Audition Sides

by Ruth Kulerman

"Sides" are segments taken from a script. A few lines, one page, or a whole scene, they are in lieu of a monologue when you audition. This is what casting people mean when they say "There are sides." Sometimes you do not see the sides until you go to the audition. In this case then, you will be doing a "cold reading." ("Cold reading" is auditioning with material that you have not seen in advance.)

However, in the case of TV, feature films, or many regional theaters, the sides are posted on Sides Express (a division of the Breakdown Services). These sides are obtained by your agent or manager, sometimes one day in advance, sometimes a week in advance. Your agent/manager downloads the sides and you pick them up or they can be faxed to you.

Tips on Sides

Unless you have several days and the sides are relatively short (one or two short speeches) do NOT spend time memorizing them. Instead, spend the time working on the sides themselves. Your aim first is to try and make sense of the story. That is, try to discover by inference what is going on in the plot and what your particular character is doing in the plot. If it is a play, Google the play itself to read reviews. If it is a new play, Google the playwright. If there is no information, you are on your own--you and the text (page) in hand.

Ruth Kulerman is an actress and acting coach in New York.

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