Student Blog: Reframing Auditioning this New Year

2025 is going to be a big year for auditioning and me. To be honest, every year going forward in my adult life should be big on auditioning because after this May, I will be graduating with my BFA! Starting in January, I have audition after audition for either graduate school programs or summer stock/internships. Besides auditions at school, it has been a hot minute since I have done an intense audition and I would be lying if I said it wasn’t a bit anxiety-inducing. So my New Year’s Resolution: Make auditioning exciting and fun again! Here’s how I am revamping my auditioning mindset for this upcoming year. 

One main goal of mine has been to focus on audition material I truly love. If I am not passionate about what I am performing, it will definitely show in my audition. Some monologues I feel I have done over and over again and my passion for them has dried up, or I just truly don’t feel passionate about the story the monologue or song is telling. So finding one that you love will make the audition experience that much more enjoyable if you are doing a piece that you truly love!

Another thing I am trying this year is too make sure I am physically warmed up before I go into an audition, not just vocally or mentally. Stress tends to lock up certain parts of my body and can make you more nervous when walking into an audition. Beforehand, I am going to start trying to do extensive stretches and even mini workouts to get my body warm, loose, and grounded. I have a feeling it’ll make me feel much more confident going into the audition and will greatly benefit me in the end.

Finally, I am trying to reframe my mindset about what auditioning truly is. I always have walked in with the mindset of being judged and someone judging my work and who I am. At the end of the day, it really is a great opportunity to perform more than anything. No matter what, someone is seeing my work and what I love doing so no matter what, I am amking a connection! And what an exciting thing that is!

My goal for everyone reading this is to try to get as excited about auditions as I am trying to get going into 2025. Maybe if we all start looking at auditions in a more positive light, they will stop being so stressful and scary and start being exactly what they are supposed to be; something as theatre professionals, we love doing!