12 Tips for Parents of Child Actors Auditioning for Broadway
Written by Andrea Canny
June 14, 2016
Parents of young working actors are often bombarded with the business of theatre: auditions, callbacks, headshots, resumes, acting and vocal coaches. These are usually things that adults must deal with, and understandably, it’s overwhelming for parents to attend countless auditions and callbacks when their child is equally as stressed as they are. I spoke with Amy Jordan, mother of child actress Julia Jordan, and asked her for some quick tips for other parents when they take their child to a Broadway audition.
1. Have clothes, music, resume/headshots, supplies for the next day prepped and set out the night before.
2. In the morning, wake up your child with a calm, cheerful, positive attitude.
3. Children feed off of the anxiety of others, so make sure, as their parent, you are calm and relaxed and looking forward to the day.
4. At the venue where the audition is being held, meet with your child’s vocal coach for warm up/voice lesson one hour before the audition time . (This appointment should be booked within an hour of getting the initial audition notice.)
5. At the audition, sign in, turn in headshot/resume to audition monitor, and get your child’s audition number.
6. Let the vocal coach coach your child. Parents should stay out of the coaching process.
7. There is an audition monitor with the children; they usually do a great job of entertaining and distracting the nervous kids waiting to audition. They also take note of “helicopter parents.” Being a helicopter parent might cause your child to lose a role.
8. Be there for your child for support. Tell your child you’re so proud of them.
9. Talk about what they want to do after the audition. See a show? Go shopping? Play in Central Park? Make it something to look forward to!
10. When your child goes into the audition room, stay in the “holding room” with all the other kids/parents waiting to audition. Do not hover by the audition door to listen.
11. After their audition, hug your child, and tell them again that you’re so proud of them.
12. If you have any questions for your child, hold on asking them until you’ve exited the building so as to not distract the children still waiting to audition.
