Audition Futility

It’s hard to audition and then not get chosen—it happens!

Seems to me one has to believe that auditioning is part of an actor’s work, as much as is performing. The audience is limited and the performance brief, but it counts for something. You learn something. You’re seen and may be remembered. The call may come far later than you expect.

Questions You May Be Asked in an Audition – # 1

Q: What interested you in our season?

A: (select one)

a) Everything. Except “High School Musical,” of course, because there’s no part for me.

b) In what roles might you cast me?

c) Theater is my life. I can’t help but be interested.

An Inveterate Actor

If I were many persons, one of them could devote his entire life, all his energies and love, all his creative powers, all his aspirations, and put all his values in the service of acting in theatre.

What lost, sorry soul he would be.

Crazy?

I am reading a good book (from 17 years ago, so you may know of it), entitled "Staying Sane in the Arts," by Eric Maisel, Pd.D.

See if it doesn't describe you well, with advice as to what you should do about it.

You Never Know What to Expect

You never know what to expect at a commercial audition. I brought a prop to an audition a while back, which was clever of me. But they had a prop for me, so I didn’t actually feel very clever.

After I said my last line, the director said, “You don’t say that line yet.” I knew this, but didn’t say so, so as not to appear defensive. Not saying that I knew, I fear I appeared inept. I spoke that last line early because, although there were actors representing various characters in the scene, there were lines for an announcer as well. Because we didn’t have an announcer, I simply skipped to my next spoken line, my last line.

Maybe I think too much.

My Dad, on Acting

My dad told me the best comment he ever heard on the topic of an actor’s relationship to his audience advice was from some grand dame of the theater who, when asked what she thought of when she looked out at her audience, replied “cabbage heads!”

My First Role

My appearance on stage was in a non-speaking role, but it was a starring role. I was Joseph in a Nativity tableau when I was in kindergarten. I was thrilled to portray the man, and was in character the moment I stepped on stage with our upstairs agnostic neighbor’s cane, as surely Joseph would have been tired and deliberate as he walked to the manger where Mary had laid the baby Jesus.

The most memorable, mind-bending aspect of my experience was extra-theatrical. I was very much in love—for want of an adequate alternate way of expressing my feelings—with the girl playing Mary, and fully expected that she would be my wife one day—one day very, very far in the future.

So, for me, it was a transformational moment.