Being a reader is like getting an audition masterclass
“Two drifters, off to see the world
There’s such a lot of world to see.”
I was a reader for a major casting agency in New York for three years. Honestly, I think I’m still on their email list, should they have need for me when things open back up again.
I learned so much as a reader. I sat in on musical theatre and theatre auditions and I learned a ton about the audition process. I studied how actors walked in the room, how they spoke to the casting director, how they spoke to me and the accompanist, how they handled direction, whether they were off book or not, did being off-book matter, and how they left the room.
There are quite a few advantages to being a reader for a casting agency or theatre company. You get to establish a relationship with people who could possibly hire you. You get to know them better, and that may make you more comfortable when you go into auditions for yourself in that same space. You get to read several different characters, with several different actors all in the same day or set of days. You are able to work on your memorization skills and staying present. You are able to work on your ability to take direction and listen and adjust quickly.
There is a huge responsibility in being a reader for someone else’s audition. You are essentially their partner in that audition room, assisting them so that they have the best audition they can. You have to remain attentive and malleable; ready at a moment’s notice just in case an actor skips over a line. It is a huge responsibility, in my humble opinion, and I welcomed it. Loved it even.
Getting the chance to watch a 20-50 auditions any given week, gave me insight into what can make an actors audition more polished, precise, likable, and professional. I share my insights in this video.
We won’t all get the chance to be a reader. But if you do, I promise you, you will learn something that you can use for your own auditions. And if you do, please tell us all of your secrets, so we can all be better, and have more positive experiences in the audition room.
Cheers,
Adrienne