Middleton High School Theatre Winter Audition Packet

Transcription

1 Middleton High School Theatre Winter Audition Packet Welcome! To audition for our winter productions : Use the online form to secure an audition time. AUDITION FORM You must complete the audition packet: o Fill out the calendar with ALL POTENTIAL CONFLICTS. o Read and sign the MHS Theatre Production Contract. o Go over the calendar and MHS Theatre Production Contract with your parent/guardian and have them sign it. Turn in your completed audition packet when you arrive for your audition. We will be holding callbacks on Thursday, December 6, from 4:00-6:00 pm. Plan to attend. You will be notified via if we would like to see you read at callbacks. Callbacks are only necessary if the directors need more information to make casting choices. It does NOT guarantee that you will be cast in the show. Likewise, not being asked to callbacks does NOT mean you won t be offered a role. Prepare one monologue from either I NEVER SAW ANOTHER BUTTERFLY or A MIDSUMMER NIGHT S DREAM. OR, if you re more comfortable prepare a scene with a partner from I NEVER SAW ANOTHER BUTTERFLY. Other Info: If you sign up to audition and later decide you cannot, please or talk to Ms. Brunner BEFORE the day of your scheduled audition. This is basic audition etiquette.. Arrive early to your audition. We stick to the schedule the best we are able, but if someone before you doesn t show we move times forward. The cast list will be sent out via between Friday, December 7 at 4:00 pm and Saturday, December 8 at noon. Casting is among the most difficult tasks a director does. No matter what I say, there will be heartbreak and disappointment, which is NEVER my intent. I am more than happy to give audition feedback, but I ask that you hold off requesting a feedback conference until you've had time to breathe and reflect on the process and preparation. Remind yourself that casting decisions are multi-faceted and that simply completing an audition is a brave act. You are a part of the amazing MHS Theatre community because of your interest and passions, not because of your role or type of participation. You are already a part of the show! If you have a question, please talk to Ms. Brunner about it (before the audition date). kbrunner@mcpasd.k12.wi.us

2 Auditions: What to Expect (in general) 1. Arrive to the audition location on time (which means early). Auditions begin promptly at 4pm. 2. Check in with the stage managers in the PAC lobby. They will give you more information regarding your audition. Turn in your audition paperwork and get your audition number. 3. Get yourself focused. The whole audition is a process: do your best to remain poised and pleasant throughout. You are always auditioning whether onstage or off. 4. Listen and respond to any and all instructions you are given these will vary depending on the type of audition and the people present. 5. If, during any part of the audition, you goof up, keep going! Don t stop to talk about the error just pull yourself together and go. The directors want to see confidence, flexibility, and adaptability along with your performance. 6. Your audition should be prepared ahead of time. Auditions are closed, meaning you and your scene partner will perform for the audition panel only. All others auditioning will be with the stage manager(s) in the PAC lobby/hallway. 7. Wait until you are at least twenty feet from the door before you start discussing the process: Oh my goodness, I was amazing! or Oh my goodness, that was terrible! Hearing that doesn t leave the best impression with the audition panel. And it s never a good look to criticize other people s performances. 8. Take a deep breath and be proud that you tried out. Every audition takes courage and every audition is a learning experience! Choose to grow from the experience. 9. Monday, Sept. 24 is the first day of rehearsal. Meet in the PAC at 3:55pm. Rehearsal for both shows begins promptly at 4pm. Auditions: What we (the directors) are looking for 1. Attitude are you a team player? How do you interact with others? Are you willing to take performance risks? How do you respond to direction? 2. Responsibility/Commitment are you reliable? Are you available for rehearsals or do you have a lot of other activities going on? Are you able to commit to this production? 3. Flexibility/Adaptability how do you handle the unexpected? 4. Preparation have you actually prepared for this audition and worked with the characters you are playing or are you cold reading? 5. Performance Qualities: a. Voice do your vocal choices (tone, pitch, dialect, pacing) reflect character? Are the basics (enunciation, inflection, and projection) evident? Do you communicate the story? b. Movement does your physical presence and movement complement and tell the story? Are your movements true to the character? Do you engage the story physically? c. Character are your characters distinct and different? Have you thought about the character you are playing? d. Commitment how well do you fully invest in each moment and make specific character choices? e. Responsiveness how well do you make adjustments/respond to direction? f. Chemistry how well do you work with the others onstage? g. Presence are you confident onstage and do you appropriately draw the viewer s attention

3 Middleton Theatre Production Contract Winter RETURN WHEN YOU AUDITION! When you accept a role in a play or a position on a production crew, you have a serious responsibility to all the others in the show. In order to be successful, the play needs the skills of everyone involved. Read the following responsibilities carefully, and then sign below ONLY if you are committing to meet them. 1. I will be on time for all rehearsals and work sessions and meet all deadlines. (On time means at least five minutes early so that you are ready to begin at the given time.) 2. I understand that rehearsals may be scheduled after school, on weeknights, and on weekends. (See rehearsal calendar, but be aware that slight changes may occur.) 3. I will be able to keep up my grades and turn in assignments for other classes on time, no matter when rehearsals are held. And I will not use my production responsibilities as an excuse for not doing homework or completing assignments for classes in a timely fashion. 4. I will follow the Middleton High School code of conduct as well as the expectations and responsibilities outlined for participants in Student Activities (see Student Handbook). 5. I will let my manager (artistic director, musical director, choreographer, technical director, or stage manager) know of any previously scheduled appointments that fall during rehearsal time (I have carefully noted conflicts on and submitted the rehearsal calendar), and I will not schedule any new appointments/activities that would interfere with my production responsibilities. 6. I will follow all safety rules of MHS Theatre and the PAC. 7. I will work in a collaborative manner, being pleasant, polite, and cooperative at all times. 8. I will make sure that my parents/guardians are aware of and understand my responsibilities and production schedule. I,, have read the production contract above and understand that failure to live up to these responsibilities may lead to dismissal from the production. Thus, I commit to upholding each of these standards if I am cast in I Never Saw Another Butterfly or A Midsummer Night s Dream. Student Signature Date I,, have read the production contract above and understand my student s commitment to this production if they are cast in I Never Saw Another Butterfly or A Midsummer Night s Dream. I have also reviewed the rehearsal calendar with my student and understand that all rehearsals are mandatory if my child is cast. Furthermore, I understand that theatre is a high profile activity which means photo (and occasionally video) publicity is standard. I give permission for images/video of my student to appear in district publicity (website, social media) and local publicity (newspaper, social media, etc.). Guardian Signature Date Name:

4 Winter Rehearsal Conflicts (2 pgs.or 2 sided) - RETURN WHEN YOU AUDITION! IMPORTANT NOTES : Below are all of the dates and times for potential rehearsals. Please note that not all cast members will be needed for every single rehearsal, but both shows have quite a bit of ensemble work. This means actors will be at the majority of rehearsals listed on the calendar. Also, please understand we try to stick to this schedule but additional rehearsals may be called if necessary. Put a check next to the rehearsal dates that you CANNOT attend, and In the space marked Explain please indicate the flexibility of conflicts. For example, My piano lessons are every Monday from 4:O0-4:45. I can come to rehearsal after or I can change this conflict or not a conflict during tech Casting decisions are made based on what you write down, so if there are changes to your calendar after casting has been announced, it may jeopardize your role in the show (meaning you may be dismissed from the production). Strike is mandatory for cast and crew and will take place immediately after the final performance Winter Play Schedules Monday, December 10, :00-7:00 Tuesday, December 11, 2018 Wednesday December 12, 2018 Thursday, December 13, :00-7:00 Explain Monday, December 17, 2018 Tuesday, December 18, 2018 Wednesday, December 19, 2018 Thursday, December 20, 2018 Wednesday, January 2, 2019 Thursday, January 3, 2019 Monday, January 7, ASR Tuesday, January 8, 2019

5 Wednesday, January 9, 2019 Thursday, January 10, 2019 Monday, January 14, 2019 Tuesday, January 15, A Wednesday, January 16, EXAMS, Jan Thursday, January 17, EXAMS, Jan Tuesday, January 22, No School, TBD Rehearsal Wednesday, January 23, 2019 Thursday, January 24, ASR MIDSUMMER ONLY - Final Rehearsals Monday, January, 28, 2019 Tuesday, January 29, 2019 Wednesday, January 30, 2019 Monday, February 4, 2019 Tuesday, February 5, 2019 Wednesday, February 6, 2019 Thursday, February 7, 2019

6 Butterfly TECH and PERFORMANCE DATES - NO CONFLICTS FOR THESE DATES Sunday, January 27, :00-8:00 Butterfly Tech Monday, January, 28, :30-10:00 - Butterfly Tech Tuesday, January 29, :30-10:00 - Butterfly Tech Wednesday, January 30, :00-4:00 Butterfly Invited Dress Butterfly Performances - NO CONFLICTS 7:30 - Thursday, January 31, Friday & Saturday, February 1 & 2 (followed by strike) Midsummer TECH and PERFORMANCE DATES - NO CONFLICTS FOR THESE DATES Sunday, February 10, :00-8:00 Monday, February 11, :00-9:00 Tuesday, February 12, :00-9:00 Wednesday, February 13, :00am -8:00pm Midsummer Performances - NO CONFLICTS 7:30 - Thursday, Friday, & Saturday February 14, 15, 16 Audition Rubric - For your information Vocal Characterization Vocal Technicalities 4 - Distinguished 3 - Proficient 2 - Developing 1 - Emerging Strong vocal choices were The performer s voice Vocal choices were Little character was made to communicate the was suited to the inconsistent. Not all revealed in the vocal character throughout the character. Choices were choices seemed elements of this entire performance. Pacing, deliberate, and pacing, motivated or performance. Vocal tone pitch, and tone were pitch, and tone were supported by the text. and variance were absent effectively varied and used fairly utilized throughout Pitch, pacing and/or or inappropriate to the for emphasis, and most of the tone needed more text. Character was not expression fully and performance. The intentional clearly or authentically authentically performer told the story development and communicated through communicated the well, considering focus on accurately your voice. Develop that character and story character and story. depicting the character expression! verbally. Bravo. and/or story. The performer s volume and enunciation were excellent throughout the entire performance. The audience did not have to strain to hear or comprehend the lines spoken clear and crisp throughout. Good volume and clarity for the most part. The audience was able to hear and understand the performer, and the majority of lines were clear and loud enough to fully engage the audience. Volume and enunciation were inconsistent throughout. Parts of the performance were clear and easy to engage while others were a challenge due to inability to hear and/or understand. The performance was hard to follow due to projection or enunciation. The audience struggled to understand much of the performance because it was too soft or many words ran together. Speak up and out and be heard!

7 Facial Expression Physicality Excellent expression! Your face clearly communicated the story and your character s emotion in every moment of the scene. You were authentically on the entire time. Very strong performance in terms of body language and movement. Your physical choices clearly showed your character as they were realistic and motivated. Strong comfort with the physical aspects of your character. Fine expression. Your face complemented the story well, showing appropriate emotion throughout most of the performance. You expressed character throughout. You gave a fairly convincing performance in terms of your character s body language and movement. Most choices worked to communicate the thinking and motivation of your character throughout most of the performance. Facial expressions varied between involvement with the story and disengagement. Some moments were appropriate but others felt unjustified or inauthentic. Your movement choices were inconsistent and didn t support the motivation and thoughts of the character fully. Physicality needed a bit more work to consistently and authentically represent the character. Your expressions did not reflect the story or your character. You seemed disengaged from the text throughout most of the performance. Develop facial expression to better communicate char. The movement in this performance did not live up to the story being told. There were few deliberate choices made in terms of body language and movement, meaning your character was not clearly communicated. Develop this aspect of your performance. Characterization & Interpretation Presence/ Ownership 4 - Distinguished 3 - Proficient 2 - Developing 1 - Emerging You made some intentional physical and vocal choices that revealed character. Most choices were clear, justified, and worked to support the overall story, revealing some emotional levels. Each character was different from the next and your interp reflected each role s individual story. You made clear character choices that demonstrated a thorough understanding of the text, showed emotional levels, and were believable and honest within the world of the play. You also demonstrated strong versatility: characters were distinct and defined clearly different people with different stories. You showed a strong yet appropriate confidence (not cockiness), exuding stage presence, focus, and ownership. The performance was easy to watch, listen to, and focus on because your commitment commanded attention. You showed presence and seemed comfortable on stage, which made the performance interesting to watch. The performer also maintained focus and demonstrated commitment to the role. Character choices were inconsistent, though some attempts at emotional levels were shown. The world of the play was not very clear through this performance. There were a few attempts to distinguish between characters but much was the same (little variation). There were moments of confidence but also sections where the performer seemed unsure. This resulted in a less-focused performance. This performance showed few glimpses of character and lacked development. Little insight into the world of the play was revealed because little interpretation actually happened. There was little to no differentiation between roles they all seemed like the same person physically and vocally. Stage presence was lacking and the performer came across as insecure or overly confident (read: cocky/bravado). This made it hard for the audience to connect with the character and performance. Other Casting Considerations: Responsibility/Commitment are you reliable? Attitude are you a team player? How do you interact with others? Are you willing to take performance risks? How do you respond to direction? Are you easy to work with? Schedule are you available for rehearsals or do you have a lot of other activities going on?