Well, I guess this means I'm going first. If there's anybody else even looking at this. I was going to put this on my blog, but I think it kind of fits what I was thinking this could be used for so -
Here goes.
I just finished reading the script for a show, sent to me out of interest/availability for an audition.
(C. Walker's rule regarding auditions/offers that he's still learning to follow): always read the play before going in if you can/DON'T accept an offer unless you've seen the script
This thing is good. REAL good - and this is coming from a big, fat hater. I am amazed at how much I connected to this piece.
I was contacted because I did the EPA* for this theater co. (Abingdon) back in early September. This was after going all the way to DC to audition for a show of a type I'm generally not interested in or right for (gospel musical). I was called back for it, went in, and had the worst callback experience I ever care to have. After being really pleased with the first audition, I decided to pick a hard song for the callback. That, a cold, dry room, starting too low, too slow...oh, and, by the way I'm not "a singer" added up to less-than-desirous rests. The director motions to the pianist to stop, mid-song (mercy?) then informs me that I was actually called back for a completely different character - a character far different from the one I specifically drove to DC to audition for and one I was not particularly interested in doing. I read the other character, and managed to impress some people in the room doing it, but I think I knew I wasn't going to be getting cast.
As of yet, I've not gotten a call ;-).
THAT was my first non-commercial audition experience in a long time. I'd been away from theater for a minute, and this was my re-entry - probably not as bad as I make it seem, but the ego was a mite touched.
(dag, it was that bad? I couldn't even finish?)
?
NEXT!
So, on when I found that audition, I also found the one with Abingdon mentioned above. Again, I was attracted by a character named "Todd" in the breakdown. I can't remember exactly what it said, but I said to myself, explicitly - "I know that guy". The style, heavily monologue driven, is something I've something I've had experience with. To give me even more reason to get out of bed, they were looking for a male who could handle spoken word as well.
Yeah. I can handle that.
So, I'm getting ready for this audition and I'm trying to figure out what to do for it. I'm big on owning one's own audition, and feeling free to come up with one's own strategy. I also firmly believe that actors in general don't approach auditions as job interviews. I had something specific for the spoken word, but I didn't know exactly what I wanted to do for "Todd". I could've done something from Yellowman, but I didn't really have time to get it where it needs to be, and, well I just didn't want to use it**. So, I decided instead that part of the audition would just be talking about the character.
I get to the space and, as usual, there's the "brief as possible nothing over two minute warning" which, if one has prepared properly won't be an issue because you KNOW you don't need more than that. Being a nervous, aiming to please actor, however, I thought about it. I decided that I'd wow them with the verse and on my way out state, "Todd, yeah. I know him. I know who that guy is". I go into the audition room, do my hellos and go into the piece, which did it's job. So much so that there's discussion about it. Then school, and this and that and I'm feeling good because it's obvious that choices worked. I saunter out triumphantly and realized, in mid-triumph, THAT I NEGLECTED TO TALK ABOUT THE CHARACTER WHICH WAS MY REASON FOR CHOOSING THIS AUDITION.
I left there hoping that they saw something that would make them think of me for "Todd", but it seemed obvious that they were very impressed with my handling of the poetry***.
I have, until this day, regretted not saying, "that guy, Todd, I KNOW him,".
Well. Lo and behold. Look what popped up in my inbox this morning.
You know what's really crazy? I was right - just from reading a character breakdown. Fifteen pages into this script, I was ready to reply with my interest.
So, moral?
Go in, do you, and go home. Or jogging. Or whatever. Or wherever. If you leave it there, all there, and they have eyes, they'll see it.
(*if you get me talking about EPAs, I shan't long talk before I say something to they effect of, "I don't believe companies really come here looking to cast shows". I do believe that - I don't believe EVERY company comes in looking to cast a show. However, a lot do. And you've already paid for it, so, if they've decided that their just there to be bored, use their bored asses to work on perfecting your mutant power of de-boredation - that ray you shoot from your chest that causes intense interest from your chosen target/targets)
(**due to another bad audition. I hate taped audtions for stage. I will never do another one. I hate them hate them hate them. I hate them.)
(***if you need modern verse or poetry for an aud, start with songs you love. especially something that's actually written well, but nobody ever really pays attention to the words. it is also amazing how people can have the words to a song memorized, but never really HEAR them. But, that's what we do, right?)
