Auditor UGA Pet Peeves

[Keith Dahlgren]

Okay, Karen...

I re-read the pet peeves, and I still maintain that (to me, okay?) many of them sound minor and petulant.  Not to say that none of them are useful...of course not. But "by William Shakespeare...duh" and "silly noises" and "singing out of tune" and "bad taste in clothing" and "I will be performing the role of...no, you are performing a monologue not an entire role" and "not looking in a mirror at what they're wearing" and "Taking a big breath before they start" and "Please do not writhe on the floor touching yourself"...these are kinda silly.

Your suggestion that they make solid deliberate intentional choices is worth ten of these.  Of course, if you make what you think is a solid intentional choice, chances are high that some auditor or other will think to themselves,"That was a dumb choice," so you can't please everyone.

I am absolutely sure that all the auditors are wonderful people...I am acquainted with many of them and certainly like and respect them. It's an exhausting job to sit through so many days and so many auditions.  No need to defend their honor.  The TPS UGAs are one of the most valuable events TPS hosts, and it gives a lot of people a lot of chances to see and be seen.  No argument there. You know how much I believe in TPS and its programming.

I just objected (slightly) to the tone of some of the comments. Tone that's inherent in the choice of words. I don't agree that it's not useful. As an actor, I don't like to work with people who snort behind their hands at an honest attempt at an audition (my exaggeration.) Mine or anyone else's.

And the repeated pieces...I got no problem with seeing the same piece over and over again.  Just because the auditor is bored doesn't mean a good piece should be ejected from someone's repertory.  THEY don't know six other people did it already today...maybe theirs is wonderful and unique to them.  Watch! Does it do its job?  That's what you gotta look at, not,"oh, god, here's Helena again from midsummer! Can't they think of something else?!"  The list of pieces for men and women to avoid is pretty long. And, hey, don't write your own!

And sorry about the 'written me off' thing.  It was supposed to be a joke.  I just don't like to use smiley faces.  Maybe I should get over it.

Okay, enough. Just discussion.  My Humble Opinion (tm).

[Sulo Turner]

Very interesting thread, folks. I have done the UGAs both as actor and now auditor in Feb. It gave me lots of perspective about auditioning for them in the future. Here are my suggestions which have lots of overlap with Karen and others:

1. Sing a song in your range, sing well, or don't sing. If you're not sure you can sing, definitely don't.

2. Avoid Shakespeare unless its your passion and has been your study.

3. Time yourself to 1:40. Finish early. 20 seconds is way plenty time for auditor reaction. You don't have to sing 16 bars. Sing 12 really good bars. Or 10.

4. Don't select materials for the purpose of eliciting auditors' reactions. Aim for auditors' silence. It's not a performance, it's an audition to show your perception and skill. We all groove on audience reaction, but dare to drop the whistles and bells and really be seen.

5. Be professional, succinct and friendly in your intro. Be (or at least seem) happy to be there! Definitely no big breaths before starting.

6. Act and sing to the room, not just one part, and don't overfocus on a single auditor. Occasional eye contact is good. Don't sweat the auditors who keep busy during your audition, not looking up. They're also great focal points.

7. Don't aim for of being the 'audition they all remember.' They're seeing six zillion. Use your 1:40 wisely and leave them time to make notes on your resume before the next audition starts. They'll appreciate the extra 20 seconds. End with "Thank you," leaving efficiently, professionally and with no final messages or greetings.

8. Have a good, honest, CURRENT head shot. Reconsider the glamour shot for a shot that really looks like you. After your 1:40 is over, this photo represents you to potential casters.

9. No trancendance necessary. Think of it as an interview. Don't get too kooky. Be your age and type.

10. Enjoy the electric buzz of the auditioners' rooms. Be supportive and friendly to your fellow actor/singers. Smile and appreciate. The UGAS are a great resource for us. The UGAS are a great place to be seen.

Sulo Turner

[Karen Lane]

Sulo - Thanks for your willingness to put your name on input and give perspective from having been on both sides.

Keith:
"many of them sound minor and petulant.  Not to say that none of them are useful...of course not. But "by William Shakespeare...duh" and "silly noises" and "singing out of tune" and "bad taste in clothing" and "I will be performing the role of...no, you are performing a monologue not an entire role" and "not looking in a mirror at what they're wearing" and "Taking a big breath before they start" and "Please do not writhe on the floor touching yourself"...these are kinda silly."

Well - petulant - perhaps that has something to do with the way I chose to 'frame' the question. It was called 'pet peeves'. My bad, I'll re-frame that next time and see if a different tone of phrasing the question illicits a different tone in response. :-)

You're right - the ones you list (except in my personal opinion 'writhing on the floor' and 'singing out of tune',  I would call 'snarky' and pretty much dismiss. I recall actually considering deleting the Shakespeare - duh comment and then changed my mind in favor of full transparency. I try to stay out of the way as much as possible and not interpret - I know hard to beleive - but perhaps there is a better middle ground that I can find to facilitate this conversation.

Back to full humility and in service - Karen

[Keith Dahlgren]

Karen: 

What, because you're working for a service org you can't have an opinion?!  Okay, I know...you have to be politic.  For what it's worth, you can call cow manure on me anytime you want to...everyone else does. Your full humility should not be at the cost of your passion.

Yes, I suppose the framing of the question begged the response.  But snarky is a good word.  Again, I found Mark's list from Jon Jory and Sulo's simple list much more civilized, restrained, straighforward and useful (no judgement on your posting the list...)  I don't necessarily agree with all of those either. I think the auditions would be pretty boring if no one made the auditors laugh, or attempted something interesting. It's NOT an interview. That's something else.  It's an audition.

Again, My Humble (unwarranted, unasked for and likely unwanted) Opinion (tm)

[Kelly Balch]

I completely understand Karen's desire to post these, and they are certainly useful, and thanks, also, to Sulo for his perspective.  But I am left with a really oogy feeling that I haven't been able to shake since this was posted yesterday.  I really try to view the auditor/actor relationship with respect and even a touch of friendliness, though I know we are each there to do a job.  Now I just feel really odd.

[Karen Lane]

Kelly,
Can you talk more about that if you are comfortable? Is it a feeling of 'loss of safety' because the 4th wall so to speak has 'come down'?
Karen

[Shane Regan!]

machelle - when there's an actor on immediately after you and immediately before you, when you're performing and the 10 seconds before/after you are on is probably the only time they can look!  i don't think they're being rude.  i think it's just a good chance for them to get acquainted.

also, while i can agree some of these comments are "snarky", it seems debating the right/wrong of these comments is fairly ineffective.  they may be "wrong" but they are definitely thoughts the actual auditors had when we auditioned.  even if it's unjustified, it was only because they didn't get coffee that morning, or the snack tray was lacking (i doubt that one!) or whatever, the auditors definitely felt perturbed enough to comment on it for future reference.  that doesn't mean it has to be followed.  as we've learned in this thread, there are auditors (and an actor) who want to see an overused monologue piece while writhing on the floor while wearing a short skirt and a mumbled slate. 

[Betsy Schwartz]

Long time lurker, first time poster here...what an interesting conversation! I personally did not take part in this round of UGAs, but I have participated as an auditionee in past years.

 The thing that strikes me about a lot of the comments made by auditors are that they are exactly what Karen presented them as: pet peeves. While I think a lot of the comments had very useful information to impart, some of them just seem to be about a particular person's preference for how they'd like to see things done or not done. While that's completely their right, and they may have a good reason for feeling the way they do, it doesn't mean we as actors have to take all of them to heart.
 
Things like doing/not doing Shakespeare, doing/not doing certain pieces, how exactly you word your "slate"- I don't know- they just seem like personal preferences when you get down to it. General Auditions can be stressful enough without having to obsess about trying to achieve the impossible which is- pleasing every single person in the room. I say, if it sounds like a good suggestion- try it. If not, take it with a grain of salt.

[Anne Hitt]

So I just read the whole thread in one sitting, and I think it might have been easier if I broke it up.  At times, I felt discouraged because it seemed like there was nothing and auditioner could do right.  It's hard to know if the piece you are doing is overdone or not for you.  Yes, I'm young and don't have as much experience as some, but when I started acting and auditioning, it was because I loved the piece and felt connected to it and it brought out a light in me.  I was excited to show off something I put hours and hours of work into.  Now I feel more and more like a monkey you give a quarter to for it to dance.  I'm afraid of showing my work because it will be someone's pet peeve.  I know these are just peoples' opinions, but words are powerful.  I love acting and will continue to put hard work into becoming better, I'm just a little discouraged at the moment.

[Dorothy Lemoult]

Well, now that everyone has spoken back and forth , I can't resist.  Though I have not been viewer or auditionner in the UGA's in a year and a half. 

It saddens me a bit to see so much opposition between actors and directors. on this thread.

Though Mark Jared is a breath of fresh air and basically said a lot of what I was thinking !

I don't want to get into the i agree with this point and i don't agree with that point.
I consider  myself as much an actor as a director as a writer and I am lucky enough that I have been able to switch roles . Therefore I am not on anyone's side and I find great pleasure in doing all three because they are all theatre. And what I do , I do for theatre and my love for it.

I want to disclaim that I am not attacking or judging anyone here or in our community. I believe that most people in the world do the best they can and if they had the awareness , many would do things differently.

That said ,  I mostly think that auditioning actors with monologues is not an effective way to tell if someone is a good actor or  not.
The only thing it tells you is just that : they can do a monologue.
It allows you to look at the actor and let's face it, you will know within 30 seconds whether you are interested in calling them back or not. Or whether they match the physicality you are looking for or not. 

Perhaps I am just saying that because I feel that my audition skills are poor.  And though it is a skill I have been working on and trying to feel more at ease with, I can honestly say that I know for  a fact that my 2 mns talking to a "wall"  only give justice to about 40 percent of what I am capable of doing once I am engaged in a rehearsal process with real people.
And you can tell me that my job is to make that wall real, it is still a wall and theatre is still about people and listening. How can you judge my listening in a monologue audition ? Especially when I have to go in , introduce myself, do my piece and say thank you and goodbye in just a few minutes time ?
How is that relevant to an art form which is based on collaboration ?

Monologue auditions set the actor up for failure.
They put the director in a position of extreme status and it is quite often obvious that even directors are uncomfortable with the setting.

While I understand that few people have come up with a better way to see a large amount of actors in a short amount of time, I find it interesting that the set up of the  monologue audition is not questionned more often. So what if it has been done for years and years ?

So just my $0.02 on that...

I'll come back later with another response on what I think directors can do to make the monologue audition more agreable for actors.   

[Shane Regan!]

Also, I don't think most of these comments were made in a seriously annoyed-please-don't-let-this-happen-ever manner.  The auditors were asked "what could be improved about the auditions?" and they answered, to the best of their ability, what they thought needed the most improvement generally.  Each comment seperate from the rest is nice to know.  Perhaps it's just the sheer enormity of miniscule nitpicky comments that gets us all going?

[Stewart Hawk]

As someone who has attended all of the TPS UGA's I still get a feeling of awe and excitement when an actor comes in a blows me away with their talent.  It is always those individuals who take pride in their all aspects of their craft.  They have done their homework on "all levels".  Their care, preparation and execution of their audition, sets them apart from the other people auditioning.

You have to realize that we "want" you to succeed.  We are there to support you, not tear you down.  How does that help either of us.

Ann said, I'm afraid of showing my work because it will be someone's pet peeve.

Hey that is their problem not yours.  Do your homework, prepare, have a clear resume, dress well, have a smile on your face, and the rest of it will take care of itself.  I can guarantee you if you command the space and rivet my attention in the first 10 seconds, I will not be looking at your resume until you are done.

Another thing you might not be aware of is that we all talk to each other and will speak up if someone is off their game on that particular day at that particular time to let others know that you are better than the preceding moment.

Despite the appearance of the unintended negativity of the lists, take them as a gift.  Separate the shaft from the wheat and use that kernel of knowledge to give yourself an added advantage for the next time.

[Dorothy Lemoult]

Nice comment Stewart !

[Keith Dahlgren]

...Except it's chaff from the wheat. 

Chaff (n.) Botany. Thin dry bracts or scales, especially:
The dry bracts enclosing mature grains of wheat and some other cereal grasses, removed during threshing.

Sorry...hadda be a wiseass.

Keith (ex-librarian) Dahlgren

(spelling  and word usage is a pet peeve of mine)

...waiting for the karma to hit...

[J. Michael Salas]

Having auditioned twice for TPS and then getting to sit in and watch some of this last round, I would like to echo what Stewart said and really empasize that the auditors want to be on the actors team so much. One of the things that I noticed is that many actors that had resumes from other city's (like New York), were much more refined, confident and outright prepared. I learned that when an actor first comes out onto that stage, the auditor wants nothing more than for that actor to have an amazing audition. Unfortunately, I found that many and dare I say most of the actors from Seattle at the audition shouldn't have sung when they did, tried all kinds of gimmicks that were not necessary to show the actors true talent, and a very large number of actors ran over time which from the auditors point of view is not only disrespectful but shows the actor is unprepared. This list, whatever tone it may be presented in is a huge gift that I think the actors in this area should take as a ... we see these things all the time, and we want you to succeed list.