Stage Parents: What to Do at Auditions

A good audition is perhaps the most telling sign that your child has booked an acting gig. Whether it’s you who’s doing the auditioning or your child in front of the panel, it’s important that you know the rules of decorum that acting agencies in New York for kids and other agencies around the country expect you to abide by.

Approach it Like You Would a Job

Think of an audition as a job interview. As with any job interview, child actors and their parents have to be aware of a number of rules before they even step into the audition or casting area. More importantly, parents have to make sure that their children know how to behave when auditioning for a role.

You Are Also Auditioning

If you’re the parent of a child actor, do take note that acting agents will also judge your ability to support your child through his career. Casting directors and agents will want to know right away whether you have the right attitude and ability to be pleasant to work with when they hire your child. Child actors must always have their parent or legal guardian on set during an acting job, so you’ll be playing a huge role in your child’s career.

Some of the more specific rules on proper behavior at a casting call include:

Avoid Chewing Gum 

Although it may seem like common sense not to chew gum in an audition for courtesy’s sake, many kids still come to casting calls chewing on gum. Unless it’s actually part of a character’s description, ensure that your kid steers clear of chewing gum.

Make Eye Contact

When instructing your child on how to best behave in a casting call, teach him the importance of making eye contact with the members of the panel. Teach your child that making proper eye contact is an essential part of proper etiquette.

Of course, this doesn’t mean that during the entire length of the audition, your child should make direct eye contact the whole time. Instead, teach your child to make direct eye contact when introducing himself.

Let your Child Be

Nothing’s more annoying to casting directors and agents than parents who can’t seem to let their children work on their own for a few minutes. It’s normal to want to be there for your child during an audition, but please, don’t overdo it. Let your child work on his own and show the panel what he has got to show.