Theatre audition prep, from first monologue to callback
A theatre audition is rarely one event. There is the monologue, then the sides they hand you in the hallway, then a callback where you read with people you have never met. Each round asks for something different, and each one can be rehearsed.
Prepping the monologue
Pick material you can play today rather than material that shows range you are still building. Know who you are talking to, know what you want from them, and know what happened ten seconds before the first line.
Run it standing, at full voice, in a room that is not the room you chose it in. A piece that only works sitting down in your kitchen will not survive a folding chair in a hallway.
Theatre auditions reward the actor who is ready in advance, because the notice is always shorter than the preparation deserves.
Sides at the callback
Callback sides usually arrive with less notice than you want, and you will read them opposite someone whose choices you cannot predict. The preparation that helps is not deciding on a reading, it is knowing the scene well enough to stay flexible inside it.
Run the sides against a reader a few times before you go in. You will find the turns, the questions, and the two or three moments where the scene actually changes, and you will walk in able to play whatever the other actor gives you.
Keeping the package warm
- Two contrasting monologues, both ready to go on a day of notice.
- A song cut if the season includes musicals.
- Sides from your last two callbacks, run once a week.
- A short vocal warm up you can do in a stairwell.
Common questions
How do I prepare for a theatre audition?
Have two contrasting monologues ready before you need them, work them standing and out loud, and run any sides you are sent against a reader so the scene is in your body rather than on the page.
What should I do with callback sides?
Read them enough times to find the turns, then stop deciding. Run them against a reader so you know the shape of the scene, and leave room to play whatever the actor across from you does.
How long should an audition monologue be?
Usually one to two minutes unless the notice says otherwise. Time it out loud, at performance pace, and cut to fit rather than rushing to fit.
Related prep
Prep your audition
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