Pam Dixon, casting director for films including Forget Paris, Angels in the Outfield, City Slickers I and II.
"What are some of the biggest mistakes you commonly see actors make in an audition situation?
Stating anything negative before they've begun, e.g. 'I don't really know about... and I'm not sure...' Directors really don't want to hear it, even though they try to be nice. And what I've found is that no matter what you say thereafter to try to win back favour, the director has formed an impression, and most of that time you cannot get him to think differently. And it doesn't mean the person is not a good actor. But half of it is the acting, and half of it is the way the other person feels.

Al Onorato, casting director for Fame, Superior Court, Baghdad Cafe.
"What kind of training do you think is particularly valuable?"
One of the most important kinds of training for actors is improvisation, taking improv classes. One of the things that sometimes actors don't do as well as they might is listen. So often you have a script in front of you, and you'll give the dialogue back and forth, not really listening to what the other person is saying. In an improv class you have to listen to what the other person is saying, because you have to respond to it.

Stanley Soble, Broadway casting director
"Find a monologue for which you don't have to explain the background. If you can find a scene that says it all in one minute and shows your quality, then you're really ahead of it. The shorter the better, because all a monologue audition will show is your quality.
The other bit of advice I'd give you is, if in an audition situation a director strikes up a conversation, let them lead the conversation. Don't because you feel, oh my God, it's a chance to talk, spend five minutes telling a story. Answer the question, and don't be abrupt, but don't say anything that isn't necessary to the conversation, and don't ask any question that isn't necessary to the audition. The director just wants to know how easy you are to work with.

Are there other no-no's for auditions? Are there terrible mistakes that actors habitually make?
It's very important that you give yourself what I call aesthetic distance between you and the person you're auditioning for. Don't stand right on top of the people.
Try very hard to dress for what it is that you're auditioning for. I don't mean in costume, but something evocative of the character. And don't spend a lot of time talking unnecessarily. Get right to your work - that's the most important thing.
The other thing is, I think a lot of people are disturbed when actors come in and say "Do you mind if I have 2 minutes to prepare for this" Don't do that. Come in prepared to do it. If it's a matter of someone giving you a script to read right away, don't sit down in the area where everybody else is sitting. Get up, take the script, go down the hall, go out in front of the building, go anywhere. But don't wait with all those other actors, because their vibrations are going to bleed over onto you.
I've had actors do things in auditions, where they'll be hostile or angry but they're not really hostile or angry, and the director or producer will say "I don't want to work with that person; he has problems." People are looking at two things in auditions. They're not only looking at your talent, they're looking to see whether or not you're going to make problems.

Danny Goldman, LA casting director
I don't want someone on my books to get rusty by not going out and auditioning. Because when your number does come up, if you haven't been on an audition for a while, you're going to be so freaked out that you're not going to get your best shot. But if you go out on a regular basis and you handle the rejection, then when the one comes up that you're perfect for, you're ready, you're primed, you're cooking.
You have to own the material. You have to be the character. You have choices.
You have to feel: What is this man? Who is this man? Deliver who this man is, and they will buy it. Because they don't know what they want until the see it - and once they see it, then that's what they want.
You dress indicative of the part. You dress suggestive of the part. For example, a lot of times we cast policemen or postmen or whatever. All it takes is a uniform work shirt. And jeans would be fine. Or a uniform work shirt and work pants for men. For women, when there's a waitress thing, a little skirt might be better than slacks. A blouse that speaks a little bit of waitress, without actually...

Elaine Craig: Big mistakes: Failure to show up. It only ever happens once, because I won't see them again if it happens, unless there's a really good excuse. Showing up late will really annoy me. Other mistakes you can make: Generally your attitude is so important in an audition. Everybody's nervous - even the casting director, because if I bring in fifteen people to an audition and even one of them doesn't hit, I've got to answer to my client. So just know that casting directors want you to be good. They're on your side. And attitude is so, so important. I mean, some people have a bad day, and they carry it in with them, and I don't need that.

Reuben Cannon: We're always searching. We don't know how rich this character can be. We wait for the actor to show it to us. And the degree to which you bare your soul is the degree to which the material comes alive. I had an actor once come in for the role of a blind soldier. And whenever you play blind, it has all the built-in traps filled with all the clichés. And this actor in the audition not only played the character blind but also crippled - he stumbles and has a limp. A twist like that can make all the difference.