Acting To Act- Meisner Audition Techniques

Mastering the craft of acting is a lifetime process that must include the mastery of an auditioning technique. Competition is fierce, auditions can be hard to get and even harder to master. A few practical tips can offer a sense of confidence about the process and help develop a successful auditioning technique. A deep auditioning skill set frees actors up to concentrate their energies on the most important thing, getting the role.

Resilient, brilliant actors don't just accept auditioning as a necessary evil. They look at every audition as an opportunity, not only to land that great role but, to act. To develop and delve into a character so deeply that it has layers of complexity the writer may not have even considered. Don't knock yourself out thinking about what the auditors are looking for. You might very well be wrong. Even if you've been told "what they are looking for" it's quite possible they don't really know what that is, until you show it to them. if you've done your best work, they will see something in your performance they might not have considered before but, that they love.

Forget trying to discover who's who or what their role is. Focus instead of being open, respectful to everyone. More importantly use your Meisner technique to good use and put yourself into their shoes. Remember that there is a whole lot riding on the choices they make. Before you get miffed that they are eating a sandwich or playing with their cell phones as you read, remember that they have probably been there many, many more hours seeing and hearing dozens of actors run the same lines over and over again. They have likely heard many less than stellar performances and as such have low expectations. Allowing yourself to be angry or frustrated will only block out the emotional channels that you will need to have wide open to access the emotional life of the character you are reading for. Better yet, get a quick read on where they are emotionally. Are they bored, discouraged, nervous? Tune into that and use it in the reading and you will draw them in, and bring them to a place where they are interacting with you rather than passively watching another flat performance.

There are different rules for different kinds of parts. The team of auditors will very depending on the type of role. For a national TV commercial expect the team to include ad agency executives and corporate executives. They have a strong vested interest in who will represent their product and company and therefore will have a lot of say. In a musical. a musical director and or choreographer will have a strong say. The safest way to approach these variances is with the assumption that every single person in the room, even the guy wearing a delivery cap, matters. You won't know who's who or who has the power so treat everyone with respect. Keep this as a solid rule in your audition techniques rule book. No director or producer wants someone that seems rude or hard to work with. No matter how stressed out, rude or uncaring an auditor seems-- they are under the gun to make a smart decision and you can help them best by being the ultimate professional.

A true auditioning technique is one that also includes a strategy to deal with the unexpected, especially as it relates to the auditors. Make a quick assessment of where they are positioned. Are they close? Far away? Hiding far back in the dark? In a sun drenched rehearsal room talking on their cells phones? The Meisner acting technique involves acquiring a full portfolio of emotional responses that can be called upon and used in an immediate way. An auditioning technique is similar in that you can build up a reservoir of useful techniques to put in play when the unexpected happens. Being loud enough to be heard, or soft enough to be effective. Stage voice, versus rehearsal room. What to do when the entire room is using the break to check their messages?

Be fluid, flexible and open to the unexpected. Improvisation is an excellent skill to master, because it can help with the uncertainty that is inherent in the process. But, also be aimful in what you do. There is an end goal to keep in mind and it's not about getting the part. It's about using a few pages in a few minutes to bring forth a fully developed character, in such a highly original way, that the team is inspired to give you the part. There is a distinct difference between the two. The faster an actor can recognize and develop the skills needed to achieve that second character development goal, the closer they will be to having an auditioning technique that brings results.