Auditioning

I’ve been auditioning a good bit over the last several weeks. Auditions are hard. They can feel really important and like a joke at the same time. I know some people get really nervous about job interviews and all sorts of material has been written about how to handle that. Pshaw! I’ve found that corporate interviews are nothing compared to the auditioning for theater, film, and commercials.

Auditions are hard. They can feel really important and like a joke at the same time.

Auditioning forces you to deal with rejection. That’s where I’m at. Cirque de soleil, Studio Tenn, and the Nashville Shakespeare Festival all took a good look at me and said No, thank you. The most frustrating aspect is not that I don’t get the job, but that I get no feedback. That information would be so helpful, but I don’t get it, nor does my agent. But fellow actor, you and I must learn to take these things in stride. I found an excellent article from former casting director turned acting coach Amy Jo Berman titled “Why You Didn’t Get the Part.”

Here are some other useful tips that I’ve picked up recently from Amy Jo and my time at the Nashville Film Festival:

It’s your audition. The idea is that your audition is your time. Own it. Host it. For me this primarily means two things: I can start over if I want to and I don’t apologize. Although my southern manners may compel me to thank them for the opportunity, my underlying thought is to be You are fortunate that you get to see me.
It’s not so precious. Prepare as best you can, audition, and let it go. This keeps you from beating yourself up because you think your audition was inferior to your rehearsals for it. Perhaps more importantly, holding the audition loosely keeps you from appearing desperate at the audition.
Remember your marching orders. Treat the audition as a performance and a chance to do what you love. Your job is to create the best character you can create, not to book the gig.

Over to you: Alright, fellow actors. What other auditioning tips do you have?