What are Sides?
"Sides" refers to the selections from a script that an actor is provided as material for an audition.
The term "sides" dates all the way back to our friend Will Shakespeare’s day, where actors were only given their lines for rehearsals to save on paper and time – imagine old Will having to write 30+ copies of Richard III! Nowadays the term "sides" refers to the pages or selections from a script that actors are given to learn for an audition. "Sides" has become the industry standard term instead of "scenes" – this is because often an actor will be given only part of a scene or scenes rather a full scene as audition material.
One thing to ask yourself is: why have they chosen this particular section for my audition? What is it they want to see? Try to think like the casting director and ask yourself what they might be looking for in this character that they chose this section for you to work on. Perhaps the character is at an emotional peak, or they are trying to charm someone, or they simply have to cry (and maybe produce actual tears!). As an actor in an audition, you want to be offering a ‘solution’ to their casting ‘problem’, so if you can identify what that problem is, you’re halfway there.
Please access the sides below