The following description was found online here, and I thought it would be nice to share it with all of you. It was written as a general guide for auditioning, but I made some slight modifications to emphasize the process of the ELCO fall play. This website DOES NOT describe the process of auditioning for the annual musical, but it does have some general information that applies to both auditions.

         1. Make sure you know what you're auditioning for. Have some background information about the topic of your audition and the part you're auditioning for.

         2. A general rule of thumb is to have three to four monologues in a file at home. Two should be comedic, and two should be dramatic. If you are auditioning for the same director for a second time it is good to show him new material so it does not appear repetitive.  Even if a director does not cast you they may still remember your performance.  (This does not apply for the Musical where a monologue is not needed."

         3. Once you have all the lines memorized (or you feel ready enough), take a few deep breaths and get ready for your audition. This is going to be the most stressful part of the audition process, so get ready for the plunge by just relaxing. If you can't relax, practice a few more times and keep telling yourself that you are ready for this.

         4. Once you're called for your audition, take some deep breaths and remind yourself to have a good time. Make sure you've gone to the bathroom beforehand. The director may ask you a few questions before you start. If they don't ask you questions, wait until their attention is on you and then introduce yourself. Say "Hi (or hello). My name is ___ and I'll be playing (name of character) from (name of play)."  Do not make any excuses for the performance you are about to give.  Telling the director that you are not feeling well is not going to make him lenient on you.   If you are sick just battle through it, because you may be sick on opening night and a director does not want to see that an illness will keep you from performing well and destroy your confidence.

         5. Try not to rush your words, and make sure you move around the stage at least a little. There will be both a chair and a stool located on the stage.  You may use them if you wish, but if you do don’t just plant yourself on it and not move.  If you need a moment to stretch or center yourself before you begin take it.  Once you have finished, the director may ask you to redo the monologue after giving you some suggestions.  This is not because you did the monologue poorly; he may just wish to see how you handle direction.  I, as a director, often ask people to do it slightly different to see how they handle change.  After they tell you that you are done say “Thank you”. Directors don’t just look for talent, they look for people too.  Rehearsals will be long and grueling, so a director would rather work with a positive uplifting less talented actor than work with a talented diva who doesn’t take stage direction and makes everyone around him or her miserable.

         6. Now is the time to let off some steam. You did it! Yet the audition process is not yet over.  There are still the callbacks, which will occur usually within the next week.  At the callbacks you will probably have to perform scenes with other people.  The most important aspect of the callback is to listen to any and all stage direction, work with the actors and actresses on stage, and try to make small talk with the other auditioners.  A cast is a team, and a director wants a team player who will work well with others.  You may think sitting alone brooding makes you look cool and serious about acting, but it also makes you look like a loner who won’t become part of a cast. 
 
         7. If you find out you're in, feel free to celebrate. Just make sure you don't over do it around people who did not make it. If you're out, don't burst into tears or start calling yourself worthless (because you are most definitely not). Take some time to relax and don't beat yourself up about it. You may have given a great audition but they just didn't have a part that fit your physical type this time around.  Try to imagine Jack Nicholson playing Ace Ventura Pet Detective, it just doesn’t work.  There will be plenty more auditions where that came from.  It's perfectly fine to ask the director what you need to improve upon or could have done better. But be careful not to be rude. Don't start slinging accusations and don't be upset with them because you weren't cast.

Tips

    * Get a good night's sleep before the audition and make sure you eat something in the morning. Feeling tired or hungry during your audition will show in your acting.
    * Be ready for anything.
    * Be nice to everybody in the waiting room before and after your audition. Bad behavior will probably get reported to the auditors.
    * Smile!
    * Make eye contact with the auditioners.
    * Dress for success. It won't look good if you get up on stage and look disheveled. Try not to wear dark colors to the audition. Try to wear something that stands out but is also sensible,

Warning:
Once you make the show, realize that your actions are in fact part of your audition for the next show.  Being rude, bossy, or difficult to work with may hinder your opportunities in future performances.  If you touch a fence and it gives you an electric shock, why would you touch it again? Everything you do will leave an impression on the director and will be remembered in future auditions.