6 Questions Child Actors Should Avoid Asking

Much has been written for adults on what not to say in the audition room or ask of an industry professional, but what about for parents and kids? There are a few things that children tend to ask before thinking. After a while, this drives a casting director, an agent, manager, or acting teacher nuts! Most reveal that a young performer has not prepared well enough, and expects an easy answer. Some simply show uncertainty that creates doubt about him or her as an actor.

1. “How do I say this line?” This is by far the most frustrating question to hear from an actor. There are times when a coach may need to feed a beginner a line reading, but a professional doesn’t ask. Being professional means examining the character and lines oneself. Go through the process of thinking it through and ask:

What does the character want as result of saying this line? 
Why does my character say that?
How does my character feel at the moment?

2. “How do you pronounce this word?” Use this guideline: Can I find this answer on my own though other sources? If the answer is yes, then do your own legwork. Be professional and take the initiative whenever you can. This is basic preparation. A casting director doesn’t mind questions, but they don’t like thoughtless ones.

3. “Should I sit or stand?” If a casting director wants you to do something, he or she will ask you. Meanwhile, this is your performance. You have control of the room, so act like it. Do what you have rehearsed or need to do. Show confidence. Only confident actors get hired! 

4. “Can I start again?” Most people get flustered when they make a mistake during a reading. That’s natural! However, you are an actor and this is an audition. Project confidence at all times! If you flub or forget a line and want to start again…just start again. The casting director or industry rep you are reading for will appreciate that you resume control of the situation without any further delay, and you maintain a sense of authority over your performance.

5. “How did I do?” Tempting as it is, never ask a casting director for a review of your (or your child’s) performance. Feedback is an important learning tool, but know whom to ask. It is the job of your agent or manager to obtain feedback for you, and they will provide the answers when they can. 

6. “Who else is auditioning for this role?” Putting your rep or coach in the position of sharing confidential information about other clients isn’t fair, and it isn’t productive. Parents often try to pave the way for their children, looking for new insights. You think it may help to know more about the others who will be auditioning for this project. Honestly, it won’t. It’s natural to be curious about the competition, but don’t be distracted by what other people are doing. Stay focused on what you and your child can influence. The only things you can control are what you and your child are doing, so give that your full attention. Keep the focus on yourself, be prepared, and show up with confidence!

How to Transition from Child Parts to Teen Roles

Your cute curls are now a ball of frizz. 
Your milky white skin has turned into a face map of Switzerland. Metal cages glisten as you smile, and your voice sounds like your father’s. Welcome to teenage bliss! Although you may feel like your career is in shambles because you are not getting as many auditions as you had when you were younger, take a breath. Believe it or not, the journey ahead is neither bad nor good; it’s just different—and that can be exciting.

Take Classes to Learn Technique
As you become a more mature actor you will be required to master skills that are beyond your natural ability. Enroll in an ongoing acting class. Whereas I worry about the over-coached child actor, teen actors need training, especially in technique. Sanford Meisner says, “Acting is living truthfully in the moment under imaginary circumstances.” It sounds easy, but it takes practice. Work regularly with a teacher and group that you trust.

Expand Your Range of Skills
Train in new areas, and get out of your comfort zone. If you are an actor who naturally moves well, up the ante. Try out a new style of dance to become more competitive. Now that your voice is settling in, take lessons regularly. Now that you’re coming into your own voice, learn new ones. Read my article on dialects.

Stay Busy
If you aren’t getting professional roles because you’re in the throes of adolescence, don’t stop acting. Find opportunities that challenge your range. Audition for a local theater production, or try out for your school play. Playing different roles whether you are paid or not is another important way to expand your skill set. And don’t forget: Go to the theater and watch classic films; if you want to be a good actor, watch good acting.

Get Comfortable in Your Own Skin
Listen, I know it’s an awkward time in your life. You’re becoming a young man or woman. As a child, you are primarily typecast as a juvenile. To cross over into a successful young adult actor, you need to come to terms with your body and be aware of the image you project. Staying physically active, practicing personal hygiene, and finding a good mental balance are all part of learning to love yourself. Believe me, it shows up in your audition and under the lights.

Take Responsibility For Your Career
Soon you’ll be driving. It can be liberating to feel the independence of learning to steer your career. You’re old enough to communicate with your rep directly. Don’t let your parents do all the talking. Read Backstage regularly for auditions and tips for furthering your career. Make good choices. Surround yourself with friends and family who support you in a positive way.

You’re growing up, and that’s your new role. You may want to put your tutu in a box for safekeeping, but you’re not abandoning childhood; you’re embracing young adulthood. Yes, it will be challenging, uncertain, and even a little frightening. However, it can be the most exciting time in your life if you let it.

3 Tips to Help Young Actors Make Better First Impressions

It has often been said that a casting director will size you up the minute you walk through the door. It turns out that research from Princeton University shows this to be wrong. It only takes about a tenth of a second! To me, there are two very interesting things about this. First, we make these judgments not just about appearance, but a whole host of traits. Second, these quick impressions last; additional evaluation time increases our confidence in these judgments.

Talk about pressure! This can make not only young actors nervous, but also their parents. And that often leads to trying to make everything perfect with pre-rehearsed answers to expected questions. Unfortunately, all that does is take the spontaneity and interest out of your child. Instead, follow these three tips to help your young actor make their first impression a good one.

1. Practice at home. Help your young actor get comfortable talking about subjects that are likely to come up in a casting call such as their hobbies, siblings, pets, school, and friends. The important part for a parent to remember is to focus less on specific answers and more on feeling comfortable with the subjects. Aside from guiding your child away from blatantly inappropriate or one word responses, let his unaffected honesty, clarity, and personality show. That is what casting directors want to see come through.

2. Make a game out of it. Get a group of friends and family to pretend they are meeting for the first time. Have each person speak with another for a few minutes and then write a one or two word positive “first impression” on a card taped to their partner’s back. Pick a new partner and repeat until all the participants have written something on everyone’s card. Have each person reveal what others said about them and discuss what we communicate when we first meet another person. This is a fun way to cover many basics of good communication such as eye contact, smiling, listening, posture, courtesy, and many others.

3. Head to the mall. Once your young actor feels comfortable talking about himself while role playing with family and friends, it’s time to practice with strangers. If your child participates in baseball, for example, head to a sporting goods store and have them talk to the salesperson about the equipment he uses, what they like and don’t like about it, and what the salesperson recommends. Your goal is to help your child practice and feel comfortable creating a rapport with adults they do not know.

Despite the fact that these are important life skills, for most children and many adults, they do not come naturally. Follow these tips to give your child the communication skills and confidence to make the casting interview a positive experience. Combined with talent and good acting training, you will put your young actor in the best possible position to land many wonderful new roles. I’d love to hear your thoughts on how you prepare your young performer for interviews and auditions.

Don’t let Nerves Sabotage a Young Performer’s Audition!

When people talk about stage fright, they often refer to full-blown deer-in-the-stage-lights, flop sweat anxiety. As an acting coach and teacher primarily for child to young adult performers, I more often see a much milder form that manifests itself during the audition. The nerves reduce a talented actor to giving a flat and uninspiring performance. Don’t let nerves sabotage your audition! Follow these five tips to leave your butterflies outside the door where they belong and land the role your talent deserves.

1. Be very familiar with the dialogue. Young performers often worry that they need to say every word exactly as it is written in the script. Take that burden right off your shoulders! Complete memorization may give some actors confidence, but it is not the main focus in the audition. Instead, focus on mastering the lines well enough so that the script, if you need it, becomes a reference tool instead of a crutch. Veering from the script in small ways is rarely a problem in an audition. Talk to your practice partner to be clear that the goal of running lines is proficiency, not perfection.

2. Make a connection. Confidence in what you are doing in the scene allows you to shift focus away from how you are feeling and toward the rapport you are building with your reader. Make eye contact and react to the reader’s cues. You will notice that the more you connect with someone else, the less nervous you will feel and the better your acting will become.

3. Be pleasant, but don’t worry about pleasing the people behind the table. Young actors are often influenced by their desire to please. Whether that impulse is directed toward a parent, the casting director, or an agent or manager, it is best to ease that burden. Reframe your perspective on the audition. Let it be an opportunity to do the thing you love rather than a judgment of you as an actor. Remember that the casting director genuinely wants you to succeed. And never forget that your parents love you regardless of whether you act on Broadway, in front of the bathroom mirror, or not at all.

4. Own your passion and success. Teen and young adult actors are generally more prone than their younger peers to a crisis of confidence. The rough terrain of going through middle and high school and on to college can take its toll. I encourage you to do two things to minimize these moments of fear and keep them in perspective. First, keep a scrapbook, photo album, or memory box of mementos that connect you to the love and accomplishment you feel about performing. Refer to it often and let it be a source of happiness and pride. Second, continue performing in amateur productions when professional jobs temporarily dry up. Consciously notice how acting makes you feel. Use that understanding to reinforce your confidence at auditions and in all areas of life.

5. Decide who comes with you to the audition. Sometimes it’s best to go it alone and sometimes you do your best with the support of a loved one. Many of my students audition out of their parents view. Talk to your parents if their presence is inhibiting your performance and negotiate a safe and mutual alternative.

Auditions can be nerve wracking but also empowering. You are focusing your initiative and drive on learning the art and putting yourself out there to make your dream a reality. Wow, when you think of it that way, auditions are truly a celebration of you.

How to Audition for Musicals As a Child

Finding a great song that isn’t overdone can be a challenge. Especially if you are ten and have never been in love or had your heart broken. Let’s face it. There are only so many musical theater songs written for young performers. Picking age appropriate material is important so that you can relate to it, but you can also find songs that work by making some adjustments. Maybe a child has never been in a romantic relationship but I’m sure they can identify with losing their best friend or having a celebrity crush.

I am asked all the time about how to choose musical audition material. I decided to ask my collaborator in my upcoming musical audition workshop, vocal coach Bob Marks, to weigh in. Bob has coached hundreds of young performers on Broadway, such as Lea Michele, as well as pop stars, like Ashley Tisdale and Britney Spears.

Here are some of the questions he gets asked.

Student: Where can I find a song no one else sings?
Bob: Why would you want to sing a song no one else sings? In my experience, it’s a good idea to sing a song that is not overdone, but not one that the casting team has never heard. You want them to be listening to YOU, not just wondering where the song came from. And the accompanist may have a lot of trouble playing a song he’s never seen before. I think it’s best to give a unique performance and let them remember you!

I have to agree with Bob. And if there is a song you absolutely love, enjoy singing, can relate to, and shows off your voice and personality, go for it! Let them hear the song like they’ve never heard it before.

Student: What if I can't relate to my song because of age or gender?
Bob: There are many ways to relate to a lyric, and the private subtext you create (what you’re thinking while you sing), is very personal. You might be singing a love song to a pet or parent, not necessarily your spouse! However, if the people you’re auditioning for feel that the song is inappropriate for you, it might hurt your chances for a callback.

Well put, Bob. I have heard songs written for boys, sung by girls. And vice versa. If you can create a natural, believable story, by all means, sing it.

When auditioning, the song can be taken out of context from the show. How do you, not the character, identify with the song? If you are singing "Part of Your World" from "The Little Mermaid," it is improbable to think you are a mermaid on land for the first time. Perhaps you can imagine you just landed a role on Broadway and play the awe, excitement, and exhilaration that would come with that notion.

I hear kids that have the most beautiful voices. The only thing missing is the story they are telling through their song. Who are you singing to and why are you telling them this? Pay attention to the “monologue” of your song. It’s what will get you the callback and hopefully the job!!!!