Shakespeare in Performance at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
AUDITION DATES FOR LONDON RADA PROGRAM
Fall 2020 RADA First Round Auditions:
Saturday, February 29, 2020
Sunday, March 1, 2020
Fall 2020 RADA Callbacks:
Monday, March 2, 2020
Please refer to the Admissions Calendar for more relevant dates.
SCHEDULING YOUR AUDITION
Students who have submitted complete applications and who meet the requirements of the program will be contacted via email by Tisch Special Programs to schedule an audition. Please make sure that emails from tisch.special.admissions@nyu.edu are added to your safe sender list so they are not filtered as spam.
STUDENTS AUDITIONING REMOTELY
If you are not in New York City or cannot attend the audition in person, you will be able to audition via Skype. More information about this will be in the email sent from Tisch Special Programs regarding scheduling your audition.
MONOLOGUES
You must have two (2) monologues prepared. These are the same monologues you attached to your application. The monologues should be Elizabethan and/or Jacobean and no more than 2 minutes in length each.
HELPFUL AUDITION TIPS
1. When submitting a headshot:
You must be the only one in the picture and your face should be clearly visible.
Please make sure the picture satisifies the size parameters detailed in our Application Requirements.
2. Be on time or early for the audition. Late arrivals reflect poorly and you will only be seen if time permits.
3. We advise that you dress comfortably.
Wear appropriate fitting clothing that allows for movement and fluidity in your audition.
Do not wear clothing that is too tight; you have to be able to move freely.
Do not wear clothing that is too loose, falls off, or has to be adjusted constantly.
Do not wear clothing that is revealing or inappropriate.
Wear flat-soled, comfortable shoes that allow for grounded movement. Heavy boots and high heels are not recommended.
Women are encouraged to wear practice skirts if possible.
A note on mandatory clothing for men and women:
Why do we ask for this?
Because it helps you find your “historical body”, liberating you from the normal way you dress and the consequent temptation to fall into predictable habits. The majority of Shakespeare’s characters you will be called upon to play are of elevated status, and these elements of dress help to give you an appropriately well supported sensation. The physical information of your apparel contributes not only to how you visually appear in space, but also to how you feel in your body, the understanding of the world you inhabit, and the world your character lives within.
A solid shoe makes a firm contact with the floor, enabling good carriage and improving tone.
A skirt of the specified length and weight gives an unparalleled sensation of inhabiting space with purpose and bravura; the movement of the fabric is there to be negotiated, adding to the substance and impact of your body space.
Trousers are looser and more uniform than jeans or tights, and lend a useful feeling of formality.
Finally, dressing for presentations also makes you feel special. It’s always good to “look the part”, temporarily eschewing the “tyranny” of contemporary fashion and individuality.
(Neither set of clothing, though specified by gender, is intended to be gender specific or, in that respect, limiting.)
4. During the audition, be prepared to do both of your 2-minute Elizabethan/Jacobean monologues.
It is important that you have memorized both 2-minute monologues.
Select pieces that you would likely be cast in.
- Be knowledgeable of your source material. We expect that you have read the plays in their entirety when selecting your monologues, and that you understand the full context of your selections.