Audition process for acting courses *PERTH* audintionees speek up!

I auditioned for WAAPA straight out of highschool, and know several people who have graduated from their courses. The main reason you are likely to get turned down from WAAPA, in particular (apart from lack of talent) is your age. Whilst they will not write you off straight away due to being 17, they do prefer their applicants to have 'life experience'. Essentially, WAAPA courses are VERY demanding and take up a large apart of the successful applicants time and, indeed, life. Therefore they like for applicants to be in an appropriate headspace to completely dedicate themselves to the course, and be able to handle the concepts and themes that will be given to them to tackle, during their training. Not to say that all 17 and 18 year olds are incapable of handling that, but to be fair, I think many do underestimate what will be expected of them. I certainly did. I'm not even going to audition again until I've finished my first degree, and know I'm not likely to collapse under the massive amount of stress that will, inevitably, be heaped on me if I'm ever successful :P Don't know about the other schools, though. However I think, most of the time, highschool grades are not hugely important. It's nice to have a good academic background (if only to show that you are a dedicated student), and there are some things that might be advantageous (for example having studied, and done well in, a TEE drama course), however it isn't necessarily what they will look at. Anything that will give you 'an edge' however, is a good idea. For example, having done plenty of amateur theatre (outside of highschool), or having done vocal training/acting classes with another institution (or even with WAAPA themselves - they offer short courses which are open to anyone [who can afford it]). I think generally WAAPA accepts about 20 - 25 people per year, per course (though I could be off, there). There are a LOT of applicants. Like...a lot. Anyway, I'm sure this is the point where ten thousand people comment and contradict everything I've said, but that's my understanding of it ;) best of luck. I believe auditions for this year (2008) are already over, however.

Yeah i totually agree with you. I rang up waapa last year and they told me the volume of applicants, etc. I was blown away on how slim my chances were. I am no rush to go to wappa. im not goin to audition until i am 100% sure I am ready. Any who, I figure in the mean time I should get as much expirence/training *perth has to offer* as much as possible. I heard The Entertainment Factory/Academy of Dance & Drama offer & Stage door offer degrees in acting (that require auditions/interviews). i think of it like a... "pre-requrit" or an advantage to get accepted into waapa. Anyways that was what my quesiton was reffering to (not waapa):P

To be honest I think that with every course it's different... From MY experience yes WAAPA does like to take those people whom they consider to have had "life experience" but then again i have known a few younger students that got in aswell. They look for passion, (have you been to see local productions, are you actively involved in theatre in any way). Preparation is also a biggy, (if you can't organise yourself for an audition how are you going to cope with the course), and they also look at personality, (will you fit in with the rest of the group dynamic of that year and do you have the drive to continue "doing something" after you leave)... As far as The Entertainment Factory goes I can say that everything i have been told points towards "potential". It seems to honestly be whether the panel thinks that... 1. You have talent 2. Your going to fit in with the rest of the group 3. You are willing to learn I can't really say much about Stagedoor as I've never met anyone from there, though i "know of" a few past students. Hope it helps a bit though it's probably just telling you everything you already know! :)

Yes thank you. Every bit of information does help :P I am definatly concidering The Entertainment Factory than Stage Door (from what I gather from my research, Stage Door's way too pricey and you can get the same education/recognition from the Entertainment Factory anyway?) Part-time or full-time? Still not sure. Depending on which one you pick does it alter your cv in anyway? *meaning would a person who has done full-time study be more desirible to a panel* talking about the real world here. But I'm guessing, you get the same reconition/qualification in the end, so i guess it doesnt matter... (Sorry for all the questions but "the entertainment factory" sever is down :() tee heee. I'm asuming they have part/full timee study, for people who have to work? etc... (I don't think you can claim for centrelink or any finanial support while studing) but then again still not sure... Thanks for all your responses, i think i have a fair idea on what to expect :p

hey there, just a few points to clarify, firstly yes you can claim centrelink benefits "Youth Allowance" i think is the one you'll be looking for... that's what i got! :) but it will depend upon your own circumstances etc etc... The recognised qualification you will get will be an "Advanced Diploma" (in which field you choose... ie dance, acting or musical theatre), if you want to be a teacher of dance they can also get help you get your awards (i have bronze silver and gold) and your ISTD modern syllabus certificates (i have my intermediate, advanced 1 and advanced 2)... now as for your "CV"... to be honest it depends what you are looking for after you leave... do you want to teach? be a performer? etc etc... (i'm going to stick to the acting kind of stream here because that seems to be what you are looking for...) every director i've met has been different, some don't care what kind of training you've had as long as your right for the part, some directors want you to have more experience than training and yes some directors will skim down your CV and see what qualifications you have or haven't got... In particular when I was in London a director friend of mine confided that he would glance at the CV's that were sent to him and call for auditions only those whom had attended LAMDA (the London Academy for Music and Dramatic Art) or RADA (Royal Academy of Dramatic Art)... so as you can see it really is dependant upon the person you want to employ you! Alright now for MY OPINION (feel free to disagree and make me swallow my words if you disagree... a difference of opinion can only help!)... I think that becoming as good an actor/dancer/singer etc should be your main goal, not what will look nice on a resume`, sometimes a more prestigious school will be perfect for you and sometimes not... there are many stories of people who disliked there time at any drama school (it's a pretty intense environment so not a suprise really...) but there is also those wonderful stories of people who thrived in the environment... advice from me (though it's dangerous to give i know i know so take it with a grain of salt!!!) would just be to talk to as many people as you can and research research research... Goodluck! drue

Hello All, My name is Olivia Collier and I am the C.E.O of The Entertainment Factory. As we are now accepting applicants for auditions I thought it best to chime in about a few things to clear questions up that seem to be occurring. One of my students suggest that I jump on here to help with any queries you may be having- 1. I am very sorry for the inconvenience of our website. We are currently reconstructing and rejuvenating the website so has been offline for a while. It is taking longer than initially expected and I again apologise for the inconvenience. 2. Yes we are fully accredited! We offer a nationally recognised qualification in three different areas. An Advanced Diploma in Performing Arts with three majors- Acting, Musical Theatre and Dance. We offer an Advanced Diploma in which you can study both Full Time and Part Time. 3. Auditions are in Mid Feb to Mid March. The course begins the first week in April 2008. We are offering part scholarships to 75% of students accepted. Male applicants are also considered precious. Males auditioning and wishing to attend Pas Des Deux classes will do so at a greatly subsidized rate. 4. The WA Academy of Dance and Drama is a part time company. It does NOT offer accredited courses. It is a performing arts school that is for children to adults for both enjoyment and career. The Entertainment Factory is an affiliated company of the WA Academy of Dance and Drama but they are not related in content. I hope this clears up any queries that you have! If you would like any information you can email me on entfac@letsgo.com.au. You can also contact me on 0413594941 and I can discuss auditions for both full time and part time study. Thank you for your interest Yours Sincerely, Olivia Collier C.E.O The Entertainment Factory A.I.S.T.D, Curriculum IV P: (08) 9207 1945 F: (08) 9207 2049 M: 041 359 4941 E: entfac@letsgo.com.au