Using an accent in an audition?

I'll be auditioning for a male role in Midsummer Night's Dream soon and I have to prepare a comedic Shakespeare monologue.

I've done a fair amount of theater work, but I came from a small community where just about any male was welcome and auditions were very laid-back. Now I've moved to a larger community and there will, no doubt be significant competition.

My question is whether it's a good idea to work an accent into an audition for shakespeare. I've done accent work before (Brooklyn accent for "The Guys"), but never a British accent. My in-laws are British and I think I can pull it off with some work and help, but I don't want to use it in an audition if it would be distracting.

Thanks for any help.

Using an accent in an audition?theater seating

Don't do the accent. If you're confident about your ability to pull it off, put it on your resume instead.

Remember, your auditioners don't know how you really speak. If your audition voice is clear, well-projected, and without a distinctive regional accent, they will assume you can pull off the accents as needed. But if all they hear you do is the "voice," they may assume that's all you can do. It's a sad but true fact of auditioning.

And I agree with the poster who cautioned against assuming Shakespeare should be done with an English accent (what kind of English accent, by the way? There are zillions.) I don't believe I've ever seen an American production of any Shakespearean play done with English accents. We wouldn't do Moliere with French accents, nor Pirandello with Italian accents....

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Using an accent in an audition?

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