The Four “I”s

The Practice: The four I’s. Imagination, Intelligence, Industry, and the Internet. Research the play, the theatre, the director, the reviews, the casting office, the playwright, his/her other works, arcane subjects related to the play (like the costumes, society, history of the period). The Internet is a great friend–from the site The Social Significance of Modern Drama to another site on Shakespeare.

The Moral: PREPARE.

The Self: I have had the opportunity to be a fly on the wall at a few auditions. And I swear you can tell if someone can act, if someone has presence, if someone can take over the room from the second they walk in the door. There is just “something” — no it is NOT smart ass, wise guy. No is it not cool.

It is PRESENCE. You just gotta get it if you weren’t born with it. Go to the theatre, watch films. Define what makes someone so immensely good and successful while someone else equally as good is not successful. Of course luck is a factor, but presence plays a bigger role! Presence really has little to do with talent. You can be enormously talented and not have a whit of presence.

And vice versa: Lots of presence and little talent is infinitely more desirable than lots of talent and little presence. (Of course, both are ever more preferable!) Have all antennae working so you can read the committee instantly to know whether they want you to joke, chat, get down to business. Presence is an inner quality. Define it and then acquire it. Of course you need talent but with marvelous presence you don’t have to be great. You do have to be good, but good + presence is a winning combo.

Interview: Be prepared for anything.

If the director (or whoever) doesn’t take the lead, you must. But be careful. Tell the truth but be diplomatic. Watch out about commenting on something in the office/room. It may not be their office. Chat is often well covered in the audition books I mentioned above. But again be prepared for anything. At a recent interview for a film, after stating her name, the casting director instantly said, “Well, Janus, what was it like to work with X?” (X was a well-known director / actor.) Oy! Deep breath. An easy answer would have been, “Oh he was wonderful, great.” Dead end. BOOORING. Instead I chose to say truthfully, “It was a perfect experience.” Then snippets of examples why it was perfect. Stories, but truthful. The casting person spent the entire 12 minute interview asking about person X. Thank goodness I really liked director X, thank goodness he treated me beautifully, thank goodness I knew his history (Internet info, again).

Moral: Be prepared for anything.

Spontaneity is good as long as it is controlled. (That only seems to be an oxymoron. Think about it.) Be interesting. The expected, store-bought, easy, clichŽd phrases make for a boring interview. Keep enthusiasm there, but well under control.

Dress: Nice casual is the best choice.

If you are up for a bag lady/man, don’t wear tight mini skirt or tux. Also do not go in tatters and ratty hair. Nice casual. Remember your headshot didn’t look like a street person. If you are up for The Sound of Music, common sense says no Debbie Does Dallas cleavage. Use your common sense. Misc. list: When you are finished with the sides/monologue, take a beat, bow your head and say thank you. Give them a couple of seconds. They take the lead here. Either they will thank you or they may ask you to do it again and give you directions.

TAKE THEIR DIRECTIONS although they may seem absurd. They may be testing your attitude. Exit with pride, even though you may not feel it. Fall apart later, if you insist. Rarely, extremely rarely, you may ask if you can repeat something. Someone told a regional open call committee she didn’t think she had sung her best and asked if she could do it again. They told her to come back at the end of the day. She did. Sang better. Landed the role. But please do not abuse this. Remember they may think you did a fine job.

There is too much competition to just be “good.” And it is essential to discover for yourself what being better than “good” means. In spite of all the examples of auditions cited above, there are roles that are indeed available. There are casting people who will recognize ability and grab it.

True Story: Soon after entering this profession, I was at a film audition for a small role in a star-filled feature film. I looked at the competition sitting in the foyer and recognized half of them from film, TV, commercials, theatre. I made a quick whining phone call to my significant other: “I am out of my depth. I don’t have a chance. Poor me. Alas and Alack.” You know, insecure. Doubting. Every possible negative thought. Significant other: “You are there because you were selected to audition. Remember you are their competition.” That advice worked for me then.

However, through the years I have added other advice that is even better: Keep your focus on the job at head. Do not spend your time evaluating your competition. That is not your job. That job belongs to the director. The only evaluation you can do is of your own audition (after it is over).

If your audition consists of one line, while you wait to go in, remember the numerous ways that line can be said. Think of the years of training you have had. Think of what they may ask at the interview. Run over three or four monologues. (Who knows what they may ask in addition to the sides?) Focus on gathering the electricity to surround you. FOCUS. Remember your dream.
Many people are into spreading love and generous positive feelings around the audition table. I prefer “passion” to “love.” What works — for me — is a huge dollop of energy derived from my aim: to make it as hard as possible for them to stay with their safe pre-audition choice for the role. Yes, this goes against everything anyone has told you. But try it, just once. Save love-spreading for the wrap party. Use your imagination, your intelligence, your preparation but add to that mix an enormous dollop of electricity and energy derived from wherever you get your energy. Take your fear and turn it into controlled energy. (”Controlled” because scattered manic energy is frightening.) ENERGY. PASSION.

I have tiptoed around a topic long enough, so here goes: Fear turned into inner anger can be turned into killer energy. Just do not let the anger rule. And do not let the committee see or sense your anger. Let the anger become energy. And wrap that anger in swaths of charm. Anger, properly used, can be a marvelous friend. It can be expressed as energy in the way you walk, the way you introduce yourself, the way you deliver your sides/monologue, the way you exit.

I like being in charge of my destiny and detest that those people behind the table have control of my professional destiny. If a loved one is trapped under a car, that love turns into “superhuman” energy and you do the impossible. However, in an audition, if you insist on the love approach, just be sure your love turns into superhuman energy and that you do something (the equivalent of lifting the car off your loved one).

Starting with the nucleus in your being, extend your electric energy into your sides/monologue. Extend that energy throughout the entire room. Gather the energy while you wait to go in. Feel the energy tingling as you open the door. Do not turn the power of your audition over to the committee. I really cannot tolerate whiners who complain about an apathetic audience (or a negative casting director).

The audience (the committee) responds to you. The you that they respond to is totally within your control. They may loathe your work or love it but do not allow them to be indifferent. Ho-hum is a plague. This is a battleground. Go in to win. Be absolutely ruthless in your determination to make them sit up and notice what you are doing.

How to audition? Energy. Regardless of your inner feelings, drop negativity, lethargy, doubt at the door. Walk in with Energy.

Note: Some rather vague terms, such as “energy” are used here — vague because they try to capture inner qualities. For energy, you can substitute the idea of PASSION. PASSION FOR ACTING. PASSION FOR LIFE. Years ago Lust for Life was a popular biography about Van Gogh. Wonderful title. Think of Dylan Thomas and “the force that drives the water through the rocks.” Think of intensity that enthralls. Think of forked lightning. Of comets. Energy.

First, there are numerous books written on auditioning. Go to a theatre bookstore and browse. Most “How To” books help a bit but they eventually dissolve into acting suggestions: “Play to your reader, make strong choices.” Acting 101 stuff. Or they propose some bromide like: “They really want you to succeed.”

Let’s clear up here at the start all the things you cannot control in an audition. Right off, know this: Often directors/producers already know whom they want. And the higher up the audition chain, the more true that comment. And if possible, they will always go with a “name,” no matter how obscure the “name,” even if they think you really are better for the role. And they adore Broadway credits no matter if they were 40 years ago or if you merely carried a sword.

True Story: Two years ago, Q was called in via an agent to audition for a major theatre, major casting office, major director. Part of Q’s preparation for the audition was a two-hour coaching session. (Not free!) Q went into the audition room to kill: Internal energy aflame, right appearance, social skills aglow, sides prepared, research done. Entire script studied. Great interview (warm and confident but not smart ass, energetic but not manic, charming but not effusive, antenna alert but not needy). After the interview section, Q read the sides. Had the director, his assistant, the casting director and his assistant in tears (appropriate response to passage). Renowned director grasped both of the Q’s hands: “We will meet again.” The CD whispered: “Never go back to your day job.’”

Next day the coach called Q. Says Coach: “I didn’t want to tell you before the audition, but a friend of mine signed a contract for that role at that theatre two weeks ago.” (Note: Signed Actor had done B’way and major Regionals and films. The signed actor had even worked with that director before.) Advice TO Q: Forget it. Move on. It was an A+ audition. That is the only part you can control.

Realize that casting directors may have other reasons for casting than talent. They may go with someone they have worked with before. Or with someone with better credits. Or with someone who — God forbid — is not better than their star. (Yes, an actor friend was told by a casting director that he was not cast in a small role BECAUSE HE WOULD OUTSHINE THE LEAD.)

Women have not been cast because they were taller than the male lead. Someone wasn’t cast because she had red hair and the lead had red hair. And there are hundreds of other reasons why you didn’t get cast. Just make sure you, yourself, are not the reason for being skipped over. Rejection is rampant and often unfair in this profession.

So, remember, quite often they do not want you to succeed. They are the enemy. Your future at that moment is in their control. And you’d better go in to knock ‘em off their chairs, to make them gasp, to make it difficult for them to continue in their “safe choice” rut. Nothing less will work. And even that doesn’t work all the time. Frankly, it is them vs. us. If they are lovely, complimentary, gushy, don’t believe them. If icicles hang from their tongues, don’t believe them.

Some actors deal with rejection by developing thick skin and steel armor. However, this can be a major danger and gamble if you opt for thick skin and steel armor because whatever prevents hurt from getting in to your feelings simultaneously prevents your inner feelings from getting out. And that spells the end of acting. Period. A large part of being an actor is the ability to feel. Moral: Live with the pain of rejection. It will pass.