Much of improv happens in troupes, but there are auditions for house teams and for shows. I’ve compiled a list of audition tips based on my own experience and some input from friends:
Remember the basics. “Yes and”, “Happy healthy sexy”, “CROW”, etc. Directors are looking to make sure you have these basic skills down, so that they can work on the more advanced skills during the rehearsal process.
Bring a positive attitude. Be courteous and attentive when others are doing scenes. This is just good etiquette, but it also shows that you are a team player. Even though you are competing with the other people auditioning, you should be supporting them and building them up in your audition scenes. Directors (or at least, good directors) aren’t looking for who gets the most laughs during the audition. They’re looking for who can be supportive.
Play a variety of characters. Show off your range. You may only get to play two characters during an audition. After you've gone up once, try thinking about what is the opposite of that character.
Play your strengths. If there are some character types you like playing often, use those in your audition. You'll have time during rehearsal to get more experimental.
Don't expect to get cast the first few auditions you go to. Auditioning is its own skill. Try intentionally going to an audition for a show you don't want to be cast in. This takes away the pressure, and you still get to practice auditioning. Also, directors are usually fine with you just auditioning for the experience as long as you are upfront about that.
Be honest in the audition form. List all potential conflicts. Even though conflicts reduce your chances of being cast, revealing that you have conflicts after the show has already been cast is far worse. Let the director or stage manager know about conflicts as soon as you know about them.
Read the audition form, and read it again. Ninety percent of it will be standard stuff, but the ten percent that's different between shows includes information about what kind of tone the directors want from the show and what is expected of you if you are cast.
This doesn't apply to every show, but if there is a genre or theme, do a little research beforehand. Reading a book or watching a movie in that genre can help you get in the right headspace. During the audition, show what you know, but don't infodump. You can reference tropes or play stock characters from the genre, but don't let it get in the way of the actual scenework.
Warm up! You want to be fully warmed up by the time you enter the audition room, which means it’s up to you to get yourself warm. You can show up early and play warm up games with the other auditionees. Warm up in the car on the way over. Do push ups or jumping jacks before entering the room. Whatever you do to get yourself ready for shows, do that before the audition.
Wear bright colors (or something memorable). This isn't strictly necessary. The directors will try not to be influenced by things like this, but there's a lot they have to pay attention to. Any little thing that helps you stand out is a bonus. At a minimum, you should be looking presentable. Not formal, but I would suggest something you would wear to a date.
Anything I missed? Add it in the comments: