email Tom Cardinal at tcardinal@shadowboxlive.org for questions and more info.

WEEKEND ACTING BOOT CAMP

Friday/Saturday/Sunday March 16-18, 2012 $350


Weekend Acting Boot Camp is designed for the beginner who want intensive training over a short period of time or the rusty actor who needs to get back on top of their game. Boot Camp will give you a strong foundation in acting techniques as well as a firm grasp of the nuts and bolts of scene work and audition skills.


Your Boot Camp will consist of no more than eight students who will discover together that acting is probably the most challenging and thrilling thing they have ever done. You will learn that if indeed this is for you and you stick with it, you will not only acquire a skill, but you will do something quite extraordinary with your life.


FRIDAY 7-9:30pm: Orientation Students will learn how to actively pursue objectives, creating character, and making choices based on the Super-Objective of the character.


SATURDAY 10am-6pm: Acting for Film/Scene Study - Begin work on subtext and objectives, gaining an understanding of the basic mechanics of playing a scene truthfully.


Audition/Cold Reading Techniques - Learn audition techniques that will help you get the part. Understand the audition process and learn what a casting director is looking for in an audition.


Getting a scene "cold", making powerful acting choices, listening and answering in the moment as you fully commit to your acting partner and your objective in the scene. Your auditions will be filmed and you'll receive feedback from the instructor.


SUNDAY 12-8pm: Acting for TV Commercials - Learn how to audition for and break into the local commercial and industrial industry. Experience with the actual audition process: You'll work on-camera all day doing both prepared and cold readings, and receive plenty of feedback from your instructor.

This class is limited to eight (8) students.

CHOOSING YOUR MONOLOGUES

Most likely, those conducting the auditions, the auditors, will want you to perform two monologues, of contrasting character, for a total of four minutes. Choose monologues from characters that are closest to your experiences and age. You are not out to win a Tony or an Oscar here, just show them that you are determined and talented. 


Do not choose a monologue with violent behavior patterns and vulgarity. The auditors do not want to hear or see such a monologue. Show them talent, not a violent temper tantrum. Use your own judgement when it comes to content of a monologue. Would you like to sit in their place and watch you perform this monologue? 


Contrasting monologues


What are contrasting monologues? Two completely different characters from two different plays and play genres. Make one a comedy and the other dramatic. One character may be slightly psychotic (if that fits your personality...) and the other character may be a complete Mamma's Boy. One character may be a love-struck fool, the other a hacker nerd who let loose a devious computer virus. Contrast is day and night. Not shades of gray. But if all you can presently do is romantic, love-struck fools, at least contrast those fools by who they are and by each character's situation.


Timing is everything


Keeping your monologues under the time limit is the way to go. If you run over, you will be stopped. They will not let you continue past the time period stated. Do not abuse this. To be honest, if you can give them great stuff in less time, the better. You do not have to use your full four minutes (or whatever) for your monologues. They will appreciate your brevity. Trust me on that one.


Cut your monologues for content


If your character is carrying on a conversation with some other character, cut it out. Try to choose a piece of the monologue where you are speaking to someone actively. Try to avoid "telling a story". There are a hundred and one monologues where the character is telling a story of what happened to them at a party, or on a hunting trip, or on the subway... you get the picture. Or worse, they are telling a story about what happened to someone else! Don't do it. It is boring. You want your character to be active, not sitting and telling a boring story (out of context) to some other character who is also probably bored. My advice: Stay away from them.


Read the play


Do not for a minute think that you will get away with not reading the play. That is how you prepare for the audition. You must read the play that your monologue comes from so that you will have an understanding of your character and the situation that your character is speaking about, or is involved with. And not just once for heck of it. Read the play again. And again. Study the relationships between your character and the others in the play. It will show like a red flag that you haven't read the play, believe me. The auditors will know if you have done your homework, or not. If you go into that audition with just a few lines from some character in some play and they ask you about the play or the character in the play (and they will!) you will regret it. The auditors will probably not wrestle you to the ground and pummel you, even though you would deserve it. You probably will not be called back. Read the play and study your character. This will give you a foundation to build your character around. Be prepared. Read the play!


Advice about monologue books


You see them on the shelves of all major bookstores: "1,000 Monologues for Young Actors" or "1997's Best Monologues for Women..." People will say many things about these books, such as: "Those monologues in those books are over-used. Do not use them... etc" My advice? Use them! There is nothing wrong with them. They are great sources to use to find a monologue that fits you, the actor. But here is the trick: Browse through the monologue books to find the best character that you can play, to show off your stuff; read the play that the monologue comes from; then you can choose another monologue from the same character within the play, or stick with your original choice. That way it isn't "over-used" and you may find a monologue that the auditors have not heard. Besides, you have to read the play anyway. You will find some really great monologues this way in a short period of time. Make sure that it is a monologue that you like. Nothing like going into an audition with material that you are uncomfortable performing. This is your audition. Choose your monologues well. These books are a great resource; so why not use them?


Please practice.


And I cannot emphasize this point enough: PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE! Sorry for shouting there, but I had to drill that in. The more comfortable you are performing your pieces, the better. Get used to performing your pieces. When you walk into that audition you must be ready to go at the drop of a hat. Forgetting your lines is bad, very bad. Practice.


The best monologues


Wanna know a secret? The best monologue you could ever choose for yourself is from the play or plays in which you have just recently performed. Hunh? Didn't think of that one, did you. If you happen to have been in a play or are currently in one, why not use a monologue from the character you are portraying? You've been working on it for weeks, performing in front of a live audience, use it! All the work has been done already, just get up and "perform" your snippet for the auditors. Also, put that monologue in your repertoir to pull out at a later date.


A Monologue Repertoir...


Here is a nifty bit of advice: Keep a file of every monologue you ever work on, and keep it handy. A professional actor has is best "eight minutes" ready to go at anytime. Start building your repertoire today. Keep it fresh by working in new monologues and retiring older ones.


In the room


There will be any number of auditors present at the audition. They will have smiles on their faces, or maybe not. Be friendly and personable. Introduce yourself to them. Make eye contact with them. Do not offer to shake hands unless they offer their hands to you. If names are given, remember them. 


Walk into the room with confidence. Introduce yourself. If they ask questions before you begin smile, relax and answer them. Take your time. Present yourself well. This is your time and your audition. They want you to do well!


After introducing yourself, and maybe some questions, announce what monologues you have chosen to perform. After you announce the second one, take the briefest of seconds and begin. Do not turn around with your back to them, or bow your head to "compose" yourself. You are a prepared actor. Actors on stage, while performing, do not turn their backs to "compose" themselves, and neither should you. You should have yourself "composed" and ready to go the moment you come in the door. Prepare yourself outside in the hallway before you enter. When you come to the end of your second monologue make a definite finish. Say "Thank You" and smile. This is the polite way of auditioning.


Relax


You have finished your audition and on your way home. Relax and put it out of your mind. Do not worry about how you did. The audition is over. If you were well prepared, which I hope you will be, then there is nothing you have to worry about. Do your best the first time. That way the only thing you will have to worry about is which offer, of many, you are going to accept!

CRAFT NOTES by Ed Hooks

REGARDING AUDITIONS


Auditions are a fact of life for actors. You go in there and show your stuff in the hope that you will get the opportunity to portray a character in front of an audience or camera. If you don't get chosen, it is really easy to feel personally rejected.


Maybe after you become a big star they won't make you go through the process but, until then, you might as well take a cool look at the reality of audition situations and get yourself prepared to compete. I wrote a book on this subject, "The Audition Book (Winning Strategies for Breaking into Theatre Film and TV)", now available in a revised third edition. If you have never read it, I have a hunch you would find it useful. Go to the home page, you'll find links to Amazon.com for all of my books.


For now, here is a Top Fourteen List of suggestions for presenting a winning audition.


(1) Monologues are needed for stage auditions and occasional for talent agency interviews but rarely are required for film or television auditions. You should have at least half a dozen drop-dead wonderful monologues ready to present any time and in any physical space. I knew a New York actress once that kept twenty-five monologues polished and ready.


(2) When presenting monologues for a stage audition, you will generally have the opportunity to do contrasting pieces - one comedy and one drama. Sometimes they ask for one classical and one contemporary. The mix really depends on the place and the occasion. If you present a classical comedy, then accompany that with a contemporary drama. Or vice versa.


(3) When presenting monologues for a talent agent, stick to contemporary comedy. The money in acting is in television, and television is largely about comedy. The agents butter their bread there. Don't go into an agent's office and so some anguished tear jerker. You may enjoy that kind of role, but the agents are looking to get paid. Actors that can do comedy are much more likely to get paid than actors that cannot.


(4) If you are presenting a monologue that is being videotaped, play to the camera itself as a scene partner. Look directly into the lens.


(5) If you are presenting a monologue to live auditors, you'll have to make a decision about whether or not to make eye contact. Many of them don't like that. Probably the best bet, if you want to play directly to an auditor, is to ask if that's okay before you begin. If they object, then make sure your imaginary scene partner is positioned downstage.


(6) A monologue is really a duologue. It is a scene, and scenes have conflict, negotiation. Do not think of a monologue as someone standing on stage talking to himself. Even Shakespeare's famous soliloquies are best when the actor talks to the audience.


(7) "You-oriented" material is generally easier and more dynamic than "I-oriented" material. In other words, if a monologue begins with, "I remember when I was a little girl.." or "That was a funny thing that happened down at the car wash.", you are dealing with an "I-oriented" piece. It will be easier if the material begins with, say, "I don't care how adorable you think you are, I want you to stop seeing Stella!" Or, "Think carefully before you convict my client.". See what I mean? This is a favorite pet peeve of mine, in fact. So many monologue books on the market are chock full of "I-oriented" stuff, and they tend to be a monumental, self-serving bore. Acting is about reaching out and touching someone, not about standing alone in a room diddling with yourself.


(8) If presenting monologues for a stage play, try to use the full stage. Actor after actor is going to come into the room and stand or sit center stage. Try to stage your pieces so that you do not stand where everybody else does. Find something, for instance that will allow you to get down on all fours and crawl around. Contrast that with a piece that is standing and still.


(9) Even with heavy drama, do not forget about sense of humor. Nervous actors tend to view anguish as a friend at auditions for some reason. You'll come closer to getting cast if you hold that mirror up to nature. Even in our worst and heaviest moments, we humans rely on humor to get us through. If there is any way at all to use humor in a heavy audition, do so. You won't always be able to do it, but keep that in mind anyway.


(10) Women can get a lot of mileage out of cross-gender selections in Shakespeare. Speaking for my own self, I love to see a woman come out on stage and do Iago or Mark Anthony, followed by something contemporary that is gender specific. And I think most directors will like it, too.


(11) Women might want to look to Moliere instead of Shakespeare if asked to present a classical piece. Moliere came along a hundred years after Shakespeare, and he wrote wonderful, strong and lusty and bright women. His plays are in verse which scratches much the same itch as a request for Shakespeare. It demonstrates an ability to handle the classics.


(12) When presenting a monologue, keep the introductory comments brief. They don't care about them anyway. They just want to see you act.


(13) In the moment before you begin the first line of the monologue, do not turn your back on the auditors to meditate. This is another of my pet peeves. I hate it when an actor introduces himself and then turns around to "prepare". The heck with that. Get on with the acting.


(14) Remember, in the actor-audience contract, the actor leads and the audience follows. Actors are shamans! When you present a monologue at an audition, you should have the dynamic of a leader. It is self-defeating for an actor to sort of slink into an audition room, trying not to take up much space or to create too much of a spectacle. It's your audition, so get up there and have at it. Welcome the auditors to your world. Swing the cat.

BOOK OF THE MONTH

The Power of the Actor : The Chubbuck Technique by Ivana Chubbuck

In The Power of the Actor, a Los Angeles Times bestseller, premier acting teacher and coach Ivana Chubbuck reveals her cutting-edge technique, which has launched some of the most successful acting careers in Hollywood.

The first book from the instructor who has taught Charlize Theron, Brad Pitt, Elisabeth Shue, Djimon Hounsou, and Halle Berry, The Power of the Actor guides you to dynamic and effective results. For many of today’s major talents, the Chubbuck Technique is the leading edge of acting for the twenty-first century. Ivana Chubbuck has developed a curriculum that takes the theories of the acting masters, such as Stanislavski, Meisner, and Hagen, to the next step by utilizing inner pain and emotions, not as an end in itself, but rather as a way to drive and win a goal.

In addition to the powerful twelve-step process, the book takes well-known scripts, both classic and contemporary, and demonstrates how to precisely apply Chubbuck’s script-analysis process. The Power of the Actor is filled with fascinating and inspiring behind-the-scenes accounts of how noted actors have mastered their craft and have accomplished success in such a difficult and competitive field.