Tryouts for the rest of your life

If you're a high school student and you plan to audition for a college theatre program in the next year or so, take a look at Jason Zinoman's article in The Education Life pullout in today's (April 20) New York Times. It's the best description I've read of the actual audition event--from both the standpoint of the student actor and the auditor.

"We're looking for emotional transparency, [Kevin Kuhle, chairman of the undergraduate drama department at NYU's Tisch school] says, "Does the energy in the room change when they come into it? We're looking for that sense of presence, a drive and passionate commitment to make theater."

Don Wadsworth at Carnegie Mellon sums it up: "Everyone asks, 'What are you looking for?' It's so simple that it's boring--something truthful. Someone who brings humanity to their work. And a student who really wants to work hard."

On second thought, any actor who plans to audition any and everywhere should read the article. Sometimes the human dimension gets lost in the mechanics. Here's the article.