The Complete Professional Audition
In 2005, after many years of private vocal coachings, as well as teaching over a hundred musical theatre audition classes, I decided to write the ultimate book on auditioning. Back Stage Books was eager to publish it, and after a record-breaking book signing at the Drama Book Shop, and the 'Forward' written by Jason Robert Brown, I am proud to say that university theatre programs and high schools all around the country use my book as their primary source, when teaching auditioning.
In the United States, there are 300,000 actors; 100,000 hold union cards. There are 184 college theater programs and 108 performing-arts high schools. There are 578 acting schools and coaches in New York City and Los Angeles alone. The Complete Professional Audition is the one book all of those actors need-because before actors can act, they have to pass the audition! Here's practical, hand-holding advice for choosing material, rehearsing, warming up, staying calm, standing out in a crowd, understanding casting, avoiding pitfalls, following up, getting the right headshot and resume, and accepting an offer. There's even a section on handling rejection-not that The Complete Professional Audition user is ever going to need that, of course. Ultra-useful appendices of recommended songs and monologues (yes!) make this the complete guide for everyone with an audition coming up.
I hope you find my book useful!!!
"Targeting the aspiring actor--primarily the stage actor--facing the big bad world of auditioning, this guide offers practical advice that will raise any performer's level of professionalism. The book is unique because it provides excellent tips on auditioning for both plays and musical theater. The first section of the book picks apart the process of creating a successful 16-bar song audition, and the second outlines the techniques behind a well-acted, attention-grabbing monologue. The third and final section looks at practical aspects of the acting business: headshots, resumes, and agents. The authors break the narrative into bite-sized chunks of information, providing helpful, pointed reminders one might hear from one's mother--if she were an experienced casting director. Also included are checklists, monologues to avoid, and a list of audition songs divided by style/period. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Lower-division undergraduates through graduate students; professionals."
Choice
Copyright American Library Association
"This book is much more informative and essential to the working actor than the countless others you can find on a bookshelf. Instead of giving the same advice (which usually isn't good to use in an audition situation), it expounds on the idea that you already have some idea about what you need and gives you real, nose-to-the-grindstone advice on how to tighten things up and give a real whammy of an audition.
As well as advice on choosing the appropriate 16 bars or monologue, it gives advice about representation, Actors Equity, resumés, headshots, you name it.
Here's a hint: This book is soo worth it, we used it as a textbook in a collegiate course about auditioning."
John Raines
"The Complete Professional Audition: A Commonsense Guide To Auditioning For Musicals and Plays by Darren R. Cohen with Michael Perilstein (and a foreword by Jason Robert Brown), one of the best resources I've ever read on the subject. I highly recommend it to any and all of my fellow stage actors.Break a leg, GuysLitWire folks, and crack open a good book!"
Guyslitwire.blogspot.com
"Actors, whether seasoned or new, who regularly audition for musicals and plays should not omit taking at least a peek at the advice in The Complete Professional Audition: A Commonsense Guide To Auditioning For Musicals And Plays: it's a 'must' for would-be pros and provides an edge over the competition in both musical theater and regular play auditions, from locating the right music or monologue to demonstrating unique talents in a mere 2 minutes. An added bonus: chapters which discuss the realities of a working actor's life beyond the audition, from union regulations and the roles of agents to further reference tips, including web sites. Simply invaluable."
Midwest Book Review
"I don't know how I auditioned before this book. For any high school or college student going through program or emphasis auditions, this book is essential. And even better, for professional auditions, this book is a handbook on how to do everything you will need to know.
I highly recommend this book for anyone looking to be enlightened."
A. Ewing
"My son plans a career in musical theatre and this is the fourth book that I have read on the topic. The others included the book by Shurtleff and the one by Silver. They were all good but I liked this one best because it covered all of the practical aspects of performing songs and monologues for auditions. It guides one through all of the details. Since this is the most current of all the books the frames of reference are more appropriate."
William F. Edwards
"I have read a few books on auditioning and Darren Cohen's book is by far the most informative and gives you the most effective tools for great auditions. Since reading it my auditions have gotten so much better and I am much more comfortable in the audition room. This book is a must for any actor or musical theatre person!!"
Seth W
"The Complete Proffessional Audition, by Darren Cohen and Michael Perilstein, is a terrific, fresh approach to an auditioning book. As a young actor myself I found the ideas and suggestions in this book to be most helpful. The exercises given in the monologue section has helped me find new life in my monologue, and has actually made me excited about performing it. The practical information section was equally beneficial it gave some great advice on a wide variety of subjects such as, representation, taxes and getting experience among others. For those of you who can carry a tune the musical theater audition section is filled with advice and suggestions for the perfect singing audition, and for those of us who are not (myself included) I recommend reading that section anyway, some of the suggestions given can also go towards non-singing auditions and are very useful. Darren and Michael have done an outstanding job of putting together a great book filled with wonderful tips that every actor should know and utilize in every audition. Commonsense starts with buying this book."
Tim
"As a student of Music Theatre, this book is a fantastic guide to the well rounded audition. This book even landed me the audition! This book is well worth a read for ANYONE who is autioning in Acting, Singing and Musical Theatre."
Beck "K"
"This is that book you've been looking for, when you 're sitting there with questions you're embarassed to ask-but don't know how....or who to ask! Its that book you've been waiting for someone to drop in your lap, with all the answers, things that seem obvious, that you need to know, that noone ever tells you!! this book is essential to ANYONE trying to pursue a career in theatre....I wish there was a handbook to LIFE in general this good!!"
Anonymous
THE COMPLETE PROFESSIONAL AUDITION can be found in most book stores, as well as many online bookstores such as...
