To be represented by a talent agency, one must submit
a head shot and resume or meet with an agency representative
and interview with them.
An audition is a sample performance by an actor, singer,
musician, dancer or other performing artist. It is used
in the casting process to demonstrate the level and range
of a performer's talent agency, and functions as a job interview
for the performing arts. A typical audition involves the
performer displaying their talent through a previously-memorized
and rehearsed solo piece: for example, a monologue for actors
or a song for a singer talent agency.
For actors, the talent agency piece is typically not from
the show being considered; an actor wishing to be cast in
Hamlet would not likely do a monologue from that play. However,
most performers do have a range of audition pieces and select
something appropriate; an actor auditioning for Hamlet would
have a dramatic Shakespearean monologue ready, and not perform
a monologue from an Oscar Wilde comedy, or a contemporary
playwright, such as Tom Stoppard. Similarly, a singer auditioning
for a role in a musical theatre production would not sing
opera or country music, and a musician auditioning for a
seat in an orchestra wouldn't perform rock talent agency.
