Guinevere
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Cold Readings - Anyone experience them?I am sorry if I might be repeating another post (I may have skipped one somewhere), but I didn't find one on the subject.
Anyway, I have never done a cold reading. The next 3 auditions that I have are ALL cold readings (one being a musical).
I know what they are. I just want to know (every person running the show might do it differently) what the basic "steps" (for lack of a better word) are for it.
* How similar are they to the "normal" audition?
* Of course there is no monolgue to have to memorize, but how much time do they give you to go over the lines for the role that you're auditioning for?
* Other than reading your lines in an "acting" sort of manner, should you do anything else? Like sit or stand? What do they generally have people do?
* Do you basically just READ the lines? Meaning, you are allowed the time to prepare how you would perform the lines, but basically, are you still allowed to LOOK at the words that you are reciting?
* As for a musical, how does the music part work? I heard that you don't need to bring in a song (unless you REALLY want to), but they want you to sing part of a song from the show. Do they give you time to prepare for that?
I am sorry for all the questions. Especailly as they might sound a little confusing. I couldn't really think of the exact way to ask them. So, I did the best I could! 
I just finding this a little nerve-racking. So, any advice would be helpful. I want to prepare myself mentally for how it will be.
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DaddyDiesel
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OKay, I am little confused by some of your questions but I will answer as many as I can. My answers all pretain to musicals and not plays. I dont do plays.
This is the format to 95% of the auditions I have been to.
~ you have your initial audtion. This usually contains you singing a song and doing part of a monologue. Both of which you choose and prepare ahead of time. (Best advice is reading what the director wants prepared for the audition and do it. Every director is differant.)
~Callbacks: If you get called back usually your cold reads will be in this section. You will also most likely be asked to sing some songs from the show. If you are called back for a specific charactor then you will be singing one of the songs that, that charactor sings. I Digress
Usually when a director asked you to read for a scene weather it be at a callback or audition. He will give you the lines, what charactor to read for, and anywhere from 5 -15 mins to look it over. It can be overwhelmming at first but if you do some research on the show you can get a jist of what every charactor is like. My only tip I have for you, on the reads themselves, stay away from monkey see monkey do syndrome. Alot of times you will see actors do the scene before you. Don't mimick what you see them do. Read the lines over and think how you could make them work. Other than that I suck at cold reads so I would read other peoples posts.
The music should never be a cold read. If you are auditioning for the show do the research for it. One good research tool, get a hold of a cast recording. Once you have it, listen to the whole thing over and over. That way when you get asked to sing somthing from the show. You should have a good grasp of the songs.
Thats all I got. Again I am not great at the cold reads themselves, so take my advice with a grain of salt.
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Sweeney Hyde
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Re: Cold Readings - Anyone experience them? | Guinevere wrote: | I am sorry if I might be repeating another post (I may have skipped one somewhere), but I didn't find one on the subject.
Anyway, I have never done a cold reading. The next 3 auditions that I have are ALL cold readings (one being a musical).
I know what they are. I just want to know (every person running the show might do it differently) what the basic "steps" (for lack of a better word) are for it.
* How similar are they to the "normal" audition? |
Nearly all of the auditions I've had include a cold read. There are two basic ways that a cold read can be conducted...one in which the directors give you a few minutes to read over the material and another which they do not give you time to read over the material. Everything else is the same...unless I'm not understanding your question...
[quote="Guinevere"
* Of course there is no monolgue to have to memorize, but how much time do they give you to go over the lines for the role that you're auditioning for?[/quote]It depends...sometime you have a good amount of time to look over it...sometimes they hand it to you and you start immediately.
| Guinevere wrote: |
* Other than reading your lines in an "acting" sort of manner, should you do anything else? Like sit or stand? What do they generally have people do? |
I have only ever used my voice and face to act for cold reads...as to the sitting and standing...if you're on a stage auditioning...prolly standing...if you're at a table in a more "intimate" setting...prolly sitting down.
[quote="Guinevere"
* Do you basically just READ the lines? Meaning, you are allowed the time to prepare how you would perform the lines, but basically, are you still allowed to LOOK at the words that you are reciting?[/quote]You don't have to memorize it at all. It's good to be able to look out of the book and make some eye contact. The time issue I have already addressed.
| Guinevere wrote: |
* As for a musical, how does the music part work? I heard that you don't need to bring in a song (unless you REALLY want to), but they want you to sing part of a song from the show. Do they give you time to prepare for that? |
Hmm...they will probably give you more details about song prep as it gets closer...usually they either have you bring in your own song or sing a song from the show on the spot...if they do the later they will go over it will you briefly, more than likely.
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Guinevere
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Yeah. I said my questions would be confusing
Well, thanks for the advice that you have given. It does help a little.
These auditions are not going to be cold readings for callbacks. These ARE the auditions. That is why I am a little thrown off about preparing for them.
As for music, I, of course, do plan on preparing myself for it. I already happen to own the music! Anyway, the person I was talking to about this particular audition told me that the music is pretty much handed to you at the audition and you have to sing it (so KNOWING what your singing is helpful), but I just had never heard of that at an audition. That is why I was curious about the musical audition.
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The Drama Queen
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I've actually only been to 1 audition where there weren't cold readings. Which sucks for me, because I'm horrible at them. I'm very close to being dyslexic with how I talk and I stumble all over my words when reading them out-loud for the first time. If you already know the shows, why not try getting a hold of a script?
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Ariel
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Re: Cold Readings - Anyone experience them? | Guinevere wrote: |
* Of course there is no monolgue to have to memorize, but how much time do they give you to go over the lines for the role that you're auditioning for? |
Usually they give you a few minutes to look over the sides, but if they don't, you can either ask for a minute to read over it, or just jump right in. They know that you haven't looked at the sides before, so they aren't expecting you to be able to do a lot of character work.
| Guinevere wrote: |
* Other than reading your lines in an "acting" sort of manner, should you do anything else? Like sit or stand? What do they generally have people do? |
What's an "acting" sort of manner?!
You should read your lines as if you were playing the part...if you're seated in the scene, you should sit in the reading. Same with standing or dancing or jumping or anything. They don't "generally" have people do anything - it's just like a regular audition, but they give you your audition material when you get there, and you don't have a lot of time to work on it.
| Guinevere wrote: |
* Do you basically just READ the lines? Meaning, you are allowed the time to prepare how you would perform the lines, but basically, are you still allowed to LOOK at the words that you are reciting? |
Don't just READ them, but don't overact, either. In the short time the give you, mark important words or phrases, and jot down any basic objectives that come to you. They don't expect you to have the whole scene memorized, but you should memorize the first line if possible so you don't start out staring at your paper.
Hope that helped!
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Guinevere
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Re: Cold Readings - Anyone experience them? | Ariel wrote: | | What's an "acting" sort of manner?! |
Yeah, I know. I know what I said. After I saw that I posted that I thought "What is that supposed to mean?". Well, I knew what I was thinking when I wrote it, but it didn't come out right. 
Anyway, when I asked about just reading the lines, I meant whether I should be putting on more of a traditional audition or was I allowed to look at the script when I needed to refresh my mind on the next line.
Actually, all of your suggestions and tips have helped me out alot. So, thanks for all of that!
My major concern is that I have something coming up that I can find NO "reference" material on (meaning, no script, music, et.c.). It is something that is original. So, this will be the most interesting show to try to get a part in! Well, we'll see what happens!
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MaryMag
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Re: Cold Readings - Anyone experience them?* How similar are they to the "normal" audition?
Not too similar. In a normal aud, you have a memorized monologue. No memorized monologue here. In a normal aud, you do your mono by yourself for the casting folkds. In a cold read situation, you usually read your scene with other people auditioning. MAYBE they have professional readers (people who are with the company just ot read the scene with you, not to audition themselves), but that's only in professional theaters usually.
* Of course there is no monolgue to have to memorize, but how much time do they give you to go over the lines for the role that you're auditioning for?
Some times you're given 30 seconds, sometimes 15 minutes. Who knows. Make the most of what little time you're given. Read your scene one thousand times. And not just in your head. Say them out loud or whisper them if you can't read them aloud. Trust me - you want to get these words into your body/lips/tongue, not just have them sitting in your mind. SAY those words as much as you can. Don't just read them.
Figure out your objective for the scene. [If you don't know what an objective is, MaryMag's tip for the future is take an acting class where you learn what an objective is. Without knowing the basic terminology and methods of acting, any advice I give you will be worthless.] If you know what an objective is, figure out what yours is. Figure out why it is a matter of life and death that you get it RIGHT NOW. Figure out a dozen or so ways that you can get it from your scene partner. Using these different tactics will allow you to give different reads of the scene each time you're asked to do it. Cold reading can allow a director to see if an actor can only do a scene one way, or if the actor can do the scene in a variety of different ways. Varying your tactics allows you to vary the scene and your character a little.
* Other than reading your lines in an "acting" sort of manner, should you do anything else? Like sit or stand? What do they generally have people do?
Of course you are supposed to act the hell out of that scene! Cold reads are not meant to demonstrate your ability to memorize, or your ability to come up with clever blocking on the spot, or your ability to mime whatever stupid task your character is doing at the time. Cold reads are meant to demonstrate your ability to make strong choices, connect with your scene partner, and take direction (if it's given.)
* Do you basically just READ the lines? Meaning, you are allowed the time to prepare how you would perform the lines, but basically, are you still allowed to LOOK at the words that you are reciting?
Yes of course you can look at the words. It's not a test of memorization! 
* As for a musical, how does the music part work? I heard that you don't need to bring in a song (unless you REALLY want to), but they want you to sing part of a song from the show. Do they give you time to prepare for that?
At auds where you're supposed to sing from the show, they usually give everyone a page or so of music, and have everyone stand around the piano and sing it through a few times to learn it. Then everyone sings it one-by-one. Can't say that will be what happens to you, but that's what has been my experience.
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