Ty Burrell, who plays Phil in the monumentally successful series Modern Family, said this week: “The real job of an actor is auditioning, not acting. That’s really the day-to-day life. You get the call at 2pm and they want you there by 4.30pm…”
Thankfully, auditions for drama school are not as hurried. The weeks or sometimes months that you are afforded in advance to prepare are priceless and it’s important to use the time discerningly.
When asked what he did to prepare for the role of Coriolanus, Tom Hiddleston said: “The first thing I did was to learn the play inside and out. Words are the key to every role, and for Coriolanus they guide the character’s voice, manner, and even his heartbeat. As I studied the play and became more immersed in it, so many questions arose. Why is he so angry? Why does he hate the people so much?”
Audition Doctor sessions are as much about asking questions as answering them. It’s only through combing the text and thorough inquiry that decisions that are rooted in truth can be made with your character.
As Amy Morgan said in Ideastap: “My advice is just always play the truth of what you’re doing…I tend to look at the text and pick out all the factual detail. For anything subjective that you think might be hinted at, it’s good to talk to the other actors and work that stuff out between you…Usually, if I’m not getting something or it doesn’t feel right it’s because I’m trying too hard – I’m trying to make something up that’s not there.”
This is why drama school applicants find Audition Doctor so useful – auditioning for drama school is largely a solitary process. Aside from the group workshops and warm-ups, it’s you preparing monologues alone. Audition Doctor lessons give you the opportunity to have a creative discussion and obtain professional feedback. Many drama schools don’t offer feedback unless you get to a certain stage of recalls. If you aren’t getting to those stages, it goes without saying that feedback would be incredibly useful.
Whatever choices you have made with your speech, auditions require you to reach necessary emotional states. Hiddleston mentioned: “In the end the greatest struggle with this role was to inhabit the essence of his personality. To ensure I can channel the power of his fury every day has been challenging. He is an immensely angry man – there are a couple of lines that illustrate that in the play, one of those is: “there is no more mercy in him than there is milk in a male tiger.” Every night I am professionally required to roar.”
The more you attend Audition Doctor sessions, the easier it becomes to access the emotion and your subsequent performances become less stilted. The confidence that comes from knowing that you can get to that place also gives you the freedom to push things further and make the kind of bolder decisions that panels are looking for.
When asked what she would tell her younger self, Amy Morgan said: “Not to worry so much. When I left drama school I was so worried about being the right actor all the time. You want to be perfect for every part and be the best person in the room at meetings. Now, when I go into meetings and I’m myself, that’s when I tend to get the job.”
Audition Doctor lessons ensure that the speeches you pick are perfect for you. Playing the truth and accessing the vulnerability required for your speech is something that Audition Doctor concentrates on which generally means you don’t feel like you have to be “perfect”. Perfect is not what drama schools are looking for anyway. They’re ultimately looking for someone who can be honest in their performance which is what Audition Doctor lessons are all about.
