HOW TO PREPARE TO WORK IN CLASS!
- New students - please only sign up to work in class read Audition and The Four Agreements, learned the Todoroff Technique and had a call with a team member to go over the technique and assure you're ready to go!
- If you haven't already done so, please fill out this New Member Form (click here) before submitting your Performer Request.
- The very first time you work in class, we please work on a monologue from our recommended lists for for male roles or for female roles. Or - reach out to us to say you'd like to be cast in a cold read audition exercise. Thereafter, working on scenes, auditions and original work is welcome!
- Want to work on a monologue that's not on our recommended lists? Great! Please sign up with it as a "Work Read" first before committing it to memory. You're welcome to Work Read 2-3 potential monologues in fact! The Work Read option means you have the scripts in front of you (you're not off-book yet) and you're reading through them to get feedback on whether the material is a good fit for you - before you spend time learning it!
- Want to work on a scene that's not on our recommended lists? Great! Please sign up with it as a "Work Read" first before committing it to memory. We just want to make sure the scene will be a good fit for you and your scene partner before you get too far into the rehearsal process.
- Read the full play or screenplay for the scene or monologue you're working on (This is for scene and monologue work. If you're working on a tv/film audition, we know you you often do not have access to the rest of the script).
- Trust the text! Do not make internal edits to the script to piece together a monologue unless you're crossing out another character's dialogue that's truly inconsequential and doesn't alter the story in any way. As a rule though, it's best to avoid internal edits - just choose the line where you'll begin and where you'll end.
- Do your best to wear clothing appropriate to the era (or clothing suggestive of the era)
- The specific accent or dialect required by a text is not optional. For example - plays by Noel Coward, Harold Pinter, Oscar Wilde cannot be done with American sounds. Take the time to study the accent or dialect before signing up to present that monologue or scene in to class. When you read the play or the full film script, make sure you look at where the story takes place and any description of the characters that will reveal this information. If you're unsure if your piece requires an accent or dialect, or you need us to suggest an accent or dialect coach for you - please ask us!
- Shakespeare does not require a British accent. Unless you happen to have a British accent in your everyday speech, then it's fine! Just use your natural speech for work on Shakespeare.
- When working with a scene partner, please just make sure your partner is aware of these basic requirements and has completed them along with you before you sign up to perform your scene.
- If you're signing up to do a work read or an audition - have a PRINTED or HANDWRITTEN copy of your text available during the workshop. Do NOT read off your phone or computer. If you'r working on a monologe or a scene, please be fully off book (no script in hand)
- Friendly reminder to please keep monologues betwen 1-2 minutes and scenes between 3-4 minutes. We realize the piece as written may be longer - but please only bring in that much at a time. You can work through longer scenes in pieces!