There is no doubt that for many performers, auditions can be a stressful experience, eliciting emotional responses that can traverse from sublime joy to raw terror.

The very moment that most actors crave, the opportunity to present their skills and talent in front of a casting director with the suddenly very real possibility of procurring gainful employment in one’s chosen field of endeavour can also be the moment that brings into focus all the nagging doubts about that ability and talent.

The days or hours leading up to an audition can see the performer’s psyche confronted with the conundrum of whether one is deserving, not deserving, talented, hopelessly inadequate, tired, listless, over-energised, unable to commit the script to memory, overworking the script and character, as if the rest of their lives are hinging upon this one moment in time, this 10 minutes in front of people whom they have never met before, and who can decide the performers immediate fate upon this all too brief encounter, very often in surroundings that are the least likely to illicit any sense of greatness of an artistic pursuit.

Why do many performers tend to endure such a crisis of confidence or internal conflict in this most desirable and necessary moment of their performing lives?

The old saying of “wanting it too much”, whilst potentially accurate in its form, doesn’t invite us to investigate why exactly “wanting it too much” can have such a debilitating effect at the very moment we might otherwise be delighting in the opportunity to display our wares in all their glory.

So, what does an audition represent to us, and why do so many performers seemingly experience very similar dilemma’s when presented with one?

In the first instance let’s look at what might go through a performer’s mind when the call to audition arrives.

If auditions are not a regular part of a performer’s world, and for many this can be the case, then the first reaction might be of opportunity, quickly followed by hope, then that strange bedfellow of hope…the minds entertainment of rejection. All before one has even begun work on the audition piece.

This scenario might play out consciously or unconsciously, however one might be well assured that it will play out to some degree.

The opportunity to perform for potential employers can also bring with it projection. In an effort to prepare something that will appeal, the performer might begin to imagine how the auditioner will want the piece to be, which might be the first of many steps away from the performer’s own creativity and the first step towards any number of compromises which might ultimately exacerbate the feelings of insecurity.

Whilst it is important to consider how an auditioner may possibly perceive a character , and or story, for the most part one merely needs to use commonsense observation to understand genre, stereotypes and the other characters, to work out how the this particular character fits into the story, and what possible type of character the auditioner may be looking for. Most of this can be done by reading the script thoroughly a number of times, enjoyably, as a story .

It is important to consider that most productions will need to find a range of types of performers to infuse the production – whether it be film, television or stage –with variety, in looks, behaviour, idiosyncrasies etc, that each individual can and does bring to their work. There is little point in an auditioner choosing the same personality type over and over again for a production as such a move would render the show in danger of homogenisation. I cannot imagine too many shows willingly going down that road.

The performer is called to an audition for a reason. The auditioner has seen something in either looks, previous work , or manner, that has intrigued them sufficiently to be able to ‘imagine’ the performer doing well in the role.

It is the performer’s job then, to prepare the role to the best of their own ability, consider what the auditioner may be desiring, create a character that one is happy with, and then give the most complete performance of that well prepared character as is possible. Note that I did not say audition, but performance, for in all likelihood the greatest opportunity the performer can present themselves with is their own invention, the completed character, performing their heart out in a manner that will engage, in the most compelling way, the attention of their audience, in this case the auditioner.

Not so difficult a task as to be overwhelming one might think…except when joy has turned to doubt, which has turned to fear, which turns towards uncertainty, finally revealing a potential desparation. Any or all of the above can cloud one’s sense of originality, and confidence in one’s own ability, as the need to be approved of, to be recognised as talented, to simply be wanted or just to pay the bills, takes over and potentially ruins the audition before one has even commenced.

In the next blog I will address further, some of these ‘issues’ with the aim of developing a better ‘technique’ when it comes time to prepare for an audition .

http://www.melbourneactingstudio.com/auditions-great-expectations/