Theatre Casting & Audition Technique Workshop with Ginny Schiller

Ginny is an experienced casting director with nearly 20 years in the industry under her belt, with theatre as her primary focus. Ginny’s casting credits include Royal Shakespeare Company, Soho Theatre, Rose Theatre, Bristol Old Vic, Almedia, Arcola, Frantic Assembly, Young Vic, amongst many others.

This workshop will use monologues as a springboard to discuss how best to prepare for and to pitch a live online audition.  Zoom and its equivalents offer a good way of auditioning for all media in the time of Covid and beyond - and there’s no doubt it’s here to stay so we all have to get ourselves familiar with it.  Even for screen work it can be complicated, but there is an essential mis-match between acting for the camera and for the stage, particularly for classical or stylised theatre but also in contemporary pieces. It’s useful to understand and get to grips with the issues.

Participants should prepare a short monologue (about 90 seconds ideally, 2 mins max) of their choice from any medium and genre, classical or contemporary, and will be given specific individual feedback, as well as observing everyone else’s turn.  We’ll also discuss practical issues such as eye-line, where to put the camera, physicality, lighting etc.  Time allowing, there will be a Q&A at the end.  The workshop will provide a safe and enjoyable space to practise with material and the format, and a chance to get up to speed with all the little adjustments actors can make not only in creative choices but also with the practical considerations which can enhance and give you more confidence for an online audition.

When choosing a monologue, be brave but cast yourself to your strengths!  Don’t worry about doing something obscure or novel - I’m very happy to see anything, from the Greeks and Shakespeare right up to the present day - but make sure the writing is really strong and gives you an arc, some development, that something changes within it.  It would be ideal if we have a good range of material from the group so you can all learn from each other.