Auditioning

Auditioning

Think Creative Ministrys does not hold formalized auditions. Instead we use a selection prosecc called Casting Calls. The differences between an audition and a casting call can be confusing. In an audition, the actor prepares a piece of work (usually a one-minute monologue and possibly anywhere between 16-32 measures of a song from a musical). The director then makes his or her final decision about who is in and who is out. If a decision is especially difficult, sometime a director will have callbacks. In the stage on the auditioning process, the actors in question are seen a second time in order to help decide which one best fits the particular role.
A casting call, on the other hand, is a time where new talent is brought in to see what part would best suit their current acting ability. They may bring something if they would like, or simply spend some time with the director. He or she may simply talk about past acting experiences, or have the actor play a few parts in some acting exercises. This is all to determine what sort of part is to be given, not if a part is to be given at all. No one is left out.
We believe that if someone had a desire to be a part of drama ministry, the opportunity should be extended to them. They will know very quickly if the world of acting, memorizing, and rehearsals is something they are willing to be committed to.
Since Think Creative Ministries is a Christian repertoire-acting troop, we want to model scriptural principles at all times. In probably the most famous verse in the Bible
(John 3:16) Jesus says, “…that whosoever believeth in Me shall not parish, but have everlasting life.” This word “whosoever” implies that no one is left out. All are welcome into the kingdom of God. We at Think Creative Ministries want to have an atmosphere that encourages everyone to explore their God given talents. The kingdom of God is not an exclusive club. This is our reasoning for not conducting formalized auditions. This does not mean we are unconcerned with putting on the highest quality shows possible. In fact, this means quite the opposite. Colossians 3:23,24 says, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.” We want to put on high quality shows as an offering to the Lord, as well as making the audience has a pleasurable time.
Actors will be cast according to their current level of ability. In Jesus’ parable about the talents he says that the men were given the talents “according to their ability.” This does not mean however, that if you or someone you know has a smaller part in a sketch or show, they are incapable of playing a larger role. Sometimes this happens simply due to who decides to be a part of the sketch, in which case all the roles must be filled.
As Christians, our aim is to serve God and give Him glory, not gain praise for our selves. Mark 9:35, says, “…If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all." We are trying to make servants of God, not stars. This goes along with the classic Shakespeare quote, “There are no small parts, only small actors.” Each of us has a role to play in the kingdom of God. Let us serve Him together.

Don't just recite it, Deliver it.

One of the biggest things in acting is line delivery. As the old saying goes, "It's not what you say, it's how you say it." This is especially true with acting and Drama Ministry. As actors, we want to present our material as authentically and as realistically as possible. The idea in doing this is to not just simply memorize our lines and recite them on stage. We should read the line. Then, we need to think about what the line means, what is the character really saying? What are they trying to convey by saying this line? What motives, beliefs, and feelings are being expressed in this line? We need to ask our selves how we would respond if these things are really happening to us. How would I feel? How Would I respond? What type of vocal tone would I be using if this were really happening to me?
Then, we need to try out the line. Does it sound good? Am I conveying what I want? We should try out many different ways of saying the line before settling on any specific way of saying it. We need to think about where the emphasis of the words is going. What is the most important words of the sentence? Play with different types of emphasis; see how the line changes in connotation by changing the emphasis. The thing to watch for in this exercise is not making the line singsongy. The line should sound as though it is the natural response from what has just been said. This is why memorizing not only your lines, but also the line surrounding your line is a good thing. This way, you can get the feeling your line is to have. If this character just said that, then I will respond like this. This creates an amount of flow with the characters. The late and great Russian actor and teacher Stanislavski had this to say on the subject, "The proper inward feeling creates the proper outward action."
The lines should flow from us, not bounce off us. It's almost like playing a game of catch. You don't want the ball to bounce off of you. You want to catch the ball and then throw it. The same is true with acting. You want to take your lines, understand them, feel them, and then send them out into the air. Throw them out into the audience. The lines should come from you, the actor, not the script. The script is just paper and has no life of its own. It is the job of the actor to put on the meat, bones and flesh of a character and the things he or she says.