In this blog series we’ve discussed Casting Auditions for Non-Singer Roles. We’ve covered the audition environment, the “types” of auditions and the different types of roles that are available for actors who don’t sing.
We’ve covered a great deal about how you can prepare for these auditions, and how to get more work as an actor in non-singing roles. But we haven’t yet discussed a very important concept:
Character vs. Character Actor
The difference between a character and a character actor is one that is often misunderstood. While it may seem like an obvious distinction at first, there are actually some nuances that are worth exploring here.
Understanding the differences between character and character actor will help you to take greater control of your career, and get more work on stage.
In the last few years, I’ve been going on a lot of auditions for non-singer roles. In fact, aside from a couple of musical theatre auditions here and there, I haven’t done any pure-singing auditions since January 2014. That’s not because I want to stop singing forever – it’s just that I feel like I need to explore other areas of my craft now.
I’ve only been doing acting (professionally) since 2012, and I’m still finding my way in the industry. Sometimes, when I go on an audition, I don’t feel like I’m quite at the level that everyone else is on. It’s like there are ‘unspoken rules’ about how you should act at an audition that everyone else seems to know except for me!
This blog is my way of breaking down these unspoken rules and explaining these things that actors do – sometimes without thinking about them – so that others can understand what’s going on.
The following is an excerpt from a blog post by Stephen Schwartz, Oscar and Grammy winner, discussing auditions for non-singing roles. This particular entry is about the process of auditioning for the character “Cinderella’s Prince” in the musical Into the Woods.
Into the Woods was on Broadway at the time (1987), and it was a big hit. I was still in school and wanted to go to my first Broadway show. My parents got tickets for me, my sister, and my best friend to see it with them. I was overjoyed. My parents had never taken me to see a Broadway show before. I opened up the Playbill and read about Stephen Sondheim’s long career as a composer and lyricist for musicals like Follies and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. There were also images of him giving piano lessons and conducting orchestras. I thought he must be a really important person.
I got to see Into the Woods twice on its national tour, both times with different actors playing Cinderella’s Prince. They were both good but very different from each other—one was more confident while another was more romantic—so I wondered how they would decide who to cast as Cinderella’s
There is a myth, even among actors, that singing, dancing and acting are all different. Only the most singularly talented performers, or so the myth goes, can do all three. In the world of musical theater, there is some truth to this. Musicals are a unique art form and require a high degree of talent in each of these disciplines.
But when it comes to non-musical theater, film and television? That’s another story.
Actors who are only cast for non-singer roles are required to be proficient in all three disciplines: singing, dancing and acting. And casting directors expect you to be good at all three.
What? How can that be?
Well, let’s start with what singing is. Here’s one definition: “To make sounds with the voice… by producing tones with the vocal folds.”
Here’s another: “To express emotions or thoughts in song.”
And here’s a third: “To say something melodically.”
Here’s what singing isn’t: a performance technique unique unto itself. Rather, it is an expression of emotion and thought through the medium of sound in conjunction with some sort of tonality (melody).
Welcome to my blog. I have been auditioning for over ten years and this blog is a collection of my experiences as an actor.
I started blogging because I had many questions about casting and auditions, and there were few people that could answer them. There are so many different ways to approach any one audition, but for some reason, actors tend to stick with the same routine.
Actors need to know the steps, but they also need the confidence to improvise when necessary. Auditioning is like a dance: you can do it with your eyes closed, but it’s much more fun when you can look into the eyes of your dance partner.
The Actor’s Nightmare, the play by Christopher Durang, imagines a scenario in which an actor is on stage and has no idea what he or she is supposed to be doing. Such a moment of panic may feel far-fetched, but it is not uncommon for actors to feel as though they are in way over their heads at auditions. When an actor is asked to sing a song at an audition, even if it’s just a short sample, most actors have some idea how to handle this request. But when an actor is asked to perform a comedic monologue (or any kind of monologue really) that is not specifically written for the stage (or television), many actors freeze up immediately.
So let’s pretend you walk into your audition with a comedic monologue from the TV show “Seinfeld” in hand. The casting director looks at you and says something like: “Can you do that as if you were talking to someone?” It obviously makes sense; this monologues was written for Jerry Seinfeld who would be talking to his friends. In other words, the actual text was never meant to be spoken aloud while being performed solo on stage.
If you’re like most actors, your first reaction will probably be “Huh?” Because you don
“Character actor” is a role that is frequently misunderstood. It is not a derogatory term, although it is often used to describe an actor who has a plain appearance or is lacking in physical attractiveness. The best character actors have the ability to disappear into any role as a leading man might. They are able to adopt foreign accents and change their voices, they can play multiple races and ages, they can speak in verse, they can be funny and dramatic, they are chameleons. Character actors are absolutely necessary for television and film productions because so many scripts call for people who look and sound like the audience.
Some of the most famous character actors have been around for decades and have hundreds of roles under their belts. They are some of the most gifted performers working today; think Jack Nicholson and Meryl Streep. But there are plenty of less experienced character actors just starting out on their careers too, many of whom have been inspired by those who came before them. As you start your journey as a character actor, think about those who have gone before you – particularly those who have made an impact in the last few decades – and try to follow in their footsteps!
