NOTE: The MTP program is very competitive and a large number of auditionees are expected. There may, therefore, be a preliminary elimination of auditionees. All auditionees will be permitted to sing and perform their monologues. Following this portion of the audition, a decision may be made as to whether or not you will continue on to dance.

Candidates must perform 16 measures from each of two memorized songs. Be prepared to perform both songs in their entirety upon request. Both songs must be from Broadway literature - one ballad and one uptempo - and should contrast in style. Music composed by Stephen Sondheim is not permitted. Bring music in correct key and with cuts clearly marked. (Taped accompaniment, acapella singing or lead sheets are not permitted). An accompanist will be provided. Candidates will be taught a dance combination at the audition. Dance attire is required (leotards, tights or dance pants; jazz shoes, soft-soled tennis shoes, or bare feet). Candidates will perform one memorized monologue of one minute in length chosen from a play written within the last fifty years and relating to the applicant's own age and life-experience.

Additional Requirements: Candidates will be required to take a music theory exam to determine placement in music courses.

Important Note: Feedback will not be given at any time. There will only be one audition for entrance into the Music Theatre Performance program. Should a Music Theatre Performance candidate not gain entrance to the program through their initial audition, a second audition would only be possible by invitation from the Director of Music Theatre Performance.

• DO:
• Use material well within your grasp and understanding.
• Use material in which you have been carefully coached.
  WMU Theatre offers a free workshop for auditions.
• Choose clothing that is simple, professional, and comfortable.
• DON'T:
• Select material which represents characters over 30 years old
• Choose a role in which you could not feasibly be cast
• Select material written before 1900
• Select material from musicals
• Use Forensics material
• Use costumes
• Use dialects
• Use props (a chair will be provided for you)

You may not want to use monologue books. Since collections of monologues are widely distributed, everyone will be using the same ones. You want your piece to be unique.

Rather than flip the pages of a play looking for large blocks of words where no one else talks, look for a dialogue which allows you to cut or steal the other character's lines and still leave the scene intact. This will give you an interactive monologue propelled by relationship. Much more interesting for an audience to watch.

A monologue should show off who you are. Look for contemporary pieces with roles in your age range that you could be cast in today. How do you know "who you are"? A difficult question, but not unsolvable. Ask yourself some simple questions about your life. Where were you raised - city, suburbs or country? Are you the life of the party or a wallflower? Are you a leader or a follower? Are you religious? What is your birth order? Are you the responsible oldest child, or the carefree charming youngest? Are you an only child? What was your childhood like; sheltered, abusive, dull, happy? By answering questions like these honestly (maybe with the help of a friend or relative) you can get an idea of the kind of parts which show you off the best.

When in doubt, go for comedy, go for action, go for physicality. Avoid memory pieces, suffering victim pieces, bodily functions graphically described. Avoid Tennessee Williams, Arthur Miller and Neil Simon. Look for very, very contemporary playwrights. Unpublished plays often have good monologues. It is also possible to find good monologues in movie scripts, but be careful, you don't want to do something recent and recognizable.

Choosing the perfect monologue is no place to take shortcuts. This is your calling card and should be done with diligence and care.

Some Useful Books:

The Perfect Monologue by Ginger Friedman as a guide to preparing this most important actor tool.
Act I Reports which lists everything an actor needs to know about the 'biz' in Chicago; agents, casting directors, photographers, etc.
Audition by Michael Shurtleff. If you don't know about it yet, get it!

1. Know What the Song is About.
   1. What show is it from?
   2. Who is singing the song and why?
   3. Where and when is the song being sung in the show?
2. Memorize the Song
3. Have your Score Prepared.
   1. Mark the beginning and the ending of your selection clearly.
   2. Make sure your score is clean and easy to read. (Eraser marks and notes to yourself (i.e., breath marks, blocking, diction, etc.) can be distracting to the accompanist.
   3. If your score is a copy, it is suggested that you mount it in a 3-ring binder. This makes seeing and turning the pages easier for the accompanist.
   4. Make sure your selection is in the key in which you will perform it. Do not expect the accompanist to transpose it for you.

1. Stay healthy. (You cannot sing well if you are ill).
   1. Wash your hands often.
   2. Avoid excess speaking/yelling.
2. Drink plenty of water.
3. Always warm-up before any performance - sung or spoken.

1. Arrive early.
2. Be prepared to wait.
   1. Take your free time to get focused before you walk into the audition.
   2. Bring your own water, and a snack (if you prefer).
   3. Bring something to occupy you while the other auditions are taking place.
3. Warm-up.
   1. Find your own space to warm up (the Gilmore Theatre Complex does not have warm-up rooms).
   2. Facial massage.
   3. Humming, lip trills, vocalizing.
   4. Stretch out physically.
   5. Get focused.
4. Audition with confidence!
   1. Your entrance sets the stage for the entire audition. Remember to introduce yourself and your pieces to the jurors.
   2. Be yourself!
   3. Your audition isn't over until you've left the performance area.