Meet the industry professionals we interviewed for the DVD. They have seen thousands of auditions, and offer valuable comments from their perspective behind the table.
Arthur Bartow
Artistic Director
New York University Undergraduate Drama at Tisch School of the Arts
“The best artists I know are the ones who doubt themselves the most! I’m very nervous about people who have no self doubt.”
Amanda Charlton
Associate Director, Festival
Williamstown Theatre Festival
“I love when I see an actor who’s really investigated because it shows me they’re an artist. It shows me they’re out there, they’re looking for material, it’s not about getting the job, it’s about enjoying the process of being an actor.”
Carl Forsman
Artistic Director
Keen Company
"The classic trap of monologues is thinking they’re about you. It’s only by getting the focus off of yourself that you can begin to tell a story.”
Mari Lyn Henry
Partner, Henry Downey Talent Management
Co-Author, “How to be a Working Actor”
“First of all, I think one of the problems with any monologue done by an actor is the lack of direction.”
Christian Parker
Associate Artistic Director
Atlantic Theater Company
“The purpose of a monologue audition is to interest me in what else you can do. It’s not to show me everything you can do.”
Todd Thaler
Casting Director
Todd Thaler Casting
“What we want to know is if someone can tell us something truthfully, believably, simply, for it to feel real, and that happens when you’re not doing all the high wire act stuff.”
Charles Tuthill
Actor, Coach and Teacher
“The more I did it – the more I focused on my work – I completely forgot that those people were there…and once that happened I started getting callbacks.”
WHAT WE ASKED THEM
We asked the industry professionals to tell us how many auditions they have seen (thousands and thousands!), what they are looking for, and what mistakes they see actors making over and over again. Throughout the video, they describe their preferences and pet peeves about:
- Material choices
- Movement choices
- How actors treat them in the room
- Whether an actor should address a monologue directly to them (most - but not all - of them had the same answer!)
In addition to their commentary throughout the video, there are 5 bonus sections, with a total of 30 minutes of material about:
- General audition advice
- Auditioning for college undergraduate and graduate programs
- Clothing preferences (not all agree!)
- More do’s and don’ts and suggestions about choosing material
- The most outrageous auditions they’ve seen!
