avoid predictability during your acting audition

There is a famous saying "familiarity breeds contempt" and this is certainly true when it comes to the acting audition. In New York, you don't have to go far to see an actor trying desperately to memorize all of their lines before an audition. In reality, however, focusing too much on the words themselves can be a big mistake.

Why? Because creating a role that people will remember has nothing to do with the memorization of lines. It's the meaning, the context and the humanity that they are trying to convey that matters. The fastest way to begin improving acting auditions is to read dialogue you have been given and then treat them as mere clues. The lines are a mere piece of the puzzle while the character's emotions, feelings, conflicts, and needs lay beneath the words and are waiting to be discovered and portrayed.



Once you have uncovered the back story and personality of a character, you can truly begin to create a meaningful performance. In the end, it doesn't matter if you are right or wrong about how the story ends. The only thing matters that your delivery of the character. Is it powerful? Sincere? Is it unexpected? Is it moving toward the end you created with an undercurrent of energy and passion? It's far better to be wrong about how the story turns out, than to be boring.

Your job as an actor during an acting audition is to deliver the lines yes, but as a character that goes deeper than the words the writer has used. The resulting performance and delivery could very well exceed even the expectations of the director. Employing these techniques, your acting auditions will truly stand out.

How can this be accomplished? The mind is a terrible thing to waste. Don't waste your mind and time concentrating too much on lines. The auditors are NOT searching for the actor with the best memorization skills. They will instead be looking for an actor who can take the words and situations in the script and use them to infuse the character with spirit and life. Even if your audition only consists of a few lines or pages, there is still plenty of room for you to create a very real story.
Make some assumptions or make something up. With the help of the words in the script, you can draw assumptions about the character and the life they lead. Don't get hung up on interpreting the character correctly and, instead, put your energy into creating a real person to which the audience can relate.

Use your mind and energy to develop a life and spirit for the character you are called upon to portray. This will help you to take your acting audition to the next level.

The Maggie Flaningan studio trains serious actors dedicated to their craft. Find out more about preparing for auditions at the studio website about two year acting programs.