At some point you'll be asked to do a dreaded cold reading or ice cold reading. If you have a phobia about cold readings, as many do, practice daily by picking something to read at home. This will condition you to feel comfortable about reading new material. By doing this, you will be conditioning yourself to conquer the phobia of cold/ice cold readings. Callbacks are always readings from the script, so get used to it, it's a fact of life in this industry!

Some helpful audition hints:

• Helpful Hint, Remember during your audition they need to see your face and hear your voice.  Follow down the lines with your thumb so you can look up without getting lost. Try to memorize short bits so you can be looking up. Glance ahead to your next cue line so you can be looking and reacting to the actor/actress you're reading with. Remember acting is actually reacting.

• Speak up!  Don't fall into the trap of dropping your voice because your audience is right in front of you. They need to know that the people in the back of a theatre are going to be able to hear and understand you. Watch your posture!  Stand straight and keep your head up.

• Slow down!  It is not a race! This is your moment to shine. Read your sides and live moment to moment.  It is very common for a person who is nervous to speed up their speech. Remember to vary the pace, volume, inflection, tone, etc. as much as you can but make sure they can hear and understand you! Enunciate! Articulate! Pronunciation!

• Play to your audience!  Your audience at an audition is the Director and Musical Director. Many times actors will focus on fellow actors and not the directions of the Casting Director.  Too many people at open auditions turn to play it to the rest of the room. Make every effort not to fall in this common mistake.

• Avoid copying your fellow actors.  Instead of mimicking what your other actors are doing be unique.  Make this audition your own!

• Keep yourself from getting frustrated.  Rather than measuring yourself against your peers, focus on your performance.  Do your own thing!

• During auditions, think of ways you can improve as the night goes on.  Reflect on YOUR performance and concentrate on doing better each time.  (Key word your; forget about how others are doing.)

• Rather than playing off yourself, work on playing off other readers.  Find ways to connect with your fellow actors and create character, scene, tone, etc.

• Watch exaggerated movements.  Work on making the characters real.

• If you get a small part take it!  Remember small parts are still a part.  Take this opportunity to get active in this theatre and learn from your fellow actors.

• Don’t be afraid to try different things. Just because everyone in front of you read a part one way, that doesn’t mean it is the way it should be read.

• Say something! If you're reading a part and come across a word you don't know, don't stop and agonize over it.  Say something...anything! ... and keep going.   ("word I don't know,"  or "vermumenplasm," or some such word.)  The director is not looking for the person with the biggest vocabulary, but rather the person who fits the part. HOWEVER, pay attention if the word is CORRECTED by anyone who "knows."  Then you can use it correctly when it’s your turn to read (again).