Second City Auditions...

So the other day were the general auditions for "various opportunities" at Second City - which I was lucky enough to be a part of.

To give you a quick run down (in case you do not know) SC is to improvisers in Chicago what a flame is to moths - though improv people are drawn there because they are one of the very few games in town that actually pay (and pay relatively well). So these general auditions - which happen annually - take place over a three - four day span, where the directors will see literally hundreds (if not more) performers for about 2 minutes each (if they are lucky) - and of course this is all for a handful (if any) slots.
Also to let people in on the big "secret" (in quotes because most everyone in Chicago knows it already) these open general auditions are only held because they have to (union rules or some such thing) - there are a special set of invite only auditions that happen a couple of months beforehand.
I believe in the history of these general auditions - as far as I've heard - maybe (and this is a big maybe) one person has actually been hired as a first timer (and most people audition for years before even making callbacks).
It is also interesting to note that by "various opportunities" they basically mean you are auditioning to be an understudy on one of the touring companies - which unless you're BoatCo, or BizCo - is a job with a lot of drawbacks (at least when compared with the pay).

All of these factors combined to actually make this perhaps ironically one of the least stressful auditions I've ever been a part of.
I say ironically by the way, because in years past it has not been uncommon for people to "lose their minds" during the SC auditions process. Horror stories abound involving people who get up on stage and don't stop talking, freeze up, start molesting/berating/yelling at/etc their scene partner, and generally acting like they've never been in an improv class or performed before (which is doubly surprising when you realize that one of the requirements for even being considered for an audition slot - is to have graduated from a major improv training center: iO, Annoyance, UCB, SC; or have at minimum of one year's performance experience).
However for me - the knowledge that there was basically no way on earth I was going to be even called back (much less hired) - made me feel fairly laid back through the whole process.

The Audition:
I got there about 45 minutes early and so spent a little time chatting up a friend who works in a New Age-y flower shop across the street (shes a fellow improviser - I know through classes). Anyway 30 minutes before my scheduled time I made my way into Piper's Alley and up to the Etc. Theater. Interestingly enough on my way into the building I ran into another improvisor I know from the Annoyance very well - he was apparently slotted for the group right before mine - so we chatted for a little bit (he's also one of the people who had been invited to audition at the closed event a few months ago). They had a little table set up outside the entrance for you to check in and drop off your head shot and resume - and a bunch of chairs set up to the side for people waiting their turn.

Note: in this audition you are not going it alone - you are put into groups of ten people for your audition slot.


Anyway I sat down and waited with my friend and as we were sitting a mutual friend of ours was coming out just having finished his audition (basically it's not too far off to say that as an improviser: that everyone you know in Chicago is going to be around SC during this week). Once he came out my friend got up with his group and went in.

Finally at 3:55pm they call for the ten of us slated to audition next to hop up - one guy leads us over into a corner by the elevators in order to warm us up.

Quick side note - one of the things they let you know beforehand is that for the audition you are to wear "show clothes"- which can mean a lot of different things for different people (especially depending on where they improvise). For me (and I think most performers in Chicago) "show clothes" designates clean, long pants (preferably not jeans .. but eh, if that's all you got), and a nice solid colored - or simple striped shirt (preferably buttoned down with a collar).

Anyway I'm standing in my group of ten about to warm up - and it's two girls and currently six guys. I am the only guy not in a suit (now SC people all where suits in the tour co and on main stage - it's their thing ... and at this point part of me is wondering, hmmm am I under-dressed - even though my two friend had been shabbier by far than what I'm wearing). Suddenly another guy runs up to join us - no suit (whew) .. just a nice collared shirt (I'm safe). Then of course he pulls out a tie from his back pocket and puts it on (shit). Then the final guy joins us and thankfully he is dressed at the same level I am (no tie, no jacket, just a nice shirt and pants) ... though it turns out his name is also Peter (sigh).

We warm up with a few simple energy exercises and then some quick scene initiations - and suddenly it's time for us to head in. I saw hi to my friend on his way out and we walk into the stage.
There's probably at least 12 or so people sitting way back in the audience taking notes and watching as we hop up on the Etc. stage. Mick Napier (head of the Annoyance) is running the audition and breaks down for us what we'll be doing.
He'll be calling one person's name at a time who will hop out and start a scene and then someone from the back line will just hop out and join them - Mick will call scene and then someone else's name. There will be a couple short scenes and then maybe one longer scene.

After this he quickly asks us to step forward say our name and tell any special/interesting talents we have (just a quick little get to know you thing .. and gives the people time to organize their notes).

Once that is done we were off to the races. Everybody had their name called once for the short scenes (if you were lucky, and fast - you got to support someone else in a scene) otherwise you just got the one. Then Mick had everyone sit down and called people up two at a time to do one longer scene (for the longer scene I actually ended up in a fairly fun one with the suggestion of CIA agent and mole - turns out we were in love - and confessions of both love and espionage abounded was administrating a lie detector exam). Everyone in my group actually did a pretty good job - no one really blew me away and no one seemed like they shouldn't be there - it was actually a fairly fun group overall - a number of laughs.

All in all the whole audition was about 15-20 minutes long and, if you were lucky, you ended up in 3-4 scenes - for a total of approx 2 minutes of stage time. The whole atmosphere was far more laid back than I thought it would be - and I actually had a pretty good time. After it was all over I headed outside and popped into a bar across the street to chat up with my friends and then headed back up north to get ready for my rehearsal that night.

In the end I did not get called back (as I knew I would not - no one I know got called back .. at least not that I've heard of yet), but I'm very glad I did it as it was an interesting experience (and heck now at least the SC people know I'm in the city ... even if by "know" I actually mean they have my Headshot on file somewhere).

I leave you all with this link to a SC survival guide I came across a ear or so ago - and I think it applies in a lot of ways to most auditions as well (at least some of the info) enjoy:
SC Survival Guide