<p> Tips and Tricks to Ace any Audition!</p><p>1. Preparation - Make sure you show up to your audition fully prepared! Familiarize yourself with all of the audition material, whether that be sides or songs or maybe both, before the audition to ensure you will be on your A-game and ready for whatever the audition may throw at you. Read or at minimum watch the show you will be auditioning for in order to get a true understanding of the character’s thoughts, feelings, mannerisms, etc. in order to best portray this on the audition stage. Practice beforehand! Try reciting your audition sides or singing your songs in front of friends or family members before the audition in order to receive immediate feedback. 2. Breathing - Both nervousness and excitement are created by the secretion of the hormone adrenaline. However, when you are nervous you tend to hold your breath and think negatively. Science shows that you can create excitement from nerves by simply taking consistent breaths and putting a smile on your face. Whether you are waiting for your turn to take the stage or in the moment on the stage, ensuring that you take even, slow, and full breaths will undoubtedly help quell your nerves. 3. Clothing - When going into an audition, you can never be certain what tasks the director will ask you to complete. He/she may ask you to perform some type of dance or movement activity, and being in restrictive clothing will not help you with this. Always go to an audition in comfortable clothing in which you can freely move and breathe. 4. Expect the Unexpected - Finally, go into an audition with an open mind! Each audition is a new opportunity to try something new and take on a new challenge and you should embrace that. Prepare for the possibility of a cold reading by knowing the entire play (even the characters you may have not planned on auditioning for) or prepare for a dance by stretching before you go on stage.</p><p>Most importantly, have fun! Whether or not you are cast, you can always learn from watching and listening to your peers. -- From your 2016-17 EHS Drama Dept Officers :)</p>