BWW Blog: Christopher Castanho - Number 143

This past weekend I was lucky enough to attend a pre-screening audition at the Virginia Theatre Association (VTA) in Norfolk, VA. The audition determinates your eligibility to take part in the South Eastern Theatre Conference (SETC), where you are able to audition for hundreds of theatre companies. I'm tryna #book summer stock theatre this summer, so here's hoping I get passed through to SETC.

As hundreds of individuals pre-screen at VTA we are only allowed 90 seconds to present our audition, which consists of both acting & singing. The clock starts as soon as you say your name and number, and they will cut you off after the sand runs out. "Christopher Castanho, Number 143" This is my second time pre-screening for SETC, so I knew the drill. They took us in a small ballroom of the Waterside Marriott and sat the group of twenty in two rows of chairs. The process becomes somewhat mechanical, with one performer doing their material in front of the panel, whilst the next to go is sitting by the piano waiting to stand up.

Sitting and watching other pre-screens has taught me a great deal of what works well and what does not read in an audition. I remember my former professor, Jonathan Flom, saying that you should always leave the people behind the table wanting more, don't show them all of your tricks at once. If they want to see you do something specific they'll call you back.

A handful of girls decided to lay it all on the table. It's great that you can 'belt face', but I've discovered that starting an audition by basically YELLING is not at all appealing or interesting. It's #abrasive and v unnecessary. A plethora of riffing was also done by several individuals, which is great, cause like that's fierce...But their nerves already made it difficult to control their voice, so it was kinda like burnt chocolate fondue: it had so much potential to be delicious but ended up being chunky and dissatisfying.

If you cannot absolutely NAIL it when you're shaking with jitters: DON'T DO IT.

Choosing material can also be a huge factor in whether or not you're going to get the callback. Monologues involving: death, rape, murder, self-hatred, and other depressing or dark topics should be AVOIDED. PLEASE don't do stuff like that. There's nothing more uncomfortable than hearing someone complete their audition package with "WHY DOES EVERYBODY HATE ME!? Thank you." (That actually happened this weekend...Seriously.)

A little white girl sang "Almost There" from the Disney film "The Princess and the Frog", and while it might have been cute, I couldn't help but think if that song was appropriate for her or not. The song was written for Disney's first and currently only Black princess, which was an incredible milestone for the entertainment company. So should an animated character's race bar people from doing that material? The song doesn't have any mention of her race, unlike "I Know Where I've Been" from Hairspray (With lyrics like "The night as black as my skin.") In my opinion, I think that character's story was a very pivotal moment in Disney history that should be reserved for people of that race.

I felt so proud to be representing Shenandoah Conservatory's Musical Theatre program at the Virginia Theatre Association Conference. All of my classmates presented exceptional audition packages with poise and individuality. I'm always reminded of how lucky I am to be enrolled in such a wonderful program with talented artists when I see them shine.