Meisner Audition Techniques- Acting to Act
Aspiring actors studying the Meisner acting technique must develop and learn a unique auditioning technique as well. Learning how to audition will make the most threatening aspect of acting, a life of auditioning and constant rejection, not only manageable but, a worthwhile, necessary part of the process. Consistently turning in your very best, deepest, most thoughtful performances when you audition is part of the craft and developing an auditioning technique that highlights your strengths as an actor is critical.
Many actors make the mistake of focusing too much on the role and how they will play the role, how they will wow the auditors and how jazzed they will be if they get the part or disheartened if they don’t. Wise, more experienced actors, especially those that study Meisner acting technique, will focus on the auditors as well. This is an effective auditioning technique for many important reasons. First of all, aside from yourself (and a waiting room full of other auditioning actors) the people involved are likely to be casting directors, directors, producers and a camera person (if it is being taped). In addition to these key players commercial auditions may have representatives from the agency or advertiser, musicals will likely involve musical directors and choreographers and in many instances you may even see a stage director.
Forget trying to discover who’s who or what their role is. Focus instead of being open, respectful to everyone. More importantly use your Meisner technique to good use and put yourself into their shoes. Remember that there is a whole lot riding on the choices they make. Before you get miffed that they are eating a sandwich or playing with their cell phones as you read, remember that they have probably been there many, many more hours seeing and hearing dozens of actors run the same lines over and over again. They have likely heard many less than stellar performances and as such have low expectations. Allowing yourself to be angry or frustrated will only block out the emotional channels that you will need to have wide open to access the emotional life of the character you are reading for. Better yet, get a quick read on where they are emotionally. Are they bored, discouraged, nervous? Tune into that and use it in the reading and you will draw them in, and bring them to a place where they are interacting with you rather than passively watching another flat performance.
Jaded behavior on the part of those conducting the auditions is an opportunity for the Meisner trained actor, not a hindrance. When you see auditors in this condition one aspect of your auditioning technique should be to see this as your chance to wake up the room and remind everyone why they are there. They are there to find a true artist, that one talented individual that will make their production a wildly successful hit. It is your job to guide them into seeing the words on the page as so much more than mere words. Part of your auditioning technique must be to remind them that what is happening in the silence between lines is as important as the dialogue. Remind them that the dialogue is the tip of the iceberg in terms of the complexity of the character. Remind them that acting is an art that elevates the most human aspects of the story and reminds us all of who we are. Your auditioning technique should be to remind them of all of this in a few short pages.
Make certain you can modulate your voice to suit the size of the venue. Many a good role has been lost due to simply not being heard in a large space or being overwhelming in a small one. Lighting, especially in theatre, is important. You will have no control over the lighting, so quickly assessing it and placing yourself properly is important. You will need to be seen to communicate and project appropriately to be heard. Practice different modulations and tempos until they become second nature. That way you will have experience projecting your voice correctly and be able to focus on the reading itself rather than the practical details.
The most resilient actors who have put in year after year of auditioning will tell you that they have simply accepted auditioning as part of the work. Part of their auditioning technique is to see all auditions as an opportunity, albeit a brief one, to act. They treat it as a part, not a chance. In fact, they treat it as the role of a lifetime each and every time.
Stop by the Maggie Flanigan studio where you can learn more about the Meisner technique. Maggie Flanigan was nominated as the Favorite Audition Technique Teacher in New York City.