THEATRE PRODUCTION AUDTION INFORMATION AND REQUIREMENTS –
MALE, HS
Theatre Production is a class designed for students who are serious about theatre and want to be in extra-curricular
theatre productions during the fall and spring (one act play contest) as actors or technicians. All students will have to
audition to get into the class. Those students who are currently in theatre production, any theatre class (high school or jr.
high) will have to audition to get into Theatre Production.
To be cast in any Industrial Theatre production a student MUST be enrolled in the theatre production class.
Rehearsals are held during 5th period Theatre Production class along with some rehearsal outside of school
hours.
Students will audition with two contrasting monologues (one comedy and one serious). The last day for auditions will be
Friday, May 7, 2012. A student may audition anytime between February and May 7, 2012. Audition times may be set up
with Mr. Doggett (mdoggett@iisd1.org)
There will be additional theatre production rehearsals outside of the school day that any student accepted into
the theatre production class must attend. There will be some flexibility in the fall and very little during the spring one
act play season. There will be very few rehearsals outside of the school day during fall rehearsal. Rehearsals for the
one act play in the spring will be from 5:30 to 7:00 PM each Monday and Thursday along with daily 5th period Theatre
Production rehearsals
BEFORE PERFORMING YOUR MONOLOGUE SAY THIS:
MY NAME IS _________________________________________________ AND I WILL BE DOING MONOLOGUES
FROM SUMMER BRAVE AND EPIC PORPORTIONS. (Then turn around with back to audience, get into character and
then turn back and begin your 1ST monologue- see back of this page for tips.)
“SUMMER BRAVE” (HAL)
Sorry about your car, Al. BUT I HAD to get to California, I was gonna pay ya back, once I broke into the movies. They were
going to call me Brush Carte. The screen test went okay, except for my bad teeth. (short pause) I’m broke and need a job, Al.
I’m a good worker and I promise not to get into trouble. (short pause) I can’t go home, the old man died. I can’t even look at
my mother without getting sick. The old man left the filling station to me but she told the lawyers he was bughouse, and took it
from me. (short pause) I gotta amount to something, Al, I gotta! I wanta be like you, nice office, sharp suit, pretty secretary,
and talk about . . . enterprises and things. (Pause) Right, patience. (short pause) That something I got to work on, patience . . .
(BETWEEN MONOLOGUES, TURN BACK TO AUDIENCE, CHANGE CHARACTER, TURN BACK AND START 2 ND
MONOLOGUE)
EPIC PROPORTIONS (ASSISTANT DIRECTOR)
Hello, I’m the Assistant Director in charge of Atmosphere Personnel . . . “Extas.” all 3,400 of you. It might take me a while to
learn your names, but if you need me, I’m in the little blue tent next to the Sphinx of Antioch, and my flap is always open. So,
welcome to Molten Rock, Arizona, where we will be filming “Exeunt Omnes,” which apparently is Latin for “everybody out.”
Who knew? The nearest town is over 240 miles away across the scorching desert, but that doesn’t mean we can’t have fun,
right here. I’ve got a sign-up sheet for softball that will be posted by the Temple of Osiris, on the call board next to the Oracle.
Oh, and if anyone has a softball, that’d be great. We will all work together and have something we can all really be proud of!
(start to walk off, then turn back and says) And oh sorry there are only two bathrooms.
Contact Mr. Doggett (mdoggett@iisd1.org) with questions or visit the website for more information:
http://www.iisd1.org/hs_theatre/theatre_production_class.htm
THEATRE PRODUCTION AUDTION INFORMATION AND REQUIREMENTS –
FEMALE, HS
Theatre Production is a class designed for students who are serious about theatre and want to be in extra-curricular
theatre productions during the fall and spring (one act play contest) as actors or technicians. All students will have to
audition to get into the class. Those students who are currently in theatre production, any theatre class (high school or jr.
high) will have to audition to get into Theatre Production.
To be cast in any Industrial Theatre production a student MUST be enrolled in the theatre production class.
Rehearsals are held during 5th period Theatre Production class along with some rehearsal outside of school
hours.
Students will audition with two contrasting monologues (one comedy and one serious). The last day for auditions will be
Friday, May 7, 2012. A student may audition anytime between February and May 7, 2012. Audition times may be set up
with Mr. Doggett (mdoggett@iisd1.org)
There will be additional theatre production rehearsals outside of the school day that any student accepted into
the theatre production class must attend. There will be some flexibility in the fall and very little during the spring one
act play season. There will be very few rehearsals outside of the school day during fall rehearsal. Rehearsals for the
one act play in the spring will be from 5:30 to 7:00 PM each Monday and Thursday along with daily 5th period Theatre
Production rehearsals
BEFORE PERFORMING YOUR MONOLOGUE SAY THIS:
MY NAME IS _________________________________________________ AND I WILL BE DOING MONOLOGUES
FROM SUMMER BRAVE AND EPIC PORPORTIONS. (Then turn around with back to audience, get into character and
then turn back and begin your 1ST monologue- see back of this page for tips.)
“WOMEN OF LOCKERBIE” (MADELINE)
I should have let him stay in London. He was much too young to go so far from home. I shouldn’t have let him go. Oh God,
why did I do that . . . ? And why didn’t I choose Pan Am over Delta? And I should have let him stay an extra day with his
friends! But I said: “No, I want you home for Christmas.” (pause) Oh God . . . (pause) And why didn’t I plan the party for
Friday? If I hadn’t he wouldn’t have been on that plan and he would have never died. (pause) If I ever meet his killers I will kill
them! No. I will more than kill them. I will torment them. I will inflict on them the measure of pain they have brought to me.
With endless pain and let me tell you PAIN is a gentle word to describe what I would do to his killers, if I ever get the chance! I
would bind their hands and feet with wire! I would cut them with sharp knives! I would grind cigarettes into their eyes! I want
justice. I won’t find peace until there is justice!
(BETWEEN MONOLOGUES, TURN BACK TO AUDIENCE, CHANGE CHARACTER, TURN BACK AND START 2 ND MONOLOGUE)
EPIC PROPORTIONS (ASSISTANT DIRECTOR)
Hello, I’m the Assistant Director in charge of Atmosphere Personnel . . . “Extas.” all 3,400 of you. It might take me a while to
learn your names, but if you need me, I’m in the little blue tent next to the Sphinx of Antioch, and my flap is always open. So,
welcome to Molten Rock, Arizona, where we will be filming “Exeunt Omnes,” which apparently is Latin for “everybody out.”
Who knew? The nearest town is over 240 miles away across the scorching desert, but that doesn’t mean we can’t have fun,
right here. I’ve got a sign-up sheet for softball that will be posted by the Temple of Osiris, on the call board next to the Oracle.
Oh, and if anyone has a softball, that’d be great. We will all work together and have something we can all really be proud of!
(start to walk off, then turn back and says) And oh sorry there are only two bathrooms.
Contact Mr. Doggett (mdoggett@iisd1.org) with questions or visit the website for more information:
http://www.iisd1.org/hs_theatre/theatre_production_class.htm
MONOLOGUES AUDITION TIPS
Please practice: I cannot emphasize this point enough: PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE! The more comfortable you are performing your pieces, the better. Get
your family together and go through the whole audition with them as the "auditors". Have them give you notes, if you wish; but for all intent and purposes, 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 beginning and end of the monologue or scene:
*Does the curtain open to start and close to end the scene?
*Do the lights come up to start and go to black out to end the scene?
There should be some technical element like curtains or lights to start and end a scene – do not just have an actor walk up on stage in full light to start a scene.
Vocal Work:
*Make sure the actor is speaking loud enough to be heard from the back row of the theatre.
*Make sure the actor is articulating properly so that they can be understood. EVERY WORD!
*Make sure the actors do not break character – the best way to avoid breaking character is to make sure you actors know their lines!
*The actor should use their voice to sound like the character.
Focus and Pace:
*Make sure you have the proper focus. Monologues require the actor find a focal point of the person they are speaking to and always look to that position. Keep in
mind that in a monologue most times the person the actor is talking to will be located out in the audience, this helps keep the actor open to the audience when speaking
to this imaginary person.
*Make sure the actor keep his or head up and doesn’t look down toward the floor to much. The audience wants to see their face.
*Make sure the actors does not speed through the monologue or scene. This happens when the actor gets nervous.
*Make sure the actor does not slow down too much, this happens when actors don’t know their line well enough.
Playing Moments:
*Playing moments basically means not rushing through a scene or monologue. One way to think about play moments is to play the punctuation in a sentence. When
reading we give a short pause when we come to a comma and a longer pause when we come to a period. Actors should do the same thing when saying a line. Use the
punctuation in the script as markers to pause.
*If you don’t pause when playing a scene you are NOT playing moments.
*Playing a moment sometimes means making some kind of noise that is not a word – like a grunt. moan, gasp, etc. I call this making human noise or verbal gestures –
anytime an actor can make a human noise adds to the scene.
Take a Risk:
*This means do something that is unique, something that no one else will do. Be Original!
*Don’t be afraid to go out on a limb and be silly or outlandish! - REMAIN IN CONTROL!Physical Acting:
*This is when the actor takes on the traits of their character. If a character is 90 years old the actors need to walk and move around as if they are 90 years old.
*Add gestures or specific body movements their character might have.
Blocking:
*Make sure the actor has a variety of moments in their performance BUT make sure all of the movements are motivated.
*Make sure nervous movements are eliminated.
*Make sure the actor takes strong moves (crosses) from one position on the stage to another.
*Don’t add in too many moves – only what seems natural for the character to do while saying whatever it is they are saying.
*Its okay to just simply sit the entire scene or monologue if it natural for the action of the monologue or scene.
*It may be necessary for actors to pantomime certain actions if there is not a prop.
*Make sure the actor does not turn his or her back to the audience.
*Make sure the actor does not turn profile to the audience.
Climax:
*Make sure the monologue or scene builds to a climax. This means the scene should slowly build. Do not start a scene off too powerful or you won’t have anywhere
to go.
Ending the Monologue or Scene:
*Make sure you monologue or scene ends with the climax and on a high note. Don’t let the scene fizzle out and end on a weak moment.
*Make sure the actors hold their place until the lights go down or the curtain closes all the way.
Breaking Character:
*Breaking Character is the worst thing you can do in theater; it’s like fumbling the football in the other team’s end zone.
*The best thing to do to avoid breaking character is MEMORIZING YOUR LINES.
*Don’t laugh, don’t stop, and don’t give the “deer in the headlights” look – your audience will know in a second if you do.
*Keep talking no matter how bad things get on stage, all actors adlib at some point. Actors need to be able to fool the audience when they make a mistake, but there is
no tricking them if you break character. If you keep talking many times you will get back on track in the scene (if you know your lines well enough).
*99% of the time the audience will not know the lines of the play so if an actor has to make up a few lines to save themselves the audience is likely to never know it.
DO IT WRONG, SELL IT WRONG!
Taking Stage
When you walk onto the stage or enter the room to do your monologue/scene, remember this - you are walking onto the "Set" of the previous actor's "Play", meaning
the monologue and/or scene they just performed. Now that actor may have been great or they may have been lousy…you have no way of knowing this.
*Make sure the actors resets the stage to their specifications. The worst thing an actor can do is use the last position of the chair or set from the actor before them. Even
if nothing is going to change the actor needs to pick up the chair and reset it even if it only moves a matter of inches.
*This is why it’s so critical for you to “Take Stage”. You must grab the focus of the audience.
To Sit or Not to Sit
At many auditions, the theatre will provide you with a chair for the performance of your monologue/scene and here is where the high jinx can start. If, when you walk
on stage, you see that a chair is there, remember it was part of the other actors' “Set” and you need to establish your “Set.” If you hadn’t planned on using the chair
anyway, get it out of there!
Using the chair tips:
*Does the action of the play need a chair to be used?
*Does it fill more natural for the actor to sit or stand or a combination of two? Find a moment in the monologue when it feels right for the actor to sit or stand.
*Find something unique for the actor to do with chair other than having them sit on it. What else can the chair be or represent?
*The actor can also sit on the floor or on the end of the stage with their feet hanging over the apron.