Encore A–Z

Audition Prep

7 min read

Audition Prep

A teaching guide for preparing young artists to walk into an audition room with confidence. Companion to 3 - Casting and Audition Form.

Why This Class Exists

An audition is not a test — it’s an artist showing a creative team how they work and how they collaborate. Most of the work happens before the young artist ever steps into the room. With proper preparation, auditions become exciting rather than scary, because the artist has something they’ve made to share.

We can’t control how an audition goes. We can control everything leading up to it. The point of this class is to teach young artists where their control actually lives and to give them the tools to present the artist they are today.

Class Objectives

By the end of this class (or class series), young artists should be able to:

  • Explain what an audition is and what the creative team is looking for.
  • Research a show and a character before preparing material.
  • Select and prepare an age- and show-appropriate song or monologue.
  • Walk through the standard audition-room workflow with confidence.
  • Understand what a callback is and how to approach it.

Materials

  • Handouts with audition tips, guidelines, and checklists.
  • Sample script or lyric excerpts for young artists to practice with.
  • Whiteboard and markers.
  • Audition material the young artist has been working on (when possible).

Class Outline

1. Warm-Up

A brief physical and vocal warm-up — five to ten minutes — to settle the room and prepare bodies and voices for performance. Set the tone for the rest of class.

2. What Is an Audition? Why Does It Matter?

Open with a discussion. Define the audition itself, then name the people who shape the room: Producer, Director, Choreographer, Music Director, and any associates or accompanists.

The key reframe: the young artist’s job in the room is not to “win” — it’s to show the team how they work, how they take direction, and how they collaborate with others. Audiences see the show; the creative team is auditioning for collaborators.

3. Research

Walk through how to prepare:

  • Read the play. Even for a musical with a known cast recording, the stage version may differ from the film. YouTube and the script are both fair game.
  • Listen to the music. Original Broadway recordings are useful as reference but are not the only valid interpretation. Talk through the difference between learning a song and imitating a performance.
  • Look up the creative team. For older or more experienced artists, learning who’s in the room can shape choices.

Ask: “How do you research a play?” Make the room answer.

4. Selecting and Preparing the Piece

Help young artists choose material that fits:

  • Style and period. Match the show. A jazz musical wants a jazz audition cut.
  • Character type. A piece that lives somewhere near the role they want to play.
  • Their voice today. Not the role they wish they could play in five years.

Then prepare with intention:

  • Memorize over days, not hours. Three to four days minimum; a full week if available.
  • Find the want. What does this character want in this moment?
  • Find the moment before. What just happened that made them speak or sing?
  • Find the tactics. What are they doing to get what they want? Does it change?
  • Find the focal point. Who are they singing or speaking to, and where?

5. Interactive Activity

Break the class into small groups. Each artist analyzes their material — making the choices above explicit — and presents their work in progress. Peers offer one specific note and one specific strength.

6. Control What You Can Control

The list of things every young artist owns going into the room:

  • Be on time. Arrive early enough to settle before you sing.
  • Be off book. Memorized, fully. Not “mostly.”
  • Dress for the role and the room. Not a costume, but a nod toward the character. “If this person were alive today and going to a job interview, what would they wear?” Avoid flip flops and crocs. Clean and pressed.
  • Bring a resume. Properly formatted, printed. What shows you’ve done, who you worked with, where they were.
  • Staple it to a headshot. Make sure your headshot still looks like you. If your hair is currently pink and your headshot is blond, get a new headshot.
  • Be polite, kind, and flexible. Auditions are stressful for everyone in the room. Show the team you’re easy to work with.

7. In the Room

Walk through the actual workflow:

  • Greet the team warmly. They’ll usually greet you first. “Hi, I’m Rhett — thanks for having me in today.” Keep it short.
  • Have your music ready. Sheet music in the book, immediately accessible, marked clearly for the pianist.
  • Introduce the piece naturally. “I’m going to sing ‘All I Need Is the Girl’ from Gypsy. Sound good?”
  • Know your material cold. Song title, show, character, what’s happening in the scene.
  • Find your focal point. Just above the team’s heads usually works — don’t sing directly at them unless they’ve asked.
  • Keep going if you mess up. The team learns more about you from how you recover than from a flawless take.
  • Say thank you and exit gracefully. Don’t wait to be dismissed — you’ll feel when the moment is done. Don’t ask for feedback in the room.

A note on slating: Encore does not require slating (“Hi, I’m Rhett, and today I’ll be singing…”). A natural greeting is enough. If a show specifically asks for a slate, follow that instruction — otherwise, skip it.

8. Callbacks

Discuss what a callback is and why it exists:

  • A second look, often with specific material the team wants to see.
  • An opportunity to make creative choices on prepared sides — choices that move the story forward.
  • A chance to work with other young artists in scenes or songs, which lets the team see chemistry and collaboration.

Talk through how to prepare callback material: memorize it, make choices, come in ready to be redirected.

9. Q&A and Closing

Open the room. Common themes to draw out:

  • Stay true to yourself even when embodying a character.
  • You are walking in as an artist sharing your work, not a student taking a test.
  • The team wants you to do well. They are rooting for you.

Second-Day Options

If the class runs across two sessions, choose one of these arcs for day two.

Option A — Individual Performances

  • Recap and warm-up.
  • Each young artist presents their prepared piece.
  • The instructor and peers offer constructive feedback — one specific strength, one specific note.
  • Group analysis: discuss patterns across the room (common strengths, common mistakes).
  • Reflection: ask each artist to write down one thing they’ll keep and one thing they’ll change.

Option B — Mock Auditions

  • Recap and warm-up.
  • Simulate a real audition: greet the team, introduce the piece, perform, exit.
  • The instructor plays the creative team and gives feedback as if running a real call.
  • Group debrief on presentation, projection, body language, and recovery.
  • Reflection: same written assignment.

Status: Working · Portal: Public · Last reviewed: 2026-05-12 · Owner: Rhett · Originally created by Rhett Guter

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