Tag: Theater

Community, Theater business

The Audition Process

JET

For those wishing to be cast in a show, there is usually an audition process. Encore (Pirates of Penzance), and J-Town Playhouse (Irena’s Vow, The Tempest) are both theater companies that have recently announced auditions.

Most of the companies in our community hold open auditions. However, each audition process is as unique as the companies are themselves. Here is a break down of the audition processes in our community to help you better navigate the auditions and know what to expect.

Within the audition posting, you may be asked to select an audition time slot.  Other times the auditions will be scheduled on a first-come first served basis.

Different Companies will have different production staff present at your audition depending on the company and what style of show you are auditioning for. Sometimes, the only staff present will be the director. You might also be auditioning for the producer, writer and other production staff. If you are auditioning for a musical, than expect the musical director and choreographer to be at the audition as well.

Some companies hold each audition in a room where it is only you and relevant production staff, while others hold a public audition where everyone is in the room, including other performers, and everyone gets to see your audition. There is also a middleground: Two to three potential performers in the room at once for a simultaneous audition, though this is more common in Callbacks (round two of the audition process) to see if different actors have natural chemistry and can work together.

An important way to make the right impression in an audition is to come prepared. Make sure you read all the information in the audition brief–whether that be the Facebook page or event, or an email or other posting. Often you will be asked to prepare something in advance.

Musicals will often require you to prepare a song to sing at the audition that is relevant to the musical you are auditioning for. Rarely, if ever, do they want you to sing a song from the musical itself, but rather something similar. Research the musical beforehand and find songs that match the mood and genre. For instance, if the musical you are auditioning for is Singing in the Rain, you want to find a song that is jazz (matching music genre) and fairly upbeat (matching the mood.) A quick Google search should head you in the right direction. If you are asked in the audition brief to prepare an song for a specific character, research what kind of songs that character sings in the show (Ballads? Upbeat? Depressing?) and prepare something suitable.

More often than not, you will also be expected to showcase your dancing skill for musical auditions. This can be as simple as filling out a questionnaire asking for relevant experience, or more complex–performing a short dance on the day. If you are asked to perform a dance, here are two common formats to expect:

A. You will be taught a short dance at the audition to present when it’s your turn. To prepare for this, research the musical you wish to audition for. Often, musicals are choreographed based on one or two distinct dance styles (jazz, hip-hop, ballet). Once you know what they are, take the time to polish your skill, or if you are a beginner, consider taking a few classes to bring you up to speed.

B. It is rare that you will be asked to choreograph a dance piece before the audition, but if that is the case make sure to present something relevant to the musical that follows the specifications of the audition brief.

For all auditions, musical or not, you will often be asked to prepare a monologue. The monologue is usually about a minute long, and it is your chance to showcase your dramatic talent. Sometimes you are required to memorize it, but in most cases you can keep a copy nearby in case you need reference. Either way, know it well. Once your monologue is complete, the director may ask you to read lines from various characters in the show. This doesn’t always happen and whether it does or not isn’t necessarily an indicator of the success of your audition. It’s also important to note that reading for a specific role does not guarantee that you will receive that role once the show is cast. You may get another role. Reading prepared lines from the show gives the director an insight into what characters you could play, but is not a guarantee of anything.

None of these audition elements are guaranteed to be a part of your audition. That is why it is crucial to read the audition brief before arriving on the day. It will tell you exactly what to prepare, as well as relevant information about the audition’s location, and whether or not you need to RSVP.

Most importantly, have fun! The companies are rooting for you. They want to find good people to be a part of the community. They want to showcase people’s talents. Enjoy yourself in the room. Give it your all. Let them know who you are and what you bring to the table. We hope this has been helpful and we can’t wait to welcome you with open arms to our community.

Community, Families, Family

Keeping It in the Family: Generations

JET

Recently, I had the privilege of sitting down with three generations of the Abelow family. The reason? All three generations are involved in theater. I couldn’t get a hold of them all in one place, but I caught Peter, his wife Debbie, their daughter-in-law Rachel, and their grandson Yakir on the tail-end of a Hans Christian Anderson rehearsal to talk about their life in community theater and their personal, inter-generational legacy.

Where it all began:

When it comes to which production had the most Abelow family members participating, Esther was the first one with multiple relatives, with Rachel, Elana and Debbie in the production. However, since Raise Your Spirits is an all-female theater company, the male half of the family could not have been in Esther, and in that case, there could not have been complete family involvement.  Rachel and Elana Abelow Kronenberg both played prominent roles in Esther; Rachel played the title role and Elana played Ahashveirosh.

When Peter auditioned for Fiddler on the Roof, he did not expect to get a role but he did. He expected it to be a one-off, a dabble in theater but it led to other stage appearances. He came back, and a fellow cast member was the one who predicted it.

Whether it was seeing Peter on the stage or seeing him in a shtetl-era beard, what inspired the theater bug is still up for debate. But soon afterward, Peter and Debbie’s grandchildren appeared in Carousel, for a total of five Abelows in a show together, while the second generation watched from the audience. All three generations were present in Oliver, bringing the number to eight Abelows in a single show.

Decisions were made on a very individual basis, each person deciding on their own if they wanted to be in a specific show, followed by calls to various family members, figuring out if they were also interested, setting up rides to rehearsals and making other plans. Some shows became inter-generational affairs, while others featured only a few members. It was almost a sure thing that Debbie and Peter were involved in a show, and often, the filmed shows would later appear on Avi Abelow’s YouTube Channel. Recently, Peter branched out into non-musicals as well, debuting at the AACI in J-Town’s production of Hannah Senesh (much to this author’s delight!) and Elana has taken command backstage, directing and producing two musicals (Mary Poppins, Annie) with Orot Etzion Banot.

An Enduring Legacy

Involvement in Jerusalem shows has changed the way Peter sees musicals abroad—on Broadway and The West End. “I’m much more highly aware of the polish that goes in, how the scenery moves. How actors move. The relation to each other.” He also developed an appreciation for how much effort goes into the supporting cast; “With 20 people on stage, I used to watch the lead. Now, I’m much more focused on all the other actors on stage; to see what they’re doing in these moments when the leads are in the focus, but they’re on stage. And they’ve got to be acting too. I’m much more aware of that now.”

Yakir mentioned a personal example from his most recent show which he starred as the title character of Hans Christian Anderson. Act I ends with complete confusion, and a large amount of people are involved in creating “organized chaos.” Coordinating a chaotic situation was a large undertaking that only lasted moments in action, but took hours to choreograph beforehand.

Then there’s the fun. There are also family members who come to see you, like that uncle in the audience who spends the entire show trying to make you crack up and break character. There is an added pressure when people you know and fellow actors are watching you. You want to be the best you can be. Then there is that euphoric, joyous feeling you share with cast and audience alike on a night that went well and the behind-the-scenes stories you share of the things that–noticeably or not–did not go to plan. Rachel said it well: “It’s exciting to know that they’re there and you’re having that experience together.”

Each person counts. Not just as a role on stage, but as part of a larger community. You see it when you are hard at work on a project with family or friends and you have those moments where everything comes together or when you’re all singing a song and connecting with the audience, or when you deliver a line to the Burgomaster and you both smile, knowing he is also your grandfather, it’s a special moment. “The end of the show is the highlight when everyone comes together,” Yakir maintained. “I start tearing. I don’t know about you,” Debbie concluded, “I agree.”

I asked the Abelow family what makes them keep coming back.

Rachel started with “The togetherness.”

Debbie added “The memories together.”

Yakir added “The cast.”

Peter added, “the privilege to be part of the efforts of presenting quality English language theater to audiences in Israel.”

It is a mix of all those things. It is special arriving as a new oleh or olah and having a community waiting for you that speaks your language, that entertains you in your language. Meeting people with whom you are going to put together a show, connect with, work with, and make friends with. “I was just helping Ronny who is the stage manager [of Encore] put things in the car, and I was like ‘do you know that you met me eight years ago and I used to be that annoying kid that always wanted to press the curtain?’ He’s like, ‘You still are.'” remembers Yakir. “You grow up with these people. It’s kind of fun.”

And within the nuclear family it happens as well. “It’s really special that we have this shared experience together, and then it’s also special that we talk to family from the audience and they share their experience. What they saw and how they saw. It all goes around.” remarks Debbie.

It’s the experience that brings us all back. Today’s children debuting in the ensemble are tomorrow’s lead roles. For the Abelows and many others, theater is in the family. For some of us, theater becomes our family. Whether it’s all we’ve known, or a new love we’ve discovered along the way, it’s an enduring legacy, the gift we all give to each other each time we take on a new role.