Thoughts on Auditions
Dec. 20th, 2007 08:12 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
bethlakshmiThis one has been stewing for a while, and I thought would indulge myself with a little holiday blathering. I'm sure lots of very smart and experienced people have already written this stuff down, but since this is my blog, maybe I get to say it all over again.
The topic of the day is auditions. In the last year or so, I've had the opportunity to be the interviewer for both engineering interviews and auditions. I've also been the interviewee more times than I care to think about, and have participated in a few dance and theater auditions here and there. Lately, I've been struck by the significant differences in corporate engineering interviews versus small troupe auditions.
My biggest takeaway is that:
A - big company's can afford to reject a much greater % of candidates both because they already have a large headcount, and because the demand for jobs is much higher.
B - small troupes can be more accomodating because their members can fluctuate more and because there is no formal process to preparing for a career in the arts, so there really is no default genre for a candidate.
That said, I wanted to ponder a bit on tips for auditioning... I was taught how to audition in high school when I was involved in a soup to nuts summer acting program. I'm rather amazed that most of the common sense I learned then, and seemed to have carried with me has not been so obvious to many of the folks I've met in auditions. (Disclaimer: this is not a single candidate - I doubt that any of them read this blog - but figure that, like Dilbert - each of these is probably more than one candidate)
1 - Know the context of the audition. If the troupe is already actively performing, go see a show. Chances are, whatever they are doing now will be similar to what they want you to do. If what you do it noticeably different, you may be able to sell them on the idea of your differentness, but be prepared to really sell it. Things to look for:
- show content - are they doing things you are skilled at? If not, is it something you want to learn to do?
- style - are they wearing costumes you want to wear? Performing a era, genre, aestetic style you like or admire? Do they present themselves in the way you would like to present yourself?
- venue - is the venue someplace you would feel comfortable? You don't have to want to frequent the theater/nightclub/bar/party/etc, but if you wouldn't be caught dead there, this is a bad idea.
- logistics - Even if you love the venue, will the logistics work for you? Are the venues too far from home? too late at night?
If possible, also try to get a glimpse as to what unseen work the performers take on? For example, many Burlesque performers make and manage their own costumes, do their own choreography, and have a big say in their own theater tech. If you were expecting a full crew to take care of all this for you, this is probably not the genre for you.
While you don't have to have an eager YES to every answer, if you have a resounding NO to any of them, it's something to mention before the audition. And if you have a resounding NO to three or more, this is probably not worth wasting your time on.
If step 1 is too expensive for your meager artist's budget, volunteer to help at the show. You'll get to meet future coworkers, earn some brownie points and get a great view of how things really work - and a free show! This is one thing where performing arts give a big win over corporate life - you NEVER get to see behind the curtain in an engineering job. Imagine trying to say "how about I do you unit tests for free before the interview?".
2. Ask some questions. Anyone who asks questions before even walking in the door for the audition gets major points, so long as they are the right questions. Some of the right questions are:
- what is the time commitment of this organization? Both in rehearsals and in individual practice. And what nights should be dedicated to both practice and performance? If there are rehearsals, where are rehearsals held (and can you get there? that's one for you, personally)
- what are the number of performances and how do they cluster? By cluster I mean - do they typically do a run of shows for a month? or do they do ad hoc shows here and there? What is the level of material reuse and repetition?
- what does an audition consist of? A typical theater audition usually involves a prepared peice, and there may be additional requirements on the content of the peice. You may also be asked to do an ad hoc reading, or learn a choreography segment right there and then.
- when can I audition? - you don't need to be slavishly ready to shove aside all parts of your life to audition. But if the first three target dates are not available, the director will start to wonder if you really have time to participate. Instead, win the game by suggesting at least three date ranges of several hours each that work for you. Then the director can feel like a shmuck when none of your dates work for the troupe. Word to the wise, if you offer dates, don't overbook them until at least 48 hours after making the offer. And if all days a week away are already booked, wait until a change in life allows you a more flexible schedule.
Alot of this is understood on a regular engineering interview, but we still ask questions like "how does flex time work?", "what notice is required for time off?", "how much vacation time do I get?". Just a different version of the same idea.
3. At the audition - be on time. I can't say it enough. Be. On. Time. There's a billion reasons for this, but here's a few:
- being late makes it look like you don't care, especially if you don't call.
- being late because you're lost makes you look not very smart and not good at planning ahead. If you really care, and if you are really nervous about the route, go ahead of time and scope the layout.
- a performing arts troupe needs to be timely for their customers - shows need to open on time, and private shows must start within the time negotiated with the customer. If you are late to the audition, you immediately cast suspicion on your ability to be on time to paying gigs. If one person looks bad, the whole troupe looks bad.
- wasting your potential employer's time is simply rude
4. Be prepared. Have a packing list, pack ahead of time, have a plan for getting into and out of any costuming/dance clothing. Most of all, don't come in scattered. We all have nerves, and sadly they won't go away after you get the job - you want to prove that you can handle performance anxiety. This isn't a job where you get to hide in a corner. If possible, come dressed appropos for your character, even you have a secondary dance costume. At the very least, come dressed sharp - clean, neat clothes, no messy hair, etc. A business suit is excessive, but a trendy business casual is great.
5. Perform something as close to the style as you can manage. Particularly a small troupe does not expect perfection - but try to hit key elements of the performances you saw in step 1. If you've chosen a radical difference, be ready to explain why. Not having bothered with step 1 is not a good reason.
6. The group learning experience - I don't know anything about a really big troupe, but in a small troupe, it's quite alright to ask questions when you are learning the sample choreography. Keep it focused on how to do the steps. But speaking as a choreographer - it is key that I have dancers who will ask questions to clarify things they don't understand. It is much better to have you self correct than to have to pick out what you did wrong. But... all things in moderation. 2-3 questions per sequence is a hard max. More than that, and some key part of understanding has gone really wrong. And listen first, ask second. If I just explained it, don't ask.
7. Be ready to clearly answer questions. With a troupe, questions may be a bit more personal than work. Since the hours are erratic and the vibe of the troupe makes a big difference in how well we perform, it's necessary to make sure that our new members will be a good fit.
8. Ask questions. That, too earns points. There's always the responsive questions - asking about what the interviewer talks about. But here's a few generic questions that are a good idea during or after the interview:
- Do you have any feed back for me? -- this is a harsh one, as you may get honesty, not kindness. But if you're serious about a career in the arts, learn to take clear, directoral criticism. And learn to take it politely.
- What is average pay for a gig? How many gigs can I expect per month? How about at first, versus after being here a while? chances are, new dancers don't get as many gigs, as they are just learning.
- What is the learning curve? How long before I'm a fully trained troupe member?
- What are my costs? Travel and food, probably. How about costuming? Do you costume yourself, and what are the expectations? Will you need theater makeup (that can cost serious dough)? character shoes?
9. Say thank you.
10. If you don't hear in 5 days, write a mail. The director may be slammed, it may not be your fault. And writing a polite, professional, "thank you" sort of email may be the right reminder. And do the "if there is anything else I can answer for you" question - so if they were having doubts, they may feel ready to get clarification.
What rather amazes me is the vast difference in communication between corporate candidates and arts candidates. Alot if this is par for the course in any generic interview technique book you'll read and yet much of it is not something I see employed in auditions.
The topic of the day is auditions. In the last year or so, I've had the opportunity to be the interviewer for both engineering interviews and auditions. I've also been the interviewee more times than I care to think about, and have participated in a few dance and theater auditions here and there. Lately, I've been struck by the significant differences in corporate engineering interviews versus small troupe auditions.
My biggest takeaway is that:
A - big company's can afford to reject a much greater % of candidates both because they already have a large headcount, and because the demand for jobs is much higher.
B - small troupes can be more accomodating because their members can fluctuate more and because there is no formal process to preparing for a career in the arts, so there really is no default genre for a candidate.
That said, I wanted to ponder a bit on tips for auditioning... I was taught how to audition in high school when I was involved in a soup to nuts summer acting program. I'm rather amazed that most of the common sense I learned then, and seemed to have carried with me has not been so obvious to many of the folks I've met in auditions. (Disclaimer: this is not a single candidate - I doubt that any of them read this blog - but figure that, like Dilbert - each of these is probably more than one candidate)
1 - Know the context of the audition. If the troupe is already actively performing, go see a show. Chances are, whatever they are doing now will be similar to what they want you to do. If what you do it noticeably different, you may be able to sell them on the idea of your differentness, but be prepared to really sell it. Things to look for:
- show content - are they doing things you are skilled at? If not, is it something you want to learn to do?
- style - are they wearing costumes you want to wear? Performing a era, genre, aestetic style you like or admire? Do they present themselves in the way you would like to present yourself?
- venue - is the venue someplace you would feel comfortable? You don't have to want to frequent the theater/nightclub/bar/party/etc, but if you wouldn't be caught dead there, this is a bad idea.
- logistics - Even if you love the venue, will the logistics work for you? Are the venues too far from home? too late at night?
If possible, also try to get a glimpse as to what unseen work the performers take on? For example, many Burlesque performers make and manage their own costumes, do their own choreography, and have a big say in their own theater tech. If you were expecting a full crew to take care of all this for you, this is probably not the genre for you.
While you don't have to have an eager YES to every answer, if you have a resounding NO to any of them, it's something to mention before the audition. And if you have a resounding NO to three or more, this is probably not worth wasting your time on.
If step 1 is too expensive for your meager artist's budget, volunteer to help at the show. You'll get to meet future coworkers, earn some brownie points and get a great view of how things really work - and a free show! This is one thing where performing arts give a big win over corporate life - you NEVER get to see behind the curtain in an engineering job. Imagine trying to say "how about I do you unit tests for free before the interview?".
2. Ask some questions. Anyone who asks questions before even walking in the door for the audition gets major points, so long as they are the right questions. Some of the right questions are:
- what is the time commitment of this organization? Both in rehearsals and in individual practice. And what nights should be dedicated to both practice and performance? If there are rehearsals, where are rehearsals held (and can you get there? that's one for you, personally)
- what are the number of performances and how do they cluster? By cluster I mean - do they typically do a run of shows for a month? or do they do ad hoc shows here and there? What is the level of material reuse and repetition?
- what does an audition consist of? A typical theater audition usually involves a prepared peice, and there may be additional requirements on the content of the peice. You may also be asked to do an ad hoc reading, or learn a choreography segment right there and then.
- when can I audition? - you don't need to be slavishly ready to shove aside all parts of your life to audition. But if the first three target dates are not available, the director will start to wonder if you really have time to participate. Instead, win the game by suggesting at least three date ranges of several hours each that work for you. Then the director can feel like a shmuck when none of your dates work for the troupe. Word to the wise, if you offer dates, don't overbook them until at least 48 hours after making the offer. And if all days a week away are already booked, wait until a change in life allows you a more flexible schedule.
Alot of this is understood on a regular engineering interview, but we still ask questions like "how does flex time work?", "what notice is required for time off?", "how much vacation time do I get?". Just a different version of the same idea.
3. At the audition - be on time. I can't say it enough. Be. On. Time. There's a billion reasons for this, but here's a few:
- being late makes it look like you don't care, especially if you don't call.
- being late because you're lost makes you look not very smart and not good at planning ahead. If you really care, and if you are really nervous about the route, go ahead of time and scope the layout.
- a performing arts troupe needs to be timely for their customers - shows need to open on time, and private shows must start within the time negotiated with the customer. If you are late to the audition, you immediately cast suspicion on your ability to be on time to paying gigs. If one person looks bad, the whole troupe looks bad.
- wasting your potential employer's time is simply rude
4. Be prepared. Have a packing list, pack ahead of time, have a plan for getting into and out of any costuming/dance clothing. Most of all, don't come in scattered. We all have nerves, and sadly they won't go away after you get the job - you want to prove that you can handle performance anxiety. This isn't a job where you get to hide in a corner. If possible, come dressed appropos for your character, even you have a secondary dance costume. At the very least, come dressed sharp - clean, neat clothes, no messy hair, etc. A business suit is excessive, but a trendy business casual is great.
5. Perform something as close to the style as you can manage. Particularly a small troupe does not expect perfection - but try to hit key elements of the performances you saw in step 1. If you've chosen a radical difference, be ready to explain why. Not having bothered with step 1 is not a good reason.
6. The group learning experience - I don't know anything about a really big troupe, but in a small troupe, it's quite alright to ask questions when you are learning the sample choreography. Keep it focused on how to do the steps. But speaking as a choreographer - it is key that I have dancers who will ask questions to clarify things they don't understand. It is much better to have you self correct than to have to pick out what you did wrong. But... all things in moderation. 2-3 questions per sequence is a hard max. More than that, and some key part of understanding has gone really wrong. And listen first, ask second. If I just explained it, don't ask.
7. Be ready to clearly answer questions. With a troupe, questions may be a bit more personal than work. Since the hours are erratic and the vibe of the troupe makes a big difference in how well we perform, it's necessary to make sure that our new members will be a good fit.
8. Ask questions. That, too earns points. There's always the responsive questions - asking about what the interviewer talks about. But here's a few generic questions that are a good idea during or after the interview:
- Do you have any feed back for me? -- this is a harsh one, as you may get honesty, not kindness. But if you're serious about a career in the arts, learn to take clear, directoral criticism. And learn to take it politely.
- What is average pay for a gig? How many gigs can I expect per month? How about at first, versus after being here a while? chances are, new dancers don't get as many gigs, as they are just learning.
- What is the learning curve? How long before I'm a fully trained troupe member?
- What are my costs? Travel and food, probably. How about costuming? Do you costume yourself, and what are the expectations? Will you need theater makeup (that can cost serious dough)? character shoes?
9. Say thank you.
10. If you don't hear in 5 days, write a mail. The director may be slammed, it may not be your fault. And writing a polite, professional, "thank you" sort of email may be the right reminder. And do the "if there is anything else I can answer for you" question - so if they were having doubts, they may feel ready to get clarification.
What rather amazes me is the vast difference in communication between corporate candidates and arts candidates. Alot if this is par for the course in any generic interview technique book you'll read and yet much of it is not something I see employed in auditions.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2007-12-21 03:35 am (UTC)a) beat it into shape for a permanent page on our website
b) beat it into an article for some performing arts magazine
c) turn it into a class "How to Audition"
d) All of the above.
no subject
Date: 2007-12-21 02:39 pm (UTC)This falls into the broad issue that "artsy" and "organized/professional" are rarely found in the same person. I know soooo many people with suuuch cool talents, but are they organized enough to market or regularly perform those skills? No! There's about 3 or 4 out of at least 100.
no subject
Date: 2008-01-01 12:07 am (UTC)A - "organized/professional" people usually decide to pursue careers that pay more reliably and have a better chance of paying better - even if they aren't as fun as a performing arts career would be.
B - we don't demand it of our creative professionals. Contracts are less standardized, pay mechanisms vary widely, and the benefits are completely irregular - so performered are not asked for reliable and consistent behavior, nor are they given reliable and consistent rewards.
I'd bet the fact that the line between hobby and profession is blurry doesn't help...
Good points
Date: 2007-12-21 02:48 pm (UTC)- Have your calender of events/obligations with you to let the troupe/manager know your availability and any major conflicts, like performance dates. It sucks to cast someone and _then_ learn that they need to miss a dress rehearsal because or Uncle Morty's 50th birthday.
Point 8 is something I still need to remember... Questions at the audition can be intimidating. Thanks
Re: Good points
Date: 2007-12-31 10:08 pm (UTC)Re: Good points
Date: 2008-01-01 12:03 am (UTC)