24 July 2024
With over twenty years of experience as a director in professional theatre and on audition panels, Luke Rogers has sat through a LOT of auditions… So what are his top tips for landing the part?
Find a monologue that is active.
In my Auditions and Monologues Masterclass, the big focus for the first session is finding a monologue that will showcase your unique qualities as an actor (see some more detailed advice on hunting down monologues in a previous blog post here). But irrespective of the role or genre, try to find a monologue where the character has some kind of problem, predicament, or struggle: something urgent that we see play out in that moment. I advocate for ones where there is a clear moment of change within, so we can see you actively change objectives or tactics.
Many monologues in plays involve a character wistfully telling a story about a life-changing incident in their past, and what it made them realise about themselves. And no matter how good your performance is, if your audience hasn’t been on the whole journey of the play with that character (which, in the bite-size format of an audition, they haven’t), these monologues can be challening to connect with, and in performance, can easily fall into a passive, sentimental tone. I wouldn’t rule those kinds of monologues out entirely, but they tend to be less effective in the context of an audition, where you want to ‘hook’ your audience in, and fuel your performance with high-stakes, in-the-moment circumstances.
Perform your monologue in front of someone – even if it’s just your dog!
It’s a lesson I keep re-learning: no matter how well I’ve learned a monologue, it’s always a whole other ball game when you have to do it in front of someone. Facing down the awkward cringe of acting your heart out in front of someone you trust, is surprisingly good practice for the awkward cringe of acting your heart out in a big empty room for an audition panel. If you can borrow an actor-friend to be your audience, so much the better – you can return the favour the next time they have an audition! If you’re feeling a bit vulnerable, you can even request that they offer no opinions whatsoever, and just sit there, and be a squishy human target for your brilliance.
Don’t eyeball the Director / Casting Agent / Audition Panel.
Not the whole time, anyway. In an effort to connect with the person who’s going to decide whether or not you get this role, it can be tempting to ‘give’ your whole performance directly to them. There’s nothing wrong with that, but when audition tension creeps in, it can result in a fixed stare that doesn’t ‘invite them in’. Plus, they’re guaranteed to be the worst scene partner you’ve ever had – they’re watching you very attentively, but that means they probably won’t be very responsive, and will likely just sit there, stoney-faced, as if their heart has long since forgotten what it is to feel anything – even IF they thought you were amazing! Practice bringing your eye-line up, out, and into the space, and if you have moments of eye contact with your audience, use them sparingly to create impactful moments.
Move!
You don’t need elaborate staging, but it amazes me how many actors perform audition monologues ‘from the neck up’: fixed on the spot, arms by their side (or folded!), and squirming with stifled impulses, straining to be released! When you’re rehearsing your monologue, improvise with big gestures and dramatic staging choices (sit down, stand up, walk around, drop to your knees, tear your hair out!), and as you go, you can refine them, and keep the ones that feel right. Bit by bit, you can create a structure for your very own little one-person-show. It’s better to be bold, memorable, and commit to some choices, even at the risk of appearing ridiculous, than to be afraid of trying something: when it comes to auditions, it’s better to live one day as a lion, than a hundred years as a sheep! If nothing else, making staging choices shows that you’ve put some thought and creativity into your monologue – qualities that every Director looks for.
Let’s face it, auditions suck. But although you may not get the part you want, if you make a good impression, unexpected opportunities may come of it in the future.
Luke’s two-part Audition and Monologues Masterclass runs Wednesday 14 & 28 August, 6:30pm – 9pm each evening. If you have ambitions to audition for drama school, or just want to get audition-ready for your next big part, this masterclass with one of Canberra’s most-respected acting teachers is essential training. Get all the info and book your spot here.
Luke Rogers is the Artistic Director & CEO of Canberra Youth Theatre. He is a graduate of NIDA (Directing) and Theatre Nepean (Acting), and has recently completed a Masters of Fine Arts in Cultural Leadership at NIDA.
Directing credits include: Rosieville, The Trials, How To Vote!, Dags, Two Twenty Somethings Decide Never To Be Stressed About Anything Ever Again Ever, Little Girls Alone in the Woods, Normal, Possibility, Collapse (Canberra Youth Theatre), Mary Stuart and Collected Stories (Chaika Theatre / ACT Hub), and many more.
Luke regularly directs and lectures at various drama schools. He was a member of Directors Lab: Melbourne (Theatre Works / Melbourne Festival) and Playwriting Australia’s Dramaturgy Program and Directors Studio.
