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  • 1.  Cold reading lessons

    Posted 02-06-2016 08:22

    Hi all,

    I usually do monologue work in my advanced class for teaching about auditions, but seeing as how so many auditions are cold readings these days, I am thinking of switching and/or adding that. What do you do? Monos? Cold readings? Both? anyone have any good ideas about effective ways to teach it? I have some creative ideas - having student "PA"'s read with them but varying their attitude (the giving reader, the bored reader, the bad reader) so they get some experience trying to act in any situation. Things like that, but would love any ideas anyone wants to share.

    Thanks,

    Jeff Davis

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    Jeffrey Davis
    Plainsboro NJ
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  • 2.  RE: Cold reading lessons

    Posted 02-06-2016 11:18

    Last year, I began to use a variety of audition styles because our high school and community theatres in our area were alternating audition expectations.

    Our fall show I have had cold-read auditions because it is the first of the year. I do have cold-read activities to prep my kiddos for the cold-read auditions.

     

    Next we are preparing our kiddos for UIL Monologues and duets festival, so I have my Theatre I select 2 monologues to prepare for the festival, but one they could use for UIL One Act Play auditions. My Select Theatre prepares 3 monologues- wonderful idea from TETA last year a monologue bible that the students could pull out at any time to practice as a warm-up or if there is extra time at the end of class, but also used for class instruction. One of the monologues though an excerpt from the One Act Play because I want to see their understanding of the character. I use "sides" of the One Act the students prepare to enhance duet work.

     

    *A side note- Our UIL One Act play will also have a degree of improvisational activities because the style in which the playwright suggests to rehearse-

    Aunt Leaf by Barbara Weichmann.

     

    Our Musical, we are back at cold-read auditions and we do prepare kiddos to learn a song their character sings in the show in addition to another song.

     

    I hope this is helpful. J

     

    Deanna E. Davvs

    HMS Theatre

     

    Strategic * Maximizer * Includer * Ideation * Arranger

     

    Haltom Middle School

    5000 Hires Lane

    Haltom City, Texas  76117

     

    deanna.davis@birdvilleschools.net

     

    Phone: (817) 547-4103

     

     



  • 3.  RE: Cold reading lessons

    Posted 02-08-2016 11:35

    I would definitely go with both. Actors should have a stock of at least half a dozen solidly prepared monologues once they begin marketing themselves, but cold reading auditions are also very common. Reading skill is a too-often neglected skill set. If you have time to spend on it, it will be worthwhile.

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    Josh Kauffman
    Teacher
    Winfield AL

    Original Message


  • 4.  RE: Cold reading lessons

    Posted 02-09-2016 09:00

    I agree with Josh--go with both! In my beginning class, I teach monologues & talk through audition types. We ready several small scripts & scenes in there, so I use those opportunities to give some advice on cold readings.

    In my advanced class, I add cold reading lessons as well as having my students create an acting resume.

    susan :)

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    Susan Nieten
    Theatre & English Teacher
    Noblesville High School
    @NHSTheatre @mrsnieten

    Original Message


  • 5.  RE: Cold reading lessons

    Posted 02-09-2016 10:42

    Absolutely both! In Chicago, at least, very few professional auditions I attended asked for monologues, they were almost always cold reads. 

    I would start by doing "semi-rehearsed" cold read auditions (where actors are given sides a week in advance). Students should read the play, do their character homework and get almost off-book. Then do a class exercise where they are paired randomly, with a couple of different partners if possible, to get a feel for doing the same scene with different folks. 

    Look Fors:

    • They know what's motivating the characters?
    • They are comfortable with all the words (did they look up tough words, or just stumble through?)
    • Do they know the script well enough to get their eyes off the page and interact with their scene partner?
    • Can they improvise blocking that make sense, or do they stand like a lump?
    • Is it clear that they have made specific choices about the character?
    • Are they working well with different partners - i.e. are they able to accept and incorporate their partners choices, are they relaxed enough to really hear and see what their partner is giving them. Cold readings can be quite dynamic!

    In the paired readings, then give them some direction and see how well they can incorporate director suggestions on the fly. 

    Next Step, true cold reads, where you have only 5-10 mins to look over a script. Generally, full scripts are available to read before such auditions, even for new plays, so you may make scripts available for reading ahead of time, they just won't know what scene to expect. 

    Look fors:

    • eyes off the page (we'd rather see an actor pause to find his line than spend the entire reading with his face buried)
    • strong character choice (even if a "wrong" one!)

    Again, give direction, and let them practice responding - the important thing here is that the actor is able to make a clear change, to show that he's trying to listen and incorporate, not just repeating the same read.

    Stress the importance of reading the side out loud before going into the audition - you MUST give your brain and mouth a chance to feel the words, to stumble, to find phrasing, pacing, breath and meaning. Reading silently is not enough, especially if you know you are not a strong reader. They may need some reminders about punctuation - what means what and to pay attention to it. So many young readers blow past commas and periods, but pause at the end of a line (the carriage return), rather than carrying on to the end of the sentence. 

    I like the idea of practicing with a reader as well. Sometimes readers are great, and give you a lot to work with, some are flat, so practice with both, finding that line between interacting/acting toward your reader, not freaking out that they aren't responding fully, and responding as if they were. :)

    Fun discussion and definitely helped me clarify ideas for my own class.

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    Ashley Bishop
    Director
    Birmingham AL

    Original Message


  • 6.  RE: Cold reading lessons

    Posted 02-09-2016 12:14

    I do a full unit on audition techniques and cold reads. By the end of their first year I expect my kids to have at least 4 pockets monologues and be working on classical pockets as well. We talk about how to choose contrasting monologues that work well together and show variety, and choosing pieces that showcase something that they could actually play onstage.

    For cold reads I will randomly spend days where the kids are handed a script and told to cold read it. We talk about common mistakes (covering faces, not reading the staging, making character choices of SOME nature, etc). The more experience they have the more comfortable they are. We also discuss every single cold read and critique them as we go so that the kids are engaged and they are more likely to apply notes to themselves after saying them to someone else.

    A fun thing I do (for me anyway) is give a fake audition. I'll put a fake notice up (one for a musical and one for a straight) with character information, dates, etc and actually "audition" the kids. They have to fill out an audition form and I take real notes on what I see (I use contrasting monologues/monologue and 16 bars for this part). When they come back to class i have a Callback list up. I have written sides for these fake plays and the kids have to cold read for Callbacks. I finish with a Cast List. My kids think it's terrifying (I'm not nice during this process) but all acknowledge that they feel more confident after it's over. I intentionally try to make them as scared and uncomfortable as possible. After all, if they can survive me then there's nothing to be afraid of.   ;^)

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    Shira Schwartz
    Chandler Unified School District
    Chandler AZ

    Original Message


  • 7.  RE: Cold reading lessons

    Posted 02-09-2016 14:28

    I'll add, too, that in my professional acting (pre-teaching) experience, I encountered two types of cold reading auditions: 

    1) The 'prepared' cold reading, when the actor is given a few minutes to review the piece before presenting to the casting panel.

    2) The "ice cold" reading, in which the actor sees the side for the first time after entering the audition room, and told to "just go for it."

    My personal preference is the ice-cold variety, as the 'prep time' usually only gets the actors deeper 'in their heads' rather than letting them be free with the text. But since both are fairly common out there, I'd get the students some training and practice in both kinds of cold reads.

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    Josh Kauffman
    Teacher
    Winfield AL

    Original Message