I was a reader for a major casting agency in New York for three years. Honestly, I think I’m still on their email list, should they have need for me when things open back up again.
I learned so much as a reader. I sat in on musical theatre and theatre auditions and I learned a ton about the audition process. I studied how actors walked in the room, how they spoke to the casting director, how they spoke to me and the accompanist, how they handled direction, whether they were off book or not, did being off-book matter, and how they left the room.
Pre-Covid, actors were performing eight shows a week all across the world, not just on Broadway. Heck, I was performing eight shows a week in Chicago and on tour before I moved to New York for The Lion King. But something shifted when I got to The Lion King that made performing eight shows a week more challenging than it had ever been before.
The show was very, very physical. So I quickly realized that a health and wellness routine was the only way I would be able to achieve successful shows repetitively.
The audition waiting area is littered with distractions. It’s actually something I dread about the audition process. In a small area queued up with other actors, all vying for the same position? It’s madness! How are we ever o be successful with that kind of set up? Not to mention the other distractions that come along with that.
Let’s talk about rejection. It’s a huge part of an actor’s life. So let’s talk about it.
I couldn’t count the number of times I didn’t book the job. Seriously, it happens almost daily. If I counted, it would make me sick. So instead, I focus on the opportunities I’ve had. I focus on how all of these auditions have only enriched my skills as a performer. This business is difficult. It can break you down. We all have our moments of feeling rejected, not good enough, crazy for choosing this profession, fill in the blank. What helps me is simply focusing on the work. I haven’t always been able to do that, but recently, I’d say in the last year or so, I’ve been actively working on just focusing on the work and leaving it there. Any opportunity, no matter how small, is still an opportunity to learn and to grow.
The “big callback” is the high stakes callback. The callback you’ve been waiting for. This is the callback that may change your life. This is the callback of your dreams. Try not to vomit under the pressure of it all, okay? Once you have made it past initial casting calls and callbacks and you are actually in the room with the director, and the producers and the creative team who will undoubtedly decide your fate, how do you keep your cool?
We’ve all heard the phrase, “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.” In this business no phrase could be more true.
When the feeling of wasted efforts hits you, as it inevitably will in this business, try to remember that from every audition you attend, you are learning. You are growing. You are gaining more information. Whether it be about yourself, or the audition process, or the casting process. You are constantly learning. And when you’re learning, you’re getting better. You’re getting sharper. You are preparing yourself for that “yes” that you will eventually hear.
I want to talk about relationships. Theatre is about entertaining, but it’s also about relationships. The relationships we build in our lives that make us human - the love, the heartache, the friendships, the betrayal. These meaningful relationships are crucial in theatre. Without them, why would we care? Why are we invested in these characters?
Do you know your type? Are you the ingenue? The leading man? The ensemble player who can morph into five roles each act? Are you the villain? Are you the best friend? Are you the comedic relief? What is your type? If you’re not sure, ask your friends, family and colleagues who you remind them of. Is there a famous actor that makes them think of you?
