What you plan sounds very good.
To assist students at my school, several years ago we instituted "Monologue and/or Song Help" (for the musical in the spring they have to have both prepared) after school the Friday before auditions. I did not feel it wise to be involved directly with helping students choose monologues and/or songs for the auditions, or help them work on them. Instead, troupe officers run the session, helping students select a monologue from our various monologue books and audition song books (one for each voice range). They strongly suggest audition pieces be picked from a play or broadway musical, as apposed to a movie. They also coach the students on vocal and dramatic techniques, etc. They go over some basic audition tips. They have the students work on the piece for a bit, then present them in a practice "audition"where they learn how to slate (say their name, and their selection) and then present the piece. Afterward, the troupe members give tips and suggestions for improvement. It is up to the student to memorize the piece on their own over the weekend.
I am there in the background for assistance if needed (but basically to supervise). This has been a big help for our program, as more students are less intimidated by the audition process and more come tryout. Also, it becomes clear: 1. who is really interested enough to come to the session, 2. who can take direction well, and 3. then at auditions, who has worked on their own over the weekend to improve since the help session.
For me, I already lose many Saturdays for theatre related events, so this works better. Also, the students can easily attend, as they are already in school. It gives troupe officers another leadership job in the program, one of assisting others, and this also tends to help them with their own auditions.
I think it makes for a better program by providing audition help of some type. Good luck!
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Valerie Farschman, Drama Director
MLS Theatre Company, Troupe 1422
Marion L Steele High School
Amherst, Ohio
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Original Message:
Sent: 03-06-2019 07:18
From: Steven Slaughter
Subject: Audition Workshop?
Do any of you ever do preparatory workshops for shows you are about to audition. I've never done this before, but am thinking I want to for my next show. A lot of students come away from auditions wishing they had been better prepared, but if they are inexperienced, they really don't know how to prepare. I thought that offering an optional Saturday morning workshop might be helpful to them. I could offer a talk-through of the characters, maybe do some improve games and offer a primer lessons on monologues, characterization, monologue analysis, projection, diction, etc. They could even workshop the monologues they want to do a little bit, get feedback, try to improve them, etc.
I suspect that they would appreciate this, feeling like they had presented their best. And I suspect the quality of auditions would be better.
Just wondering if anyone does this as a practice.
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Steven Slaughter
English/Theatre
Rosslyn Academy
Nairobi, Kenya
"Be joyful, though you have considered all the facts." - W Berry
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