Super Audition Tips for the Super Prepared

You got an audition! You’ve watched an episode of the show, you have your sides, and your drive-on to the lot is all set.

What else should you be doing between now and then? Here are just a few of the nerdy actor things I do to be super prepared for every audition:

• Download All Available Sides – I only print out mine, but I’ll download and read everything I can. By reading sides for the other roles, I can piece together more of what the whole script is about, giving me added context for my audition.
  
  Once when auditioning for a nail salon owner, reading the other sides helped me figure out that I was actually an accomplice to the killer! They told me this when I arrived at the audition, but knowing in advance helped me properly prepare the character’s duplicity.
  
  
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  Research the Casting Director – I check my casting directors binder first, which includes notes from CD workshops I’ve attended and interviews I found on Backstage or other publications. I also search Google for more interviews or videos in which they mention what they expect from actors, how they run their sessions, or pet peeves.
  
  If nothing else, it helps to see what the casting director look like so you’re not thrown off your game when you see them. (Especially in those cases where the casting director is heart-stoppingly gorgeous – that has happened to me!)
  
  
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  Google Street View the Audition Location – I don’t have a GPS or a Smartphone, so I rock it old school with my Thomas Guide.Checking what the front of the building looks and noting neighboring landmarks helps ensure I won’t get lost and be late, especially when the entrance or building numbers are hidden from the street.
  
  I also use the Aerial View to check out potential parking spots and places where I can run errands nearby.