An Audition Power Shift: Princeton Tries On a New Approach

AMERICAN THEATRE: Elena Araoz wears many hats: She is a director, actor, and lecturer in theatre at Princeton University’s Lewis Center for the Arts. As such, she sees the audition room from a variety of perspectives. As an actor, for instance, she is conditioned to show her best self to the production staff. As a director, she is trained to make judgements about each actor entering the room in hopes of casting the best possible person for each role. And as a lecturer at Princeton University, she is intent on ensuring that every student she encounters has the tools needed to succeed in theatre post-graduation.