Auditions!

[u/danielbelum]

What was your latest audition like? What format did they use? How much was it about your resume vs skill? Did they even talk to you if you haven't attended the in house Lv 1 through 5 classes?

[u/bryanfernando]

The last time I auditioned was maybe a year ago. They did 2-person scenes followed by a montage. I was passed over, and I’m pretty sure it’s because I haven’t taken any classes there. Based on my observation, the selection process is more skill-based than resume-based, assuming you’ve taken classes.

[u/escoterica]

I'm the artistic director of IMPRO Amsterdam, one of the largest English-language improv/unscripted theatre festivals in Europe. We completely reworked how we do auditions a couple of years ago to reduce stress and build community and it's been wildly successful.

What we're casting for: Our festival is 8 days long and has 16 hour long mainstage shows. Half of those are from established groups who submit tape, and the other half are performed by our festival ensemble led by guest directors.

The ensemble is 50% international invited performers, 50% local performers.

We ended up creating a two-day mini festival called IMPROotje Amsterdam ("little impro Amsterdam") that simulates the festival experience. We accept around 80 pre-screened applicants and assign them to one of six guest directors. They get a full-day workshop where they learn a new format, and that evening they do a show in front of a general audience. We cover costs by charging for the workshops, but we have a robust scholarship program so that nobody is left out because they can't afford it. Even with venue rental, it ends up being cost neutral.

Historically, people would travel to audition, get a 20 minute slot in front of the artistic team, then travel home. Their only real interaction with the festival was a stressful experience followed by a yes or no email. Lots of people felt alienated by the experience, and would skip the main fest if they didn't get in. Other years the fest would host a live competition show, announcing the cast at the end of the evening. This has the effect of functionally narrowing your field to only those who thrive on competition (when there's no competitive improv at the fest) and alienates support players/those who don't play well when stressed.

So, we reworked it to a) be a closer similacrum of what the cast would actually experience, and b) entice people to the fest whether or not they got in. This way, even if you don't get accepted (and most don't - we're only casting 8 out of 80), the experience itself is fun and valuable. You get a workshop, a show, and a chance to play and meet with folks from all over the country either way. People also tend to perform better because it doesn't feel like an audition, it just feels like a workshop showcase.

Participant feedback has been wildly positive and we've put together truly fantastic casts. The event has grown every year. It's more work for us as a festival team, but it's well worth it.

Anyway, long post, but I'd love to hear how folks feel about this model of auditioning.

[u/asek47]

Last improv audition was some warm ups then a free for all montage with tags, runs, callbacks, etc. Was at a place I hadn’t done classes before and I made it through, but had taken classes with some of the folks evaluating at other places. Don’t think resumes were weighted much.

One before that was also a montage plus pitching scene premises for Second City Grad Revue - made it through there and only folks who had taken conservatory 1-3 there were even allowed to audition. For con 1-3 people I know folks who didn’t do second city 1-5 who auditioned and made it in in recent years (that was line game, quick 2 hander scenes with big characters - people just go in whenever - and then called up with one other for a longer more grounded scene.

[u/Odd_Application5063]

I auditioned for second city and of course they said I was great and wanted me to be part of the theme and it was only gonna cost… Yeah it went down like that. I at first felt honored that I had been even invited to audition and the idea of doing improv somewhere where some of the greatest comedic actors of our times have performed was extremely cool but then I realized that it's all kind of scammy. So I went to the groundlings and auditions but they're really bad audition intentionally like I mean really bad I wouldn't sit in my seat I was all over the place I was the kind of actor that nobody wants around yet they accepted me. Gave me the same sales pitch that second city did. Which is how I learned the hard way that if an improv troop also functions on a school or levels you have to be on that cost of fortune, it doesn't matter how talented you are you've got to pay to play and there's no guarantee you're gonna learn anything while you're there. Of course practicing your craft is going to make you better but when it comes to improv there are tons of local groups you can join no matter where you're at I promise you there is and I would invest my time and energy into a local group that is performing and having fun that doesn't charge you. Many of which you can even make money from because a couple of the ones I have belonged to have had a pay structure where we get a percentage of the door with everywhere we will perform and that was split amongst the cast. The only downside to joining up with these groups is that they don't have any incentive to tell you you are wonderful and great and you're gonna be a big big star. They need you to actually be good. Because one bad actor and nobody's getting paid because nobody's gonna come see you perform. So it's a better scale on which to judge your personal acting abilities versus going to ones that you have to rise up the ranks through a paid level tier and that doesn't guarantee you're ever even gonna get a job with it. If you would like some suggestions for online improv groups that you could check out I'm happy to assist you with that.