Theatre Auditions in South Florida

To make a living/any money at all as a theatre professional how important is location? Pretty important I'd say. However, I have been pretty surprised with the amount of acting opportunities I have found lately in South Florida. Although, I haven't landed any roles as of yet, I have gone to an abundance of auditions! Mosaic Theatre, New Theatre, Actor's Playhouse, Fantasy Theatre Factory, the Naked Stage, Florida Stage, Rising Action Theatre, Alliance Theatre Lab, Gable Stage, FPTA's, Maltz Jupiter Theatre and Broward Stagedoor Theatre have all held or are holding their season auditions this summer. While I am booked with interviews this month, I fear that this could be the extent of acting opportunities in South Florida for the year. Its a sort of now or never feeling that seems like it would be non-existent in theatre hubs like NYC, Chicago, D.C. and L.A. I have also found that since the theatre community is so small down here, it could be difficult to break into, sort of like the new kid syndrome in elementary school? BUT I believe there are benefits of course to working as an actor in South Florida before making a BIG trip to the BIG Apple, like:

1. Professional Acting Experience=Resume Building
2. Talent pool is smaller, so competition is smaller
3. Rent is in most cases less expensive than in a big city, unless you're way down in the ritzy part of Miami
4. Most professional theatres down here hire Non-Equity actors (definitely a plus for the recent post-grad)
5. The auditions are pretty relaxed and casual from what I have experienced
6. There are several internship options for the up and coming theatre technician or administrator
7. Perfect your talents at lower costs; private singing lessons and dance lessons are bound to be more affordable than in the Big City
6. Save the best for last: Once you're in you're in!

Now, for the practical advice; here is what to expect at a general season audition...

If you don't want to be considered for a musical they are going to probably ask for 2 contrasting monologues of 3 minutes or less (combined).  I would recommend that you steer away from anything classical (Shakespeare, Aristophanes, Escolus, etc.) unless they specifically want to see a classical piece or there is a classical show in the season.  Speaking of seasons, make sure you read or at least familiarize yourself with the shows they have picked for the season (should be listed on the theatre's website) because if they offer the chance to do a cold reading you don't want to be the slacker who looks like they don't even know the role(s) they are auditioning for.

Now if you want to be considered for the musicals of the season, they will most likely want to see a 1 minute monologue and 16 bars of a song.  However, these requirements vary; I have had to do an up-tempo, ballad, and a 1-minute monologue or perhaps 2 contrasting monologues and 16 bars of a song.  Each theatre is specific, so be sure what you bring to the table is what they are asking for.  In my experience, the dance portion of the musical audition is usually during a callback at a later time, but definitely keep a change of dance clothes and shoes with you just in case the dance portion is the same day as the preliminary general audition.

Here are a few websites that I have found very helpful in the past couple months. They all list upcoming audition in the South Florida area:

Voices and Venues: Arts Employment in South Florida
Actors Info Booth
South Florida Theatre Scene: Upcoming Auditions

Hope this helps! I'll see you there and break a leg!