TIME: 9:26 AM
I had THE BEST audition ever on Tuesday! :)Now, don't get me wrong here: I'm not in the mind frame of "Oh my goodness, this role is gonna be mine" or anything like that. I'm just really glad I had a great audition!
I got this auditon from a colleague of mine named Brooke, who has a friend of her's who is film maker, and he was looking for Asian female actors for a part in his project. Going into the importance of networking as an actor, Brooke remembers me from the NY Actors' TweetUp from April, and she messaged me about the part and her film maker pal through Facebook, and the discription of the role. She's a Chinese-American girl who lives in a loft with eight other people. She's really depressed, and the only time she has "alone time" where she can cry is when she is in the bathroom, pretending to do her "business". When I read the character discription for this role, I knew immediately I wanted to auditon for it, and I already had the image of what this bathroom looked like in my mind.
Have you ever seen the toilet seat cover to the Rolling Stones album, Beggar's Banquet? That's how I imagined what the bathroom looked like - or similar in that fashion, only the space is extremely small and stuffy. Not a fun place to cry, isn't it? Of course, I'm not going to imagine this girl crying in a bathroom that looks like these - click me. If that were the case, I might as well picture this girl lighting some votive candles, pouring some fresh scented bubble bath, and hop into the jacuzzi tub and relax. No need to be in a group therapy session for a moment like that, right?
I really liked this character and I liked the sides I was given to work on for my audition, so I had fun working on them! I think this is the most fun I even had preparing for an audition, too! I think that helps a lot when you're about to go to an adution, because before I go on one, the big question I always get from everybody, especially from non-actors, is: "Are you nervous?"
I will admit, like everyone else who put themselves out there, I have gotten nervous at auditions, but lately, I haven't! Well, the past few auditions I've been to I wasn't nervous. As long as you go over your sides and really prepare yourself for your audition, there's really no need to be nervous! As long as you're not in your head, then you REALLY don't have a reason to be nervous! Even though I was off-book for this audition, I didn't think nor worry about the dialogue. I just let it all flow out of me like it was nothing at all, and it made my job A LOT easier, too!
See, my issue is that I'm a total perfectionist, and I hate to screw up. I have to get things right, and I have that "learn fast or die" frame of mind, which isn't good for...well, anyone really, especially if they want to learn to be really good at something. When I immediately screw up on something, I stop myself and quickly try to fix it. That is a NO-NO when auditioning or performing in theatre. Being that way also gets you caught in your head, which I, or any other performer, isn't supposed to do and shouldn't do. That also leads to the notion of "hoping" to have a good audition! But my actng coach gave me some really important auditioning advice after we went over the sides during our last session: "Unprepared actors hope. Prepared actors don't."
And you know what? That helped...A LOT! :)
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| My audition sides - or at least the ones I used to prepare with.:) They gave me new ones during the actual audition without all the writing. |
My business coach advised me to get myself an auditioning journal, where I can write down my auditioning experiences! My last audition prior to the one I had on Tuesday for was so disappointing, because I stifled my impulses so much. And I think I went in there expecting too much. This one, I went in there expecting really nothing at all. I didn't expect to see a camera. I didn't expect to see a certain amount of people. I just...went there and to try and recover from the blazing hot weather as a matter of fact!
Ironically, the audition was at the same place where Erin Cronican hosts the Bite-Size business soirees! And I saw one of her pamphlets there, and I tweeted it on Twitter. I was thinking, "Oh wow, this is a good sign!" So, I kind of used it as a good luck charm per say. But the truth is, luck is created through working hard and preparing yourself for these auditions. And I jotted that down in my journal, so from this moment on, auditions are going to be fun! No pressure. No obsessing over sides. Just prepare and do my best!
And when I walked out, knowing I did my best, that's all that mattered to me. If I get it, great. If not, who cares? I rocked it! :) AND this is the first audition I've had that I've gotten feedback and was given direction from the director! THAT made me REALLY HAPPY! :)
The auditioning process will only get better from here on up! :)
Also, that day, I got my birthday gift from myself to myself. I actually returned to Improvisation/Meisner Technique class with Alan Gordon! :) I am being told that I'm beginning to show improvment as a performer, which is great news! So, with that being said, it's now time to develop some serious performance range, which I am looking forward to! And the great thing about these auditions, it gives me a chance to perform, to exercise my acting skills in front of people who never met or heard of me before. It gives me a chance to learn to walk on my own and take what I learn from my coaches.
I have a feeling, no matter where this career of mine takes me, it's going to be one interesting journey! SOOOOO looking forward to it! :)
Cristina
http://www.cristinacho.net/
