AUDITIONS: “TO BE, OR NOT TO BE (PREPARED), THAT IS THE QUESTION.”

Constantin Stanislavski should be as familiar to an actor as Henry Ford is to someone who works with cars or Betty Crocker is to those who cook. He was a Russian actor and theatre director who later penned, An Actor Prepares, a semi-autobiographical account of a Russian actor preparing for a role. The book has become one of the most popular and essential books an actor will encounter and should own during his or her career.

It’s theme, preparation, is also very fitting for this weeks blog. No matter what we do throughout our rollercoaster life, being as prepared as possible for the twists and turns that await you, hopefully, allows the ups and downs to be smoother. However, as an actor, sometimes no matter how prepared you are for an audition, this industry doesn’t allow you to be as fully ready as you could be.

It is hard enough to be a successful actor and even harder when the communication among actors, agents, casting directors, producers and directors often breaks down. Sometimes you are left thinking you really never had a chance to begin with. Nonetheless, maybe these are all just tests of your talent, ability and strength. Plus, no one ever said being an actor was easy.

For me, each audition obtained presents an opportunity: a chance to meet new people, act for a brief moment, explore a new character, gain experience, and possibly even book a job at the end of it all. Thus, to me, preparation for auditions seems like common sense and very necessary indeed.

Still, my experience so far has shown that even if you research a role and project to familiarize yourself with those involved and know your material, you can show up for an audition and find that everything you did to prepare needs to be thrown out the window.

As a result, no matter how many auditions you have been on or how long you have been pounding the pavement, you cannot always know what to expect when you arrive or when you enter the audition room. What you consider to be prepared is at times irrelevant, since what waits is simply out of your control.

For instance, you could show up looking just like your headshot and be told, “you’re too old,” and never get to read a line, because they had decided they wanted someone who actually was 17. This also disregards the fact that your resume clearly states that you have a college degree, making you more than likely older. Or you are told after numerous auditions and callbacks, “you were the best actor for the role, but because of the business we had to go with a ‘name’ actor.” Additionally, the role could have been offered to another actor before you even got the audition, let alone entered the room, but they needed to have backups in case the other actor turned it down.

Oh, but that’s not all.

You could come to find that the breakdown (the description of the character) has been completely altered or the sides (the lines from the project given to an actor to prepare before the audition) have been suddenly changed. Or you could be too tall, especially if you’re female and a much shorter male actor has already been cast opposite you. BTW, being a tall female, as in my case, seems to be a whole other problem, which I’ll save for a future blog!

Lastly, you might have a great audition, but not get the part. This will happen often! However, it will only make sense when, on a very rare occasion, you are able to find out why. For example, when told, “you were great and would have had the role, but the director decided to make the character a guy.” Naturally, when you’re female, this inevitably takes you out of the running.

All of the above can happen, and actually has happened to me. Therefore, there is no definitive answer to the question, “To be, or not to be (prepared)?” The fact is it doesn’t always matter. Certain uncertainty, which I spoke of in a prior blog, just goes with the territory and is part of a typical day in the life of an actor.

That said, I personally think an actor should always be prepared to the best of their ability. Just remember that an important part of that preparation includes recognizing that anything can happen. You must be ready to go with the flow and present the best possible you that you can. Do the best you can and then let it go. As difficult as this sometimes is, it gets easier with practice, as does grasping that so many things are out of your hands. You must move onto the next audition and not take it personally!

Above all, remember that whether you book the job or not could come down to something as trivial as being born with the wrong eye color. So stay positive and know that with each audition you have gained experience. Think of it as preparation’s way of being sure that next time you are, to the best of its ability, better prepared.

“Luck is a combination of preparation meeting opportunity.” – Oprah Winfrey