Auditions Can Be Fun
Auditioning for a school musical can be an exciting and rewarding process. It is the first opportunity for children to hear about the story being told, the characters they could play and the songs they will sing. So, why are auditions often so stressful for teachers and pupils alike?
From the chattering of excitable children drowning out those who are trying to audition to arguments between friends about who has the better part, numerous pitfalls prevent the audition process from being the enjoyable experience it ought to be. So, read on for our top tips on conducting auditions like a pro.
Tips for Putting on School Musical Auditions
Whether you are putting on a primary school musical or staging a leavers' musical, you are bound to generate a lot of interest. So, here are our tips for making the audition process as smooth and enjoyable as possible:
Manage Expectations
When casting a musical, multiple children will inevitably want to audition for the same roles, which can lead to disappointment or resentment when many of them are cast as characters they might consider less important or less significant. Depending on the level of interest and the resources available to you, it might not be possible for every child to audition for the part they end up playing.
To minimise disappoint, it is important to prepare children for the possibility that they will not get to play the part they want, while emphasising the importance of every role in the play.
Separate Auditioning and Waiting Areas
While not every school has the luxury of multiple classrooms to host auditions, we recommend having at least two rooms available so that you can separate your auditioning students from those who are still waiting to be seen. This will help control your students' noise level while ensuring that the children auditioning have the best opportunity to showcase their talents without distraction.
Of course, additional rooms will require other staff members to supervise and chaperone children from one space to the next. Plus, having someone on hand to make cups of tea wouldn’t go amiss!
Familiarise Students with the Play
Once auditions are underway, the last thing you want is for the process to be halted by numerous questions from children about the story, characters and songs. To familiarise your students ahead of auditions, it can be useful to hand out plot synopses alongside scene summaries and character profiles.
On the other hand, if auditions have been met with a lukewarm reception, play the children snippets of songs from the show to generate some excitement.
Streamline the Audition Process
Depending on the size of your school and the amount of interest from your students, the audition process could last multiple hours. To keep things moving, we recommend using short excerpts from scenes. A few lines from each child should be suitable to gauge their acting ability.
For singing auditions, encourage your students to sing a couple of lines ‘a capella’ from any song they know. Teaching them a song from the musical will only increase the length of the process and may mask the vocal talents of those children who are less confident learning new lyrics on the spot.
Have Fun!
If you can make the auditions fun and stress-free, the production as a whole might just follow suit. While any unruly behaviour should be nipped in the bud, allowing yourself and your students to have some fun should foster excitement and enthusiasm for what should be an enjoyable experience for all!
We hope these tips have shown you that auditions can be fun, while maintaining the order and structure that shape the casting process. For more guidance on how to put on a school musical, check out our blog for plenty of insights into the wonderful world of school musicals!