Moderator:
Nelson Velazquez, Founder & CEO of Improductions
Panelists:
Skylar Bachisin (Stony Brook University), Tate Denham (Furman University), Harrison Wright (James Madison University)
This was the first panel of The CIC and I couldn’t be happier with how it went! Below the video and a quick summarization of the transcript with time stamps. I’ve tried to include all main discussion points so that pulling what you are interested in from the video will be quick and easy. With improv auditions just around the corner for most college improv groups, I hope this discussion will prove useful!
TIME STAMPED SUMMARY
What Is Important About Why You Hold Auditions?
2:30- 5:02
Discussion Points:
Looking to augment existing team culture with players that complement the existing team.
Looking for new members with ambition/care for the group and team members who can be on the team for multiple years.
Looking for new members with different perspectives. Example, a team member who knows a lot about history.
How Do You Hold Auditions? What Is Your Audition Structure?
5:02-15:40
Discussion Points:
Audition structure including multiple day formats, sometimes a day of auditions followed by a second day of callbacks (half rehearsal, so scenes with other auditionees but also some scenes with existing team members through a range of auditions.) Sometimes a three day process with a workshop day preceding the audition day and then the callback day.
One team has auditions start with auditioners signing in as silly a way as possible. This is done to help relax people before they audition. Another team asks auditioners who they think is scariest among the existing team judging them.
Unanimous decision by all existing team members in order to be cast or majority?
How first impressions figure into the decision making process.
What type of exercises to use in the actual audition: warm ups, character exercises, heightening exercises, group games, improvised monologues, matching games and character interviews.
Audience Question: What negative characteristics of auditionees are forgivable because you can teach it? What negative characteristics of auditionees are deal breakers?
15:40-24:20
Discussion Points:
Not being able to think on your feet is forgivable but not being able to Yes And, especially when asked to, is a deal breaker.
How an auditionee works with the team is critical, a deal breaker. A very talented actor that doesn’t mesh with the group or steamrolls is a no.
If you yell in every scene or play the same character in every scene is a deal breaker. It is important to see the range and breadth of performers. Does playing no character or playing close to yourself count as playing the same character always?
You also need to be looking out for red flags in terms of comedic content. Inappropriate content or boundary crossing. Noted that it is important to set expectations in terms of content expectations at the top of the audition. You should feel comfortable with your dialogue being quoted as something you said.
Offstage, forgetting talent level for a moment, what qualities are important to you in terms of culturally fitting within your group?
24:20-31:00
Discussion Points:
Should you feel you can hug your team members in order to be comfortable with them?
Egotistical players tend not to fit in.
Should a strong culture fit trump talent level? One team prioritizes culture over talent, but points out there is no lack of talent. Looking for “Someone approachable you can grab a beer with” or the best talent?
Should be comfortable being in scenes about a wide range of cultures.
Looking for diverse backgrounds, not just theater majors. A troupe of 10 similar people is bad, the jokes would all be the same.
Do you ever place alumni or outside pros on your audition board in order to eliminate biases?
31:00-39:30
Discussion Points:
Existing relationships can affect your bias in an audition, there needs to be a way to balance that.
By maintaining a unanimous vote in order to be cast you can push against bias, because all people will not have the same bias.
Bias towards personality is fine but bias based on identity is obviously wrong.
Aumni is an interesting idea, but they too will be biased to cast what they know and they may be unfamiliar with the team’s current vibe.
A bias towards longevity? It matters what year an auditionee is in, although teams have at times cast seniors who will graduate after just one year. While longevity takes a ding, it is important to bring in people you want to play with. So longevity matters and carries weight, but it is not a determining factor. Also, sometimes you might say no to a talented but untrained freshmen, so they can train themselves with team workshops for a year or two before being cast.
A bias towards commitment and energetic loyalty is positive.
How do you handle casting mistakes?
39:30-42:30
Discussion Points:
On one team, once you are in you are in. On another player’s high school team you had to re audition every year. Pros and cons discussed. You can confront bad apples without kicking them off the team. Are they actually a bad apple or just a green apple in a red apple bunch?
Given that you only see the people auditioning for a few hours over a few days, and obviously they are putting their best foot forward, how do you weed out bad (or green) apples?
42:30-49:00
Discussion Points:
One team has having lunch with an existing team member to get a feel of the new auditinee as a final stage of the audition.
Policies and documents can help.
One duo got on a team based on their talent, but then they were undedicated, so eventually they self selected off the team.
One team offers personal notes in callbacks and then they evaluate how well they apply those notes.
A couple production notes.
For years I have had a silly green robot (named “Ernie Impro”) associated with all of my Gmail, YouTube and Zoom accounts. I didn’t realize it when we recorded the panels but for some reason this image was the default image in the main Zoom room before the panel conversation started. Obviously I should have changed this to The College Improv Conference logo or the landing page backdrop. Oh well. Next year!
Lots of people have asked so here is the link to light piano music I was playing before the conversation started and just after it ended. It was a YouTube video named “Positive Morning Jazz Music - Bossa Nova Piano Jazz Coffee Gentle, Relaxing, Studying, Work.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RAMuW_QdicA
About a minute into the conversation Nelson is stuck muted because I kept Zoom controls on due to the fear of Zoom bombers, which RA has struggled with in the past. Once that is cleared up, Nelson expertly leads the conversation without incident for the entire hour. Anyway, this was my fault, not Nelson’s!
Reach out to terry@radicalagreement.com with any questions or suggestions! A new panel will be out next week.
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