Auditioning
Arizona Essential Standards
     Demonstrate mental and physical attributes required to communicate characters
        different from themselves.
     Describe and compare responses to their own work and works by others.
     Explain and justify the meanings constructed from theirs and others’ (dramatic
        performances) - audition monologues and duo scenes.
Period - 45 minutes
Materials
     Gum
     Selected monologue and duo scene handouts:
        The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams
        This is a Test by Stephen Gregg
        The Adding Machine by Elmer L. Rice
        Lion in Winter by James Goldman
        Rosencrantz & Guildenstern are Dead by Tom Stoppard
        I cannot print the scenes here, so use your good judgement and choose two person
        scenes with some conflict, and keep it short.
Activity #1
Monologue- cold reading
     Choose a student to do a cold reading of a monologue by Tennessee Williams.  Include specific directions at the top of the monologue for the student to follow.  This will test their ability to take direction as well as challenge the class to recognize various undesirable actions, such as chewing gum, mumbling, etc.
Discussion
     Begin by letting the class know that the student has been given specific directions regarding the performance and that we are going to point out problems with the performance in a respectful manner.  Finding the problematic points is a tribute to the student’s ability to take direction.  Let the discussion begin.
Activity #2
Two person scenes
     Hand out scenes to partners. Give 2-3 minutes to read over scenes and get directions down.   Specific directions are at the top of the scene, choose a wide variety of bad audition behavior.   The leader will model a ‘blame followed by love’ tactic outlined in Michael Shurtleff’s book Audition.
 Discussion
     Same guidelines as stated earlier.  Ask students what was happening at the beginning of the scene.  Possible responses - they were drowning at first, one or both were not aware of each other.  Then discuss what tactics were used to save the scene, were they successful for one or both of the actors, etc.
Continue on with two person scenes.  Each scene will be followed by a discussion.  Students will try to identify problems, come up with solutions, and learn new tactics. Each scene deals with new tactics, problems, and possible solutions.
 This is a Test-
  What to do when a scene is dying, tanking, going nowhere, when your partner seems to
    have been recently lobotomized.
 The Adding Machine-
   Finding the positives, saying no to character limitations.
 The Lion in Winter -
   Finding humor in every situation, competitive humor, making the stakes high in every
   game, playing to win.
 Rosencrantz & Guildenstern are Dead -
   "I can’t believe this" humor of real life- transference into a scene, what are you fighting
    for, knowing what you ultimately want and having the determination to get it.

Discussions will deal with these concepts and many more.  Students will be asked to analyze behaviors and come up with alternatives.  Additionally, students will be exposed to the sometimes random nature of cast selection where the best actor doesn’t always get the part; but will hopefully come to realize that preparation always give you a memorable personal and professional edge. 
                                                                                        Designed by S.R.