Show audience feedback from The South Devon Players theatre company, Brixham production of The Ballad of Resurrection Bob last weekend:
1) " Very entertaining with impressive creativity"
2) " Another excellent show"
3) " Very good, enjoyed it very much"
4) "Excellent, you obviously enjoyed putting on the play and we really enjoyed the whole production - well done"
5) "Enjoyed the play very much"
Well done everyone!
Monday 29 April 2013
Monday 22 April 2013
A is for Auditions
In between our other news articles from the group, we are starting a
series of articles which are intended (work, volunteering etc going
according to plan) to comprise an A-Z on theatre for beginners. The
articles may be spasmodic as we have a huge turnaround of shows
including tackling a production of Les Miserables, so these will be
posted as one of us has time to sit down and write one – sorry about
that!
The first one:
A is for Auditions.
So, you have seen an audition listed somewhere – maybe on a website, maybe a poster in town, or maybe a friend has told you about it. You may have wanted to get involved in acting for a long time, or you may just like the idea of that particular show, or be looking for a new hobby. Maybe you are lucky enough to find an audition for some paid acting work. But what is going to happen? What are people going to expect of you?
Common questions I see on Yahoo! Answers often ask “I have seen an audition, but I have no idea how to prepare or what to do for it!”. Now any audition advertisement should have some way to contact the production company or casting director for queries. If you are really unsure what to do (if the advert does not, for example, tell you to prepare a song or monologue), no serious director or production company is going to mind your contacting them and asking for more information. Or you could search on Google for the company website to find out more about them. In amateur or community groups, you may be expected to take part in group script readings, from the show script, as your audition.
There are common pitfalls when auditioning. I always expect auditionees to arrive on time, show respect for others in the room (so not playing on phones/ ipods, eating a McDonalds, talking loudly over those auditioning, taking the mick out of those auditioning, etc), and to bring a pen and a diary.
Always bear in mind that not everyone can have the lead roles. It is not a slight on your acting ability. Usually a director is also taking into consideration how well you might “look the part” – so for example, a ten year old girl could not hope to be considered for the role of an elderly gentleman, however well she read the part- and will cast according to physical appearance described or suggested by the script, coupled with the actors ability. I also look at the apparent respect and good manners shown towards others and the rehearsal space, even when the person is not in the group of people currently in an audition reading.
If you are not cast in a huge role, and are offered a smaller one, then put all the energy and effort you can into that. A story is often told in our group about a show seen by some members where an “extra” who had no lines at all, but who was on stage a lot, almost stole the show from the leads, by their superb acting and who impressed a lot of people.
While some people level the comment at some amateur theatre groups that directors or groups have “favourites”, this is not the case with us. We look simply at someones overall suitability for the roles in the show, and as part of the team. Sometimes a new member may get a lead, sometimes a veteran member. You can never tell. Some groups may not cast new members in lead roles, simply over concerns about the reliability of a new person they do not know – which leads us on to the next paragraph! (and goes back to the previous paragraph about doing any role, large or small, with real effort!)
PLEASE be honest about your availability. Some people audition, then once cast, realise that they are not available on rehearsal days, or that they had a holiday booked on the show days. It is critically important that you do not waste other people’s time if you know you cannot commit. While people do understand if you fall ill or something, timewasting or “just auditioning for a laugh” is likely to get you mentally branded as unreliable by the director, so if you wanted to seriously come back in the future, you may have shot yourself in the foot, as is also the case over tantrums about “not getting the starring role”.
Whether the show is an amateur show, or a professional show, you are still expected to behave in a professional manner and take the audition, and your commitment, seriously. Film and TV companies do approach groups looking for actors and extras (sometimes paid) and so you could have the beginnings of professional opportunities as well. Maintaining a professional attitude from the get-go is not only expected by everyone else in the theatre group (after all, you are hoping to be involved in a theatre production performed to a paying audience) but is good practice for you as well.
And that is the bare bones of good audition practice. You are always welcome to comment with any questions! Next time, B for Being An Actor
The first one:
A is for Auditions.
So, you have seen an audition listed somewhere – maybe on a website, maybe a poster in town, or maybe a friend has told you about it. You may have wanted to get involved in acting for a long time, or you may just like the idea of that particular show, or be looking for a new hobby. Maybe you are lucky enough to find an audition for some paid acting work. But what is going to happen? What are people going to expect of you?
Common questions I see on Yahoo! Answers often ask “I have seen an audition, but I have no idea how to prepare or what to do for it!”. Now any audition advertisement should have some way to contact the production company or casting director for queries. If you are really unsure what to do (if the advert does not, for example, tell you to prepare a song or monologue), no serious director or production company is going to mind your contacting them and asking for more information. Or you could search on Google for the company website to find out more about them. In amateur or community groups, you may be expected to take part in group script readings, from the show script, as your audition.
There are common pitfalls when auditioning. I always expect auditionees to arrive on time, show respect for others in the room (so not playing on phones/ ipods, eating a McDonalds, talking loudly over those auditioning, taking the mick out of those auditioning, etc), and to bring a pen and a diary.
Always bear in mind that not everyone can have the lead roles. It is not a slight on your acting ability. Usually a director is also taking into consideration how well you might “look the part” – so for example, a ten year old girl could not hope to be considered for the role of an elderly gentleman, however well she read the part- and will cast according to physical appearance described or suggested by the script, coupled with the actors ability. I also look at the apparent respect and good manners shown towards others and the rehearsal space, even when the person is not in the group of people currently in an audition reading.
If you are not cast in a huge role, and are offered a smaller one, then put all the energy and effort you can into that. A story is often told in our group about a show seen by some members where an “extra” who had no lines at all, but who was on stage a lot, almost stole the show from the leads, by their superb acting and who impressed a lot of people.
While some people level the comment at some amateur theatre groups that directors or groups have “favourites”, this is not the case with us. We look simply at someones overall suitability for the roles in the show, and as part of the team. Sometimes a new member may get a lead, sometimes a veteran member. You can never tell. Some groups may not cast new members in lead roles, simply over concerns about the reliability of a new person they do not know – which leads us on to the next paragraph! (and goes back to the previous paragraph about doing any role, large or small, with real effort!)
PLEASE be honest about your availability. Some people audition, then once cast, realise that they are not available on rehearsal days, or that they had a holiday booked on the show days. It is critically important that you do not waste other people’s time if you know you cannot commit. While people do understand if you fall ill or something, timewasting or “just auditioning for a laugh” is likely to get you mentally branded as unreliable by the director, so if you wanted to seriously come back in the future, you may have shot yourself in the foot, as is also the case over tantrums about “not getting the starring role”.
Whether the show is an amateur show, or a professional show, you are still expected to behave in a professional manner and take the audition, and your commitment, seriously. Film and TV companies do approach groups looking for actors and extras (sometimes paid) and so you could have the beginnings of professional opportunities as well. Maintaining a professional attitude from the get-go is not only expected by everyone else in the theatre group (after all, you are hoping to be involved in a theatre production performed to a paying audience) but is good practice for you as well.
And that is the bare bones of good audition practice. You are always welcome to comment with any questions! Next time, B for Being An Actor
Sunday 21 April 2013
Exmouth Drama Festival
Super and well done to all the cast of our show The Ballad of
Resurrection Bob, who competed at Exmouth Drama Festival (local heats of
the All-England Drama Festival of one-act plays) yesterday. Great
feedback on characterisation, set, props, costumes!!!!
Next performances in Brixham and Torquay on April 27th and 28th, see our website page http://southdevonplayers.weebly.com/show-dates--tickets.html for full details. :)
View full Drama Festival photo album on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.600197216659808.1073741828.552273828118814&type=1
The Ballad of Resurrection Bob is the true (and hilarious) local Brixham history story of a 19th Century smuggler who faked his own death to smuggle contraband past the coastguards up to the town of Totnes.
Next performances in Brixham and Torquay on April 27th and 28th, see our website page http://southdevonplayers.weebly.com/show-dates--tickets.html for full details. :)
View full Drama Festival photo album on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.600197216659808.1073741828.552273828118814&type=1
The Ballad of Resurrection Bob is the true (and hilarious) local Brixham history story of a 19th Century smuggler who faked his own death to smuggle contraband past the coastguards up to the town of Totnes.
Thursday 11 April 2013
In the world of film
The trailer for a new movie, directed by the local film director John
Tomkins, featuring several members of the The South Devon Players
theatre company, Brixham, and filmed in and around Torbay in Feb 2013.
https://vimeo.com/63668204
https://vimeo.com/63668204
Wednesday 10 April 2013
Tuesday 9 April 2013
Latest news on Les Miserables
Latest news on the The South Devon Players theatre company, Brixham
Les Miserables auditions
(https://www.facebook.com/events/153265088155883/) Updates on the show
(there are several points here, all very good)
- For anyone who is with Aesthetic Clarity LTD or any other talent agency, or who has their own acting/ performance/ tech website, who is in this show, you will be welcome to use relevant rehearsal/ promo photos and videos for your portfolios.
- A videolog and documentary film following the progress of the show, from may to Sept, with rehearsals, behind the scenes, publicity events, and shows, will also be made, and shared worldwide.
- Tickets are already being reserved for the shows!!!! Yes, people have already phoned me to book tickets, even though the shows aren't until September!
- Even before being cast this has gone worldwide, with an American university working with parts of our script for their students, and messages of "can we watch this online" coming in globally (USA, UK, Lithuania, Brazil, France, Canada, Australia, Japan thus far).
- For anyone who is with Aesthetic Clarity LTD or any other talent agency, or who has their own acting/ performance/ tech website, who is in this show, you will be welcome to use relevant rehearsal/ promo photos and videos for your portfolios.
- A videolog and documentary film following the progress of the show, from may to Sept, with rehearsals, behind the scenes, publicity events, and shows, will also be made, and shared worldwide.
- Tickets are already being reserved for the shows!!!! Yes, people have already phoned me to book tickets, even though the shows aren't until September!
- Even before being cast this has gone worldwide, with an American university working with parts of our script for their students, and messages of "can we watch this online" coming in globally (USA, UK, Lithuania, Brazil, France, Canada, Australia, Japan thus far).
Friday 5 April 2013
Monday 1 April 2013
Various...
MEETINGS
1) Les Miserables production meeting (that is for tech, makeup, set, those kind of things) will be on Saturday May 11th at Weatherspoons in Brixham (so in town centre) at midday.
2) The next South Devon Players committee meeting is on April 13th at 12.30 at Lytes House church hall, attendance is committee only, but if you have anything you want brought up in the meeting, please let one of the committee people know in advance.
DATES
Please check our main website on the relevant tab for the show dates for The Ballad of Resurrection Bob in Brixham, Exmouth, and Brixham Pirate Festival, and for the details on the open auditions for Les Miserables. http://southdevonplayers.weebly.com
LOOKING FOR
If you are local to us, this is a little bit in advance, BUT if you have any of the following, please save them for Les Miserables to help reduce panics later in the year. Please note that wooden things need to be woodworm-free. 1) bits of broken wooden furniture/ planks etc. 2) hessian or linen sacks (no logos or if there are, only on one side), 3) wooden crates
FREE MONOLOGUES
We are now building a page with free monologues for non-commercial use, written by our members. The first five are online now - see http://southdevonplayers.weebly.com/free-monologues.html
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