Role call: Meet the new cast of NGU’s upcoming play and learn about the audition process
Photo courtesy of Seth Atkins
Trinity Adams, News and Feature Editor
Every year, NGU’s theater department shocks audience members with a show-stopping performance. This year the theater performed “Unreal City” by NGU Alumni Michael Thomas and William Shakespeare’s “Richard III”. The passion of the actors is easily seen and felt through their performances, but how do they come to be in these roles?
To audition for a play, students must come with a monologue prepared from a published play. The monologues usually last 45 to 60 seconds and auditionees should pick one that they feel passionate about the character and confident in their ability to play the role.
Amy Dunlap, associate dean of the theater department and director of “Richard III,” urges students to have their monologue memorized for their audition. The process for auditioning for a musical is similar, in that the auditionee must prepare a monologue, but they must also prepare a song and have the sheet music printed with their starting and stopping points marked.
“You should choose a monologue [and or song] that you like and that you could see yourself playing someday. Ideally, you should read the entire play that the monologue comes from and have an idea about who the character is and who they are speaking to. However, if you don’t know those details, you can create them for yourself. You should have a clear idea of who you are speaking to and why. What do you want from that person?” Dunlap said.
She also noted that each production is different and it is important to look at the audition notice to understand what the director is looking for. In some auditions, students might have to perform a cold read. This is when a student is given a snippet of the production they are auditioning for, a role, and must perform it with other actors.
“The best way to approach this is to try to get your eyes off the script and on to your partner as much as possible, make bold choices and have fun,” said Dunlap.
Many people assume that the audition process is an intimidating experience. They think that the directors will be rigid and cold, but according to Savannah Williamson, senior digital media major, her audition experiences have been the complete opposite.
“Every time I go to an audition, everybody has just been super kind, cordial and they are just wonderful people to be around. It’s a huge family, and they are there to support you in everything you do. It is such a welcoming atmosphere,” Williamson said.
Williamson has auditioned and acted in many productions for the theater department. Most recently she played a murderer in Richard III. She shared that with each audition she continually tries to improve, especially in calming her nerves.
“Facing fears and being on stage in front of people to perform or audition is nervewracking [for me]. If I can figure out a way to get into a mindset to help myself not get so nervous I do that. Everyone is there to support you,” she said.
Williamson’s advice to students who want to audition for future NGU productions is to just take the leap and go for it. She emphasized the importance of community within the department and the love that is shown and given by everyone.
“When you go to an audition and you see the large crowd of people cheering for you as you get on stage and clapping for you after your performance is done, they make sure that you are loved and appreciated,” Williamson said.
In many of NGU’s productions, there are often children or alumni acting in the productions. Dunlap explained that auditions are open to all NGU students and the surrounding community. Every June, NGU’s theater department hosts a camp called Ingenuity, which the child actors seen in Richard were a part of.
“In Richard III, the young artists are all summer camp alums. We rotate young cast members for this show to give all of them an equal chance to perform. In Richard, we have three alumni from the NGU theater program. All three were interested in participating in the show because they want to give back to the department and enjoy working with our theater family,” Dunlap said.
The theater department also used children of faculty as child actors for productions. The department will work with alumni on a volunteer basis. In some cases, the department will also hire people for short-term jobs.
This spring, the theater department will be performing George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart’s comedy, “You Can’t Take It With You.” This production will be directed by Joshua Scott, who directed “The Last Night of Ballyhoo” last fall. “You Can’t Take It With You” follows the story of the eclectic Sycamore family. When the eldest daughter, Alice Sycamore, brings home her potential in-laws, everything quickly goes wrong when the house is raided by the FBI.
The NGU theater department can not wait to welcome you to the family with their production of “You Can’t Take It With You.” Check out the picture of the cast list and be sure to check your NGU email for updates on showtimes and opportunities to audition for the next production.
