How to help your children prepare for their first audition

Your child’s first time audition is coming up, and somehow, you’re the one with stage fright. Hey, we get it! As a parent, there’s nothing you want more than to see your children succeed and to get the roles they’re hoping for. To do that? You first have to get through the audition.

Needless to say, auditions can seem daunting for both you and your children. That’s why we’ve put together this list of audition tips for parents, so you can feel better prepared to guide your children through the audition process.

1. Know what to expect

Uncertainty makes us nervous. Doing the work upfront to know what to do before an audition is the best way to feel less anxious and more confident.

Many community theatres will have a list of audition tips listed on their websites. Make sure you also read the casting call’s description—are the directors asking for a monologue or a song? Will the audition be in-person or is it a video submission? Finding the answers to these kinds of questions at the beginning will start you off on the right foot.

Here’s a bonus tip: find an online community such as a group on Facebook for parents of young actors. This will connect you with experienced parents who can give you tips and advice.

2. Select the perfect song or monologue

Picking an audition song or monologue isn’t as simple as picking your favorite song or favorite movie scene. The right song or monologue will showcase your children’s abilities and prove they’re star material.

Sit down with your children and brainstorm together what kind of song or monologue they should use. Talk through the tone of the show they’re auditioning for and find an audition piece that has a similar tone. Search for websites that have a curation of popular monologues or go old school by heading to your local library and flipping through playscripts.

Above all else, make sure to pick something your children enjoy. It will make practice sessions much more enjoyable.

Choosing a monologue or song that compliments your children’s abilities is a way for them to stand out among other auditioners. Image source: Unsplash, Brooks Leibee. https://tinyurl.com/y55nmnmt

3. Practice together a little each day

Believe us—cramming long hours to memorize a script or song for an audition at the last minute won’t be fun for you or your children. It also might result in children forgetting parts of their script or song during their auditions. In fact, it’s been shown that those who cram only end up remembering 20% of material a week later, whereas spaced repetition results in 70% retention. Encouraging your children to practice every day for short audition practice sessions will benefit them when the big day arrives.

If feasible, try to make time to practice with them. Your child will likely appreciate you putting in the effort to engage with them. If your children are younger, they might need your help with knowing what and how to practice.

Of course, there will probably be days where your children don’t want to practice. When that happens, incentivize them by reminding them what they’re working toward. After all, we all have times when we could use a gentle pep talk to keep us going.

4. Be encouraging

Your children need more than someone to practice their monologue with and drive them to the audition. They need emotional support.

Research shows that children who are given consistent encouragement from their caregivers have improved behavior and are more self-motivated. In other words, your children will likely be more eager to practice for their audition if you focus on their accomplishments and successes instead of their failures.

Preparing for an audition is no easy feat. Your children are working on something that’s hard and maybe even out of their comfort zone. Uplift them and focus on the positives!

5. Try an audition workshop

While not required by any means, your children might find an audition workshop to be useful. An audition workshop for kids is typically a single 1 to 2-hour session where directors work with students to give them tips to prepare for their first audition. Some community theatres might even offer audition workshops for free.

In many cases, audition workshops are designed to ease the anxiety of both children and parents who are new to the theatre community. They can be a great additional way for the whole family to learn the ropes and feel more prepared for the road ahead.

An audition workshop is designed to give your children the tools to succeed in their first audition. Image source: Unsplash, Hamish Kale. https://tinyurl.com/2tnup25z

You’ve got this!

With the right amount of dedication, practice and encouragement, your children will certainly have a shot at getting the role they want. And if they don’t, that’s OK, too! Every actor has to start somewhere, even if it’s with a smaller, less desirable part in the show. No role is unimportant in the world of theatre.

As a parent, the role you play in your children’s first audition cannot be understated. At the end of the day, no matter the outcome of the audition itself, your children will never forget the effort you made to show up for them and be an active part of their acting journey.

Facebook post:

Hey, stage parents! If you’re nervous about your children’s upcoming auditions and don’t know how to help them, you’re definitely not alone. That’s why we’ve written an article with tips and advice on how to best guide your children through the audition process for the first time, so you can help them get that role they really, really want. Read it now.

Image source: Unsplash, Natasha Hall, https://tinyurl.com/vckn65rw