professional auditionee

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 »

A Note on Auditioning

After today’s audition, I considered writing about my efforts to memorize 40 pages, the large blister that developed on my toe from walking too far in heels, my realization en route that my stockings had lost their elasticity and kept collecting about my ankles, or the fact that I made two elegant fumbles (if I do say so, myself) mid-performance but kept going. (The show must go on!) Instead, I feel a need to remark upon the function of auditions in the lives of artistic individuals because I’ve noticed a trend towards lethargic inactivity among some of my counterparts.

As I noted earlier this year, auditioning is a talent’s foremost responsibility. Essentially, every audition is a job interview. Just as people seeking a job, upward mobility in a company, or a transition in the direction of a career make application to job openings and, when contacted, interview for the position, it is my responsibility (and, ... Read more »

A Lingua Franca

A few days ago I tweeted about soliciting for a film audition for which I didn’t think I’d receive a glance of consideration. Well, on Wednesday evening of this week I received a call about this very audition, which would be held the following afternoon! So, I had little time to prepare and no time to waste on my waning cold. In reviewing the sides that had been provided, the scenes presented in a straightforward manner. The elephant in the room? The lines written in English marked as being spoken in another language–a language I have never heard of.

As the dutiful actress I am, I spent two hours researching this obscure-sounding language and came up empty. Nothing! I had found nothing and I excel at research. So, I took a break to review my options:

I could always provide the lines in English since that is how they are written.
I could ask, ... Read more »