How Did Your Audition Go?

If you ever walk away from an audition and wonder if you did well, then you didn’t.  An actor knows when they nailed it and when they didn’t because an actor can feel when they are connected to a piece.  If you spent your audition time wondering what the director was writing about you, where you should place your hands or if you moved too much, then it was a bad audition.

That’s ok.  Bad auditions are a part of the game.  No one is ever going to be perfect every single time.  Acting is a process and auditions are just a part of that process.  When you have a bad audition, value the opportunity it gives you to reflect.

Auditions are nerve-racking and its quite difficult to get out of your head.  Did I dress appropriately?  What if they don’t like me?  What if I’m too tall?  Too short?  What if 10 other people did this same monologue?  There are a million questions that you’ve probably asked yourself as you prepare for the audition and a million more that went through your head as you sat waiting for your name to be called.  And there will be times when it is impossible to quiet those voices but try this simple technique next time your nerves are fraying as you wait.

Close your eyes.  Take a deep breath and count to eight while inhaling.  Hold the breath for a count of nine and exhale the breath slowly to the count of ten.  Eight, nine, ten.  Do it as many times as needed.  Usually, 3 or 4 cycles will do the trick.  As you feel your body relaxing, try to get out of your head and into the head space of your character(s). 

Stanislavski, the father of modern acting techniques, believed that relaxation was the key to everything else that followed. I believe it too.  When we are relaxed, we are more focused and our intentions are clearer.  It will allow you to connect with your material and your characters and you will appear confident and poised for the director. 

Rehearse your material until it is second nature.  Then there’s nothing to be nervous about.  There are things that you can’t control.  You can’t change your height or know if other people performed the same monologue, but you can control how prepared you are for the audition and the more prepared you are, the more you will be able to take a deep breath and relax.  If you need help with the material and character choices, then I can help with that, so book your consultation with me. Then the next time someone asks you, “how did your audition go?”  You’ll be able to answer, “fantastic!”