I don’t know if it’s just me but hearing the word ‘audition sides’ excites me. I mean… you have been invited to an audition! Yay! Congratulations! But let’s not get carried away, there’s lots of work to be done!
If you aren’t familiar with the term ‘sides’, it essentially means a script(s), a scene(s) you will use for your audition. Apparently, it originates from the Shakespearian era. It can be from the original script or a ‘dummy side’ written just for audition purposes.
How to prepare? Michelle Danner, a film and stage director and renowned acting coach recommends you to “read like you are the most astute detective on Earth. Uncover all the clues that are in the text, in the subtext, and trust what your imagination gives you.” But before you uncover anything, remember to read it through a few times and don’t forget to note down your first impression!
Asking questions such as why, who, what and when is a really good way to uncover clues. Be curious about everything. It is important to explore as much as you can before putting it together so that you will have less ‘favourite’ and ‘bias’ towards an idea.
When should you begin to learn the lines? I would personally put that last! Why? Because acting is about portraying a believable character, NOT about saying lines! Besides, while you are being curious and digging for clues, you will be reading the sides over and over. And guess what, you just kill two birds with one stone! Repeatedly reading the sides will also help you memorise the line.
Do you need to be off-book? That depends. Each casting director has their own preference. But a word of advice, it’s better to be off book so that you can fully concentrate on portraying a character!
Dr Jessica Hartley, course leader on the MA/MFA Actor Training and Coaching, at The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, says when preparing sides, “you can never know the lines well enough. Learn them well. But don’t learn intonation or rhythm, don’t set them. Make them easy in your mouth so they just fall out. Say them constantly.”
If you are given so little time to prepare for your audition, make the best use of your time! Spending it exploring the character and making it interesting may be wiser than spending it on line-learning and ending up acting like a robot!
At the end of the day, preparation can vary from actor to actor, so do what you feel works best for you. Do you have a current preparation routine? Why not share it with all of us?!