As a business coach, a lot of what I do is help actors create and develop materials that express who they are as actors, and as human beings. One of the main requests I get is, “Can you help me find audition material that’s right for me?” The first question I ask is, “What kind of material are you looking for?” to which they respond, “I need something dramatic and something comedic.” (Or, “an uptempo and a ballad,” for musical theater.)
Uh huh.
In my opinion, that response is the reason why finding audition monologues/songs/sides can be so hard, and it’s the first thing I work to address with actors. It’s problematic because it takes the actor out of the equation, and makes the search for material all about a “tone.” For example, the “tone” of the piece needs to be dramatic, or the song needs to be uptempo. And I’ll go out on a limb here: I think casting personnel are looking for more than tone.
So, how do you put yourself into the equation? Here are three new ways to go about looking for audition pieces that bring who you are—your “type” or “brand”—into the mix:
Look for topics that inspire you,
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