professional auditionee

Chance Learning

One week ago I took a chance–a risk–one I might not recommend to everyone. I was called, you see, about ten days ago to audition for a highly-regarded theatre company. That phone call made my day wonderful because I had submitted my materials and a polite note with no expectation of being invited to audition. Perhaps the first lesson of this tale (and of many others) is: bar any sense of expectation one may have as it relates to anything. Then, one may be continually surprised.

Reflecting on the requirements of the audition, I felt I had two worthwhile monologues to present, but not a good third–an appropriate dramatic Shakespearean monologue. So, with 36 hours to go I set to work identifying, committing to, cultivating, and memorizing one that was suitable to the occasion. Is this nuts? Yes. Would I recommend such a challenge to anyone? No. Why did I do it? Because (1) I figured it ... Read more »

Dissociating Self and Hindsight

Earlier today I queried, “Why is hindsight 20/20″? You see, I’ve had difficulty abiding by my personal tricolon recently: I go, I do it, I leave. Specifically, I have had difficulty failing to recall two auditions I had last week. They were callbacks for roles in a TV pilot–my first auditions for a pilot since I worked as quirky teacher Jenn on The Six Fifty-Seven, a tale of commuter train pals. Fundamentally, every audition is a chance to work and, like all actors, I enjoy working as often as possible. Surely, it is foolish to dream of landing every gig, but it is reasonable to believe the possibility of working periodically with some regularity is feasible.

In every performer’s heart is harbored secret loves and passions–those so-called “dream jobs”–and in my case, this pilot captured a few of these elements: accents, intrigues and period costumes. As much as I’ve tried to sweep last week’s experiences from ... Read more »

A Pledge of Character

I have never been one to make resolutions at the turn of a new year. The words “resolve” and “resolution” for me immediately call to mind music theory analyses of great compositions–specifically works by Wagner, Berg and Schönberg, among others. I’ve always felt trite commitments such as “lose weight”, “quit drinking” and “get organized” carry with them negative connotations that attract unwanted energy and undesired outcomes. They also bear heightened expectations that go frequently unmet and can lead to feelings of dissatisfaction.

So this year I am making a pledge to myself to work daily at being the best person I can be. There is an expression I like and is paraphrased, “Imagine life as you wish it to be and trust in the knowledge the Universe will provide it for you.” While I like it very much, I acknowledge I haven’t always believed it. However, I can cite examples in ... Read more »

A Petite Primer

During the last few weeks, I’ve overheard some folks misusing terminology, so I thought I would offer an informal glossary for all to reference.

agent: an individual who, through contractual agreement, is empowered to act on behalf of another such as an actor, singer, dancer, writer or other talent, and who coordinates auditions, call backs and meetings with casting directors, producers and production companies, serving as a representative on the part of the individual signed to the contract. The agent often collects a percentage of the earnings of the individuals whom they represent.

casting director: the person responsible for identifying and selecting actors, singers, dancers or others for roles in a film, play, television show, commercial, or other production. S/he is typically hired by a producer and/or production company to conduct auditions of talented individuals and suggest or appoint people for those roles to be filled.

casting agency: a company, often a collection of individuals, that specializes in ... Read more »

When Reality Mirrors Reality

As a witness to the state of the economy these past three years, I feel confident saying the American unemployed now understand what it is to be a performing artist. I hear from friends who are responsible for hiring at various companies that for every position they list on a job board or employment web site, they receive hundreds, if not thousands, of submissions during the first 24 hours, many of which come from people who are “highly overqualified” for the role. More importantly, they say it is nearly impossible to objectively review and assess every application for employment and its associated materials. For those who have made application, I’m certain they are constantly wondering, “How can I set myself apart? How can I get my foot in the door? How can I get the job?” I am also certain they find it spirit-crushing to repeatedly receive no response confirming their application, and never receive a request ... Read more »

Immersion Diversion

It doesn’t happen often that I have an opportunity to audition in an accent or language other than straight-up-neutral-American. However, I was pleasantly surprised to have an almost-last-minute invitation to an audition requesting an accent I actually know and perform well. (Unlike those auditions at which I am instructed to put-on an accent I do not know, cannot perform, and which remains unlisted on my résumé for good reason.)

The audition being almost-last-minute, immediately I got underway with preparations. It was evident which character I should prepare, so coordinating the various physical accoutrements was simple. However, it being awhile since I’d used the accent in question, I knew I needed to hit the books, as it were, hard. I began by reciting everything in sight. Bills. The label on my wood furniture polish. Magazine blurbs. Any commercial text I heard. And the instructions of the pasta recipe I made for dinner. One of the most ... Read more »

Formulating Foundations

One of my favorite motivational quotations is known by many and comes from American transcendentalist author and poet Henry David Thoreau. It reads:

“If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost;
that is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them.”

What I find inspiring about these words is the inherent notion that dreams and goals need not remain ethereal things, but that their existences can be affirmed by making concerted efforts and taking practical steps towards realizing them. These past few months, I’ve been taking time to evaluate where I am currently in my career, where I would like to be, what I would like to be doing and, more broadly, who I am as an individual and who I would like to become. I’ve been engaging in a few activities as I move through this liminal phase to help define and achieve the ... Read more »