How do you prepare for an audition when you get the sides 20 mins beforehand, as opposed to the night before? What should the actor focus on/prepare?

Thanks!

You might want to check the "Books" section, and take 5-10 years of acting class. That would help you prepare. And I'm not being sarcastic.

yeah... I'm not expecting to be amazing at rocking a cold reading in my first year of getting back to acting. I have a couple of these books (and by a couple I mean um 10) but was curious if anyone found any specific technique or orientation helpful.

Thanks again!

well from hat ive read try not to focus on memorizing your lines. Read through the sides obviously and tell your self whats the over all objecytive. What are your trying to accomplish try to phase it as 'I want you to.." or "I need you to.." You being the other chracter. Whatever you choose stick with it you dont have time to second guess it. Then try a substiution for the other person or even event. Someone or something you know first hand that parellels the emotion in the scene. Now when your it during the audtion theres something called the margie haber phase technique google it its simple way of using the actual sides during the audtion. Hope this helps!

Get there as early as you can. Get the side and just read it over and over. Read it out loud.

I've just been reading a bunch of books about this. Two things I really remember...

1. Find the backround. If you know why your acting this way/doing what your doing in the scene it helps.

2. LOVE. Love gives you the most to work with,the most feeling, most options, so if theres another character, choose to love them.

hope this helps...i also agree read out loud. I think that helps alot.

thanks snuka and zervo-- this audition is for tommorow and oh my goodness i'm so nervous-- its just a local theatre thing but its a play I've always dreamed of being involved in. Thanks for your help!

My friend's son does films and has an acting coach. He always gets sides ahead of time and goes over them with his coach and aces the audition each time. However, my son loves theater and never gets sides. Both boys are a mature 13.

We usually research the play ahead of time and get some background about the characters, the time period, etc. However, I spoke with my friend's acting coach, and he said the best thing you can do when given the sides at an audition is to read it over and pick an "emotion". Decide how you want the character to feel and play that emotion. It shows the director you've made a decision about the character and are playing it the way you see it to be...not bad advice. I know how nerve wracking it is, but as I tell my son do the best you can and what will be, will be.

Then go get an ice cream afterwards...you're never too old for that! Break a leg!

Focus--get alone and go through the script as many times as possible. If you can ask questions about the character you're reading for, do so. See if they give you some background or something of the storyline. If there are storyboards to look at, check em out. Otherwise, bring a highlighter and a pencil with you, highlight your lines so you can easily see them. Take the pencil and mark your key words, punctuation and beats. Then try reading the sides with several different choices, then choose the one you think is best. Perhaps they'll ask you to read it again with a different choice or give you direction. It sometimes helps to memorize the first and last line, so you can look at the reader or camera, and not always down at the script. Highlighting your lines may help you see when you do have to look down at the page. If it is commercial copy, know what they are selling--how does the script sell this product. Think also about the moment before and after your scene, what is your character doing? Lastly, take a deep breath, relax, and do your best. An audition is in many ways the job, but it is not the end of the world. Go and enjoy the rest of the day.