A trial performance to evaluate a performer's skills.
Example:
Auditions for Broadway shows attract so many hopeful unknown performers that they are referred to as "cattle calls."
Most stars are discovered at auditions, where a number of candidates read the same part and the director chooses. Lana Turner, on the other hand, skipped the audition process altogether; once she was discovered sipping a soda at Schwab's, her future was secure. Audition can also be a verb. After Miss Turner won her stardom, the prize was the opportunity to audition to be her leading man.