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Five Ways to Help Your Child Prepare for an Acting Audition

Going to your first audition can be nerve racking, but auditioning for a role is a great way to gain valuable acting experience – even if you don’t book the part! For every great actor, preparation is key. Young actor auditions are every bit as challenging as auditions for adults, even for experienced child actors. Acting auditions for kids with no experience can be especially daunting.

You can help your aspiring child actor through this difficult process by following these tips for child acting auditions and how to prepare your child for acting auditions.

1. Relax

Even the greatest actors in the world experience nervousness during their auditions! A key element of Lee Strasberg’s Method Acting, and a great way to approach pre-audition jitters, is Relaxation. Try warming up your body and your voice, the way an athlete would warm up and stretch before a race. Being nervous can derail a good audition and cause you to lose focus. Having a relaxed instrument is crucial, both to calm your nerves and help you focus on your performance.

2. Train

The best way for your young actor to be prepared for auditions is training. Our wonderful Young Actors Program helps foster, and amplify, all the imaginative and creative play that your young actor is capable of. The program starts them on the journey toward mastering The Method, a comprehensive acting technique used by some of the world’s greatest actors. At the same time, your young actor will have the opportunity to sample different aspects of the industry and actor training, through classes like Musical Theatre and Acting On Camera.

At The Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute, we offer acting classes for kids and teens through summer programs and year-long Saturday classes, perfect to work around the typical school schedule. With options for actors in grades K-12, our classes and curriculum can serve as an important tool to help your child prepare for an acting audition.

Former attendees took advantage of their proximity to our downtown Los Angeles or New York campus locations to attend these interactive classes in person. During the present COVID-19 crisis, we are offering online, “together-but-safe” classes. We’ve retained the immediacy and impact of our training classes, while eliminating the risks involved in interpersonal contact at this time.

3. Prepare For the Audition

Every actor must start somewhere. To prepare your child for their audition, make sure to have a professional headshot available and, if possible, a resume for your young actor. On a resume, you should include contact information and any relevant experiences such as commercials, community theatre, even school plays or performances. In addition to their recent acting credits, a resume may also include a special skills section. Here, you can highlight any special talents or skills that your child may have. Examples include dancing, singing, sports or even basic stage combat skills.

Be sure to read the audition notice carefully. Some casting calls will list relevant information regarding what else they will require at the audition, such as specific attire or footwear. Finally, do your research! Set aside some time to research the role your child is auditioning for, as well as the director and company holding the audition.

4. Help Your Child with Memorization

In theatre, many auditions will ask your child to perform a monologue. For film, television, and commercials, auditions typically consist of running scenes, also known as sides. In either medium, memorization of the audition material is often required. A great way to help your child prepare for an acting audition is to rehearse their material with them. Have your child or teen run their lines with you or another family member. Even if your child has never been to an audition before or has no acting experience, practice makes perfect!

5. Consider Your Child’s Safety

Heading out on auditions can be nerve-racking, both for the young actor and for their parents! Your child’s safely and well being should always be the top priority. Some parents opt to have their actor use a stage name in order to ensure their child’s anonymity. Keep in mind that minors should always be accompanied by a responsible adult and should never be put into any situation that makes them uncomfortable. 

The next session of Saturday YAS classes starts in September! Head to our Young Actors program page to learn more about our online options this fall!