College Auditions! ~ Carnegie Mellon University

Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) is a global research university with a strong emphasis on creation and creativity.  This comfortable school located in Pitssburg, PA is home to the oldest-degree granting drama program in the US!   



No wonder the notable alumn from this one = cray cray.  Just a few include: Matthew Bomer, Gaius Charles, Ted Danson, Megan Hilty, Mary Kate Schellhardt, Ian Harding, Joe Manganiello... If that's not enough to sell you on the school, I don't know what is.  

And this numerous amount of success in the professional industry is no coincidence.  Alumni from CMU help each other get work.  Connections connections connections.  So much so that they actually call CMU alumn the CMU Mafia, further dividing into the East Coast Clan and the West Coast Clan.  Kewl beans right?  Sounds like a great place for people who are serious about wanting to work professionally in the tv/film/stage industry. 


As if all of this isn't good enough, their drama building is BEAUTIFUL.  For all my fellow theater people who are less fond of the darkness that encompasses everyday theater life, CMU's drama building is full of windows and light, happy rooms!  I mean, seriously, this place is well decorated/renovate/lit.  It was by far the best theater building I have seen.  It was honestly fun just to sit there and wait.  

Wait to audition!  A process in which I learned that everyone there is SO NICE.  I mean, obviously people always put on their best friendly faces to run auditions, but like I'm talking students passing by as we waited to go into the audition room stopped to say hi and have a conversation.  And not just with us, with each other!  It seems like a really close-knit and supportive community, perfect for people who are looking to grow skills and connections in a nurturing environment. 

So, let's talk about the actual audition.  This was another four hour ordeal, only this time I had no idea when I was going.  I ended up waiting three hour before they called me and a group of four other people out to wait in the halls.  But, the waiting wasn't bad.  I met this really nice girl who was pretty much just like me.  It was really fun to talk to someone who was dealing with the same things I was, but I shouldn't be surprised, because that's the best part about these auditions: you always feel like you belong there.  

Anyhow, then I talked to the passerbys and my fellow waiting people until it was my turn to go.  
Just a heads up, these auditions take place in pretty small rooms.  That's not necessarily a bad thing.  Just letting you know so you can plan to use your space better (i.e. move around during your monologue).

  
The lady I auditioned for was really nice and easy to work with.  I did both my monologues (modern and classical) and was ready for my interview when...DUHN DUHN DUHHHHHH... She asked me to sing!  I was auditioning for Acting!  Not MT!  Luckily, I read that this was a possibility and I was prepared.  So you must be too!  Let this be your warning! Be prepared for anything at CMU.  



But, I was fine and my audition ended once again with a successful interview. 

I loved my visit to CMU.  I loved the audition.  Most of all, I love their alumni success.  It's probably my top pick.  

But, then the questions start to nag and the doubt sets in.  CMU is competitive.  They only let a few people in and SOOOO many people are auditioning.  What if I'm not good enough?  What if I messed up?  What if they didn't like me?  What if-

STOP.  

You can't let these questions and doubty stuffs get to you.  Okay?  You are talented and you are going to do what you are meant to do and go where you are meant to go.  All you can do is your best.  They are going to love you.  You are going to succeed.  You are going to be awesome.  Believe it with all your heart, because in order for everyone else to believe in you, you need to believe in yourself. :)

Do it for Joe!!!!

Enough cheese?  No, seriously, though.  Pump up that confidence, do what you do, and don't forget to OWN.  

Keep Calm and Act on.
- <3 Anna

College Auditions! ~ My Emerson Audition!!!

Hey guys!  Audition season has started and this nerve-wracking/exciting experience has begun!  Welcome to the best place in the universe to talk, read, and learn about all this stressful/awesome stuff...my blog! :)

Let's start with Emerson College! 

Quick Synopsis:

Emerson College is a four year college right in the heart of Boston and specifically aimed at Communication and Performing Arts.  

Options for performance at Emerson include: Acting, Musical Theatre (MT as apparently everybody but me knew to call it), Stage & Production Management, Theatre Design/Technology, Theatre Education, Theatre Studies, Minors, and the Liberal Arts. 

Wanna hear something I had no idea about?  The difference between BFA Acting and BA Theatre studies:
Their BFA in Acting is more specific to people who only want to act and that's all.  
Their BA in Theatre Studies is just like the Acting BFA, only instead of intensely focusing on just acting, you are allowed to explore the many other aspects of theatre, i.e. directing, screenwriting, management, etc.  (I met a kid who was helping with auditions that was a BA in Acting with a concentration in directing...pretty cool). 
If you audition for the BFA (like me), you are automatically considered for both.  

Good news for my fellow auditioners!  They got rid of their re-audition half way through your four years thing!  What does that mean?  It means you won't get kicked out of their program if you are enrolled in it, but it also means that the numbers for people initially enrolled are lower.  Hello double edge sword.  

Their program is intensive, but don't let that scare you.  They are really nice people and the campus and it's surrounding areas are AWESOME, so it's a good place to train intensively.

Notable Alumni include Jay Leno, Henry Winkler, Richard Dysart, Spalding Gray, Eddie Brill, Mario Cantone, Denis Leary, Andrea Martin, Steven Wright, Joseph Leo Bwarie, Betsy Morgan, Eric Hutchinson, Michael Angelakos, and many more. 

That's enough synopsis for me.  Need more info?  Hit up their website :) => http://www.emerson.edu/


So, let's get to the good stuff.  What's their audition really like? 

For performance you need to prepare two contrasting modern monologues.  MT needs that + two 32 bar songs + dance clothes, because you'll be dancing in a classroom setting.  

Hey guess what?  Though, you should always bring it in case, they don't want a headshot/resume.  Nope, they take your picture as soon as you walk into the room.  So bring your best smile too, because it is hard to look good off a laptop webcam.  

Let's begin.

I auditioned at the actual college, so I made the six hour trip up to Boston and stayed in a hotel the night before (I stayed just outside of Boston, it's usually cheaper and less hectic).  It's a great city!  It's like New York but less hectic and more aesthetically pleasing.  




The day of I got their very early, because there was a parent info session an hour before the auditions.  My parents made their way to that and I took the elevator up to the auditioning floor.  

I walked in and realized that me and one other kid were the only cray cray ones to get there an hour early.  Luckily, he was super nice, but if sitting there for an extra hour doesn't sound fun to you, I'd suggest going to get a coffee first.  

Then again, it's not such a bad idea to get there early.  It shows you are a professional and it's easier to establish conversation with your fellow auditioners (which, trust me, comes in handy when you're set to sit there for five hours).

After you get your picture taken, your long wait commences.
  
There is a warm up room available for last-minute practice usually, but I would make sure with someone that it is still a warm up room before you go in, lest you want to end up like me, walking into someone else's audition and then awkwardly slinking back out with mumbles of apologies. 
  
Otherwise, the people you are auditioning with are usually really really nice and just like you, so don't be afraid to socialize.  Start a conversation, say hi, etc.  In my experience, everyone is very welcoming and nice, plus it's a great way to shake the nerves and get some advice about other colleges.  


At Emerson, they do auditions by volunteering.  What does that mean?  It means they walk into a room and ask for a certain number of actors/singers/dancers and you get to go when you feel ready to say "I'll go!"  I liked that.  If you are too nervous, wait until the middle or end to go.  If you are ready to get on with it, volunteer first.  Whatever makes you most comfortable.  



I volunteered to go out with the first group of three actors.  Then, we waited in the hallway outside the auditioning room until we decided to take our turn (I went third).

The auditions can last anywhere from 10-15 minutes.  Mine lasted about 15.  There were two people in the room, both very nice.  I walked in and said hi (don't slate, i.e. Hello I am Annamarie and I will be doing yada yada).  They asked me what pieces I was doing and told me to go whenever I was ready.  

SUPER AWESOME ADVICE TIME!  They might stop you after one monologue!  Please, please, PLEASE lead with your best one (#adviceiwishihad).  

Also, they are probably going to work with you on one or both of your monologues.  They might ask you things like: Who is your character talking to?  What is your character saying?  What is your character trying to get from the person they are talking to? 

DO NOT LET THIS TRIP YOU UP!  No, you know your stuff and you know your monologue!  Answer the questions with confidence and really try to change your monologue to fir their advice.  They are looking for a change, some kind of attempt, so that they can see how teachable you are and what kind of student you will be.  

After you perform what they ask for, they will probably ask you to sit for the interview part.

BE YOURSELF.  That's all they want.  They aren't looking for specific answers.  They want to see who you are and what you are like.  They mostly asked me about my experience in acting and what my family was like (they can ask some pretty simple questions at these things).  Don't let anyone fool you.  The interview is the easiest part of the whole process.  You get to talk about yourself for like a whole five minutes, it doesn't get better then that.  

And then you're done!  You get to go home and prepare for the next one!  Yayyyyy!

Seriously though.  Leave with confidence, no mater what happened.  Know you did all you could and the rest is up to admissions and good luck.  

Well, that's the summation of my Emerson audition!  Please feel free to ask me any questions or tell me about your own experiences!  

PS Guys, I know the nerves are building and you probably can't wait for this process to be over, but don't worry.  Trust me, these auditions are nothing to be nervous about!  They want you to do well, because they want people who do well at their school.  Just look at it as an opportunity to perform for some professional people and practice your auditioning skills. You did all you could to prepare, now all you have to do is go in there and rock it.  Trust yourself and know that you are going to do the very best you can and that's all that matters.  Be yourself, be personable, and just do what you do!

Keep Calm and Act On.
- <3 Anna


  

College Auditions! - How to Pick the Right College

Hey there!

So, I thought for this post I would about something very important: how to pick the right college (this goes for everyone).  

Now, a lot of you have already applied to the colleges of your choice, but if you haven't or if you're just now starting to look, this post may be of some help. 

The college application process is, without doubt, stressful.  No matter how positive you are, you're going to run into problems and you're going to have to do a lot of work.  So, why do it? 

 Because, the schools you are looking at are WORTH IT for you!  

There's no reason to put in the amount of work that a college application takes in its entirety for a school that you don't really want to go to or a school that you can't see yourself enjoying completely. 

Use college websites, Google images, guidance counselors, alumni, friends, tours...anything.  Find some schools that look AWESOME to you.  Schools where you can see yourself being HAPPY.  Schools that speak to you, that you're EXCITED about, that you will feel COMFORTABLE in!   

That's tip numero uno:  apply to schools that you LOVE.  

Tip numero...two... is that you need to look at the programs that you are interested in within your college choices.  

Personally, I had a very specific desire:  I wanted to go to school where I could study acting and something else like business or communication. 

My advice to you is to make a list: what majors/minors are you interested in, what specific areas you want to study within those choices, and any other details you might want to include (like my double major option).

Once you've made this list, you have to do some research (ugh sorry).  You need to know which colleges offer what and how.  

When I was applying to colleges, I had no idea that a lot of performance programs do not let you double major or minor (like Mason Gross).  This really pushed my list of colleges down, because it's something I was really looking for in my college education.

Research on the college websites.  Usually there is a link under admissions or academics for all the majors and minors that will tell you a basic summary of the programs that they offer.  

Did any of these programs look good to you?  If so, find more info!  Use different sources: Google it, Yahoo Answers it, email the college.  As an applying student, you have a right to know all the information possible about the program you will be spending the next 4 years learning within.  

Tip number 3: DON'T SETTLE!  There are over 2,000 colleges in the US alone.  One of those is bound to have exactly what you are looking for.  Settling on a program that just looks "okay"  is not going to provide you with the perfect grounds for you to build your perfect education and career. 

Now that you have found a few interesting colleges, researched programs that you interested in, and felt confident in your decisions,  YOU'RE READY TO APPLY!  This is where things get serious.  This is where things get exciting.  

College is supposed to be a place for you to learn and explore and be everything that you could ever want to be.  Look for a place where you know that you will be comfortable, a place where you can envision yourself happy, and a place where you can see endless possibilities for success. 

Isn't that exciting???  

Don't be stressed out or nervous.  Everything is going to be great.  We're going to OWN THIS.  

Stay tuned for more information (I'll get more specific for my performers ;))

Keep Calm and Act On.   

- <3 Anna Jean 

College Auditions!

Hey Everyone!  

I haven't posted in a while for one simple reason: I've been super busy with college stuff!

Being the diligent student I am, I rushed to get all of my applications in by November (which I did...for the most part ;)), so why am I still stressing?  Because, as my fellow seekers of Acting/MusicalTheater/Music majors will know, applications are just the beginning.  One of the most important parts of applying to college for us is the crazy, the intimidating, the nerve wracking, the daunting... the AUDITION.  

Anyone in this boat with me?  

If you are you might feel unprepared or worried or lacking, but NEVER FEAR!  We're going to get through this together!  

Yes, auditioning seems rough and tough and scary and nerve-racking, but really, it's a fun and exciting experience that will provide us with a chance to show off our mad skills and practice our auditioning techniques.  

So, through these next few months of going on audition after audition for college after college, RELAX, BREATH, AND LET YOUR TALENT TAKE OVER.  You are prepared!  Be confident in your own abilities and know that no matter what happens, you are enough, you are talented, and you have to keep pushing forward.  Stay positive.  Your dreams will come true one way or another and college auditions are just another of the many opportunities you will have to bring out your talents and OWN.  

For the next few months I'll be posting on topics like how to pick the right school, how to schedule an audition, how to chose a monologue, how to prepare for an audition, what to expect on an audition, my personal experiences on my auditions, and a bunch of other fun stuff to help you get through...no...to help you OWN this time so that come next year, you can read my blog posts from the comfort of your dorm room at (insert favorite college name here).  

Keep Calm and Act on.  

- <3 Anna Jean 

MORE MONOLOGUES!

Hey guys!  So, I just realized I added two more monologues to my YouTube page since that last time I wrote them out for you!  So, here they are:

Scream 4 - Jill
My friends? What world are you living in? I don't need friends. I need fans. Don't you get it? This has never been about killing you? It's about becoming you. I mean, for fuck's sake, my own mother had to die, no great loss there, so I could stay true to the original. That's sick, right? Well, sick is the new sane. You had your 15 minutes, now I want mine! I mean, what am I supposed to do? Go to college? Grad school? Work? Look around. We all live in public now, we're all on the Internet. How do you think people become famous any more? You don't have to achieve anything. You just gotta have fucked up-shit happen to you. So you have to die, Sid. Those are the rules. New movie, new franchise. There's only room for one lead, and let's face it, your ingenue days, they're over. 

Buffy the Vampire Slayer - Anya
But I don’t understand. I don’t understand how this all happens. How we go through this. I mean I knew her, and then she’s, there’s just a body, and I don’t understand why she can’t just get back in it and not be dead anymore. It’s stupid. It’s mortal and stupid, and, and Xander crying and not talking, and I was having fruit punch and I thought, well, Joyce will never have any more fruit punch, ever. And she’ll never have eggs, or yawn, or brush her hair, not ever and no one will explain to me why.

Another Showcase!

Oh hey guys!  Happy Summer!

So for those of you who have read my blog before, you can skip past this paragraph.  But, if you haven't... Hi!  I'm Anna and I act a lot.  I go to these acting classes and occasionally I go on a showcase.  For those of you who don't know, a showcase in acting is basically an event you can go to where you and several other actors will sit in a room and listen to a certain agent, casting director, etc. talk about themselves and their company and, then, one by one you will meet with them separately and preform some sort of piece for them (it kinda depends on who you're meeting with... for example, if you're meeting with a commercial agent, you will prepare a commercial).  So yeah that's a showcase!

Well, I just went on another one!  Yay!  This one was also in NYC, but it was for a commercial agent from the FBI... no jk... from FBI (Frontier Booking International).  So, I drove up to NYC with the family, went to a theater like place, sat in a small room, listened to the commercial agent speak, did my commercial for her, and left on my merry way.  Sounds good right?  Yeah, nothing's ever that simple.  Actually, long story short, I got the wrong address for the showcase, so me and two others, who also got it all mixed up, had to walk for like ten minutes in the city on a really super hot day to get to the place it was actually being held.   As it turns out, one of the people who missed the memo with me was the agent!  Oops.  That can go either way for me, because I got extra time to talk to her on our longgggg walk to the next building, but TECHNICALLY I mixed up the places, so that looks unprofessional... yikes.


Anyway, the actual showcase went great!  I was really happy with the experience and it turned out to be really really fun for me.  I'm not sure whether or not she liked me enough to contact me, but, that's the thing about showcases, however it turns out for you, it's an experience to learn from!



So, I am going to impart my knowledge on you... muhahahaha... If you've read my blog before, I did a post on showcases before with some really super stellar info that would've been really nice to know the first time I did a showcase, so I suggest going back to read that.  In this one, I will cover some things I didn't talk about in that one.  So, here you are friends, a list of things to know for a showcase (or really any type of thing where you are going to try to impress somebody with your mad acting skills):

1) Appearance... Apparently, you shouldn't wear black and/or white.  What?  I know.  Why can't anything just be easy?  Because, it's not.  I guess certain colors like black and white and gray and stuff make you look "washed out."  You want to wear things that will make you stand out, like brighter colors or prettier colors.  UNLESS YOU'RE TOLD OTHERWISE.  Though, the most important thing is to look like yourself and make sure you aren't wearing anything that takes away from your beautiful talent!

2) Preparation.  Be prepared!  You should have all the information you need about the showcase at least a week before it happens.  Otherwise, you won't feel like you are prepared for it and that will mess you up.  You obviously need to prepare your headshot, resume, and whatever you will be preforming, but you should also prepare a bag of things, especially if you are traveling far away.  Example?  Hairbrush, extra headshot/resume, extra pair of clothes (yikes to coffee stains), food, water, and anything you could possibly think of needing.  It also wouldn't hurt to look up information about the agency/agent/whatever you are preforming for.  As it weird as it sounds, knowing what you are getting into makes it less scary.  You want to make this process as easy as you can on yourself.  Being prepared will help you relax, so all you will have to do is act prettily!

3) CHECK YOUR EMAIL!  For goodness sake man, check the email!  Check it!  No seriously, verify a hundred times over that your information is correct.  If your like me, you'll be prepared in advance and ready to go... but, these things are always subject to random changes or misunderstood information.  Basically, problems will almost always arise.  So, just make sure you check your email the night before and the morning of to make sure no one has changed anything up on y'all.





Well, I don't have much else to say that I haven't already blogged about... Oh, except this:  Don't get upset if you mess up or things don't go so well!  Don't get discouraged!  It get's better and easier every single time you do it and, before long, you'll be going to these types of things with mad swag and total confidence!  So keep on keepn' on folks and remember to always be yourself!  :)

Yay inspirational picture!  Thanks for reading another blog post and I hope to talk to you soon <3

Advanced Acting Class 2

Cute bunny hehe.

Hey guys!

So, this picture is relevant, because I had my next acting class and it was WACKY.

We had to act like animals!!!

Okay, let me explain.

My acting teacher likes to give us all kinds of fun and embarrassing acting exercises.  He tells us that he doesn't do it so he can have a good laugh and make fun of us... and I wouldn't believe that if this method didn't work, but it actually kind of does.

Whenever you're acting, you're going to have to be able to portray a certain character, and there are numerous ways to do this.  The one we learned in class this time was the animal method.  Basically, you look at your character and you think "hmmmm what (if any) animal does this character remind me of?"  For example, a devious and sneaky character may be like a snake, an angry and intense one may be like a wolf, or a jumpy and hyper one may be like a squirrel.  Once you chose your animal, think of what that animal does and how it acts (like a wolf prowls, growls, and attacks people... scary) .  Take in those characteristics and think about how you can display them in little ways, like facial expressions, movements, and voices.  Again, a wolf may have a low, growling voice, stare people down, etc.  Keep that all in mind and try acting out a scene or a monologue.  You would be surprised at how much it changes the way you act.

The goal with this method isn't to see who can act like an animal best... in fact, you shouldn't even be acting like and animal, you should be acting like a person with some subtle animal characteristics.  This method actually works with other things too, like colors or weather.  Basically, you are drawing emotions and traits from things that you can observe.  It really centers your acting and gives you a solid thing to focus on while trying to develop a character.

It's definitely not for everyone.  Making animal noises and movements in front of everyone in my class was certainly not my cup of tea, but I have to say that it's a useful method that will surely come in handy one day. Having a lot of methods in your head is good because you will always have ways to deal with scenes or monologues, even if they are really hard to handle.

Well, that's it guys :)  Thank you for reading!  And, as always, if you have any questions feel free to mail me! Thanks <3 :)