During and After the Audition - by John Essay

As I was saying in my last article “Preparing for a Great Audition”:

Always arrive a few minutes early. As you sit in the waiting room for your name to be called, it may be helpful to carry an index card with some key phrases to remind you of your preparation and to keep you focused, i.e. “Stay focused,” “Keep energy up,” “Do my third audition first.” “Make a strong beginning,” “No one is better than me,”—write whatever sayings that inspire you to do your best. Take another look at your notes in your audition diary and get ready to make all your preparation pay off!

Now it is your turn. Once your name is called, walk in with an upbeat demeanor and greet the people behind the table with a smile and your name. Don’t try to shake hands unless prompted —not only does this slow down the auditioning process, but it is also for health concerns: no casting person wants to shake a hundred hands, nor do you want to shake the hand of someone who shook a hundred hands. 

Have your picture and résumé out and ask if they would like one (remember to take control of your audition; you lead its course). Be aware that some people behind the desk may not be as gregarious; don't let this throw you. It has nothing to do with you. Now you need to quickly assess the room (its size; where you are going to stand; if you need a chair).

The director or casting director will ask you to begin your scene or monologue. This is your time. Every audition should have the adrenaline of opening night, which you can use to fuel your performance. These are your two minutes. Get the most out of them. 

If doing a monologue, it is best not to make eye contact with anyone in the room; use a different focal point like a person's ear or forehead. You can also pick a spot on the wall, a place on the table, just as long as your head is up and your eyes are visible and your voice is loud and clear. 

When doing a scene, you should know the material well but hold your sides to refer to—you should have rehearsed both when you will look at your sides and when to flip the pages. Keep in mind that we need to see your face so hold the sides away from your head; practice turning pages as quietly as possible—this will be extremely important if you are going on tape. You must look at the person you are reading with. (What is a scene if there is no communicating between two people?)

If your reader seems to be a less stellar actor than you had anticipated, there are different ways to approach this: 

Know the material so well that you can stay on point emotionally even if the person seems absent, or try to use it to your advantage, if appropriate for the scene. (If it's a scene that requires some anger on your part, that certainly would be appropriate). Remember that the quality of the reader is not in your control. 

If you are asked to make an adjustment to your material, please make sure you understand the adjustment. (If you don't understand it, speak up.) If you need a moment to adjust to some direction, say something. If you have a question, ask it. You are in control of your audition. When you are finished with your scene or monologue, you might say, “I’d be happy to do it again if you have any adjustments for me,” or “Is there anything else I can show you?”

Most casting professionals will be friendly and encouraging—after all, they are hoping you will be terrific—but sometimes your auditioners will be less than enthusiastic at your audition. I can't tell you enough how often adverse reactions of the people behind the table have nothing to do with your audition. It just happens. Remember, these creative people are people just like you and me. We all have bad days, we all sometimes hold grudges, we all take it out on people and sometimes we can spend the day zoned out and out of touch. Don’t let it phase you.

After the audition, write down what happened in your audition diary, analyze it, learn from it, and move on! You are doing yourself a disservice by trying to figure out what was on the casting director or director's mind, or if you're getting a call back or even if you'll get the job. It's wasted energy. Just analyze how to better prepare yourself so you can figure out what you can do better at your next audition or congratulate yourself for a job well done.

Try to remember: It's not always about getting the job. Try accomplishing one of these three goals at an audition and if you walk out feeling you've done any of these, you've won the game. 

Impress the casting director enough to call you in for another project. 

Use the audition to learn something for future auditions. For example: “I asked a question about whether I could move during the scene and that was well received and helped my audition.” 

Have fun! Do not expect to be perfect, for there is no perfection. Perfection leaves no room for mistakes and growth. Aim instead for excellence. Excellence is a far healthier goal, and one that is actually attainable. 

Now, go forth and conquer!

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How Actors can Benefit from Therapy - by Robert Curtiss

When working in a business as insecure as acting, it can often be difficult to remain a secure person. It's incredibly important to be of good, sound body and mind, and to maintain mental and physical health. Keep your mind clear, healthy, and balanced. I believe in positive energies. I think going through life with a positive attitude promotes positive work.

We all have times, however, when it’s a struggle to maintain a good attitude and a healthy outlook. There are times when even friends can't help you fix what’s bothering you, and acting class is not the place to work out your troubles. 

If you’re having problems in a relationship, at work, or just having difficulties adjusting to your new life in the city, consider going to therapy. Many people try to work out their problems in their minds, but there is something to be said for talking out loud about your issues and hear them reflected back to you from a mental health professional. 

A therapist can help you identify problematic behavior patterns and help you to figure out why you do what you do, help you to cope and/or make necessary changes in your life to move forward, maintain your balance, and to help you deal with new challenges. This will only enhance your life and your career.

Some people believe that therapy is only for weak or "sick" people. This is untrue. In fact, it shows inner strength to ask for help. As for the cost, many therapists have a sliding scale to accommodate clients with limited resources, and most insurance plans offer some mental health coverage. If you need therapy and can truly benefit from it, find a way to afford it. Some people can't afford to not have therapy! 

Remember: If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got. Therapy can help you change that cycle, and can truly enhance and enrich your life.

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4 Steps to Taking Criticism as an Actor - by John Essay

As a manager, I advise clients on career choices, groom them for the industry with guidance on new headshots, resumes, classes, and type choices. I also make professional introductions, and personally advise them on every step of their business, which includes some aspects of life coaching. 

Presumably, actors know this—and want this—when they are seeking a personal manager, or other forms of representation. Yet some actors come into my office thinking I am going to be amazed at how talented, professional, and on top of things they are, and they seem to think I will simply agree to represent them with no advice to offer. When they hear my suggestions, they look stunned and uncomfortable. I can't tell you how many times I have met with an actor for the first time—for our "interview"—and started to tell them something they didn't want to hear—that I was unable to represent them, or that they needed to get new pictures—and watched them "tune out." I can watch it happen before my eyes. Their eyes glaze over. They nod like they are listening, but I can tell they just want to get out of my office as soon as they can.

I wonder how well these actors take direction on stage or on screen. I wonder what is going to happen if we decide to work together and we encounter a crisis. How can I help someone who can't listen to my advice, or accept anything they feel is critical of them?

A happy life and a fulfilling career require personal growth, and understanding criticism is essential to personal growth. Criticism is everywhere so try to use it to your advantage.

Here are some simple steps to constructively deal with criticism: Hear it, evaluate it, learn from it, and take action.

1. Hear the criticism. Just listen. Resist the urge to justify, excuse, or defend yourself. If you're not ready to analyze the critique, analyze it later.

2. Evaluate the criticism. Does this criticism apply to you? Is the critic speaking truth or are they off the mark? If you are unsure if the critique is true, ask someone close to you that you trust.

3. Learn from it. If the criticism is justified, you have been made aware of something you need to adjust, change, or do. Accept this knowledge.

4. Take action. Once you have figured out what action you should take, do it. This is a typical time for procrastination, but I urge you to make the changes instead.

This process of handling with criticism will be a tremendous advantage to you as an actor. I wish you much success!
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Why You Need to Keep Growing as an Actor - by Robert Curtiss

“I'm too old to start now.” “It's too late for me.” “I'm too old to change.” How many times have you heard someone say these things? Have you ever said them yourself?

It’s sad how often we repeat these beliefs as if they are the unquestioned truth. The more we say something, the more we come to believe it is true. These beliefs limit us. When you say these things—when you really believe these things—it means you've stopped adapting to the world around you. It means you're stuck in the past and not adapting in the here-and-now. It is not a healthy mindset. I am often struck by how many people talk about dealing with their problems, yet they don't actually deal with them at all. They shun the idea of therapy by saying, “I can handle my own problems” or “I'm too old to change,” but they don't truly deal with their problems by talking about them. They don’t try to change their problematic behaviors and instead keep repeating the behaviors that cause the problems!

Older people also use the phrase “In my day” as a way to make the present inferior to the way “it used to be.” However, they use it as a way to excuse their non-participation in the present. Think about it—is today not your day?? Are you too old to learn something?? Of course not!

Sometimes we get complacent, and trying something different feels scary. However, remember that a flower in a small pot can only grow so far. An actor in Wichita, for example, who stays in Wichita, will only go as far as is possible in Wichita. That is fine for some people—being the big fish in the little pond can be satisfying. However, if you want to achieve greater things, you need to grow, to push your limits.

We all must keep growing until we die. It is the nature of all living things. It is never too late to start something that can enhance your life—be it piano lessons, or therapy, or quitting smoking.

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Like What You Do - by Robert Curtiss

"Things turn out best for the people who make the best of the way things turn out."

Someone sent me that saying in an email; I liked it so much I put it up on the bulletin board by my desk. People who find ways to view their circumstances positively tend to be happier than those who complain about the way things are. We are human, of course, and it is natural to dislike when we have to do things that are unpleasant. We all must work to earn an income, however, and we all have the power to choose how we view whatever we have to do in our lives.

How you live your life is a choice. When you look for a job, make sure the work is something you enjoy. You don't have to love every aspect of a job, but certainly you can find some things to like about practically anything. After all, this is your life, and if you are totally miserable, well, what is the point of that?

Let's look at the job of a waiter as an example. Some of the obvious drawbacks of this kind of job are that you get covered with food, customers can sometimes be rude or otherwise unpleasant, and sometimes those rude customers don't leave a tip. All those things may be true, but there are also things to enjoy from this same job: the flexibility of a waiter's job means you are free to pursue your acting, you can make good money in tips if you are good at the job, and you can meet so many people, which may appeal to those of you who excel at hospitality skills. Waiters who like what they do end up making more tips than those who whine and complain and just do the bare minimum.

Beware of the "I don't care about this job because I'm really an actor" syndrome. I was guilty of this when I was just starting out. I thought my waiter job was so unimportant, and I barely could contain my contempt for it. As I continued to complain about every little thing I had to do, I started to notice that the waiters who came to work smiling at everyone and enthusiastically going about their duties were the people whom everyone - fellow workers and customers alike - enjoyed being around, and they seemed happier in general, and made better tips than I was making while I was waiting for my "real life" to begin. I figured out quickly that this WAS my real life, and I made a point to become one of those happier people I admired.

As Stephen Sondheim so aptly wrote in a lyric from "Sunday in the Park with George", "It's not 'Do as You Like' as it is that you ‘Like What You Do’". Try to like what you do. It really is your choice!

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Advice & Critique: How to listen when it's not what you want to hear

In The Actors Guide To Everything, under REPRESENTATION, we write that a manager "advises clients on career choices, grooms them for the industry with guidance on new headshots, resumes, classes, type choices, etc., and personally advises every step of their business, which includes some aspects of life coaching."

Presumably actors know this - and want this - when they are seeking a personal manager, or other form of representation. Yet I can't tell you how many times I have met with an actor for the first time - for our "interview" - and started to tell them something they didn't want to hear - that I was unable to represent them, or that they needed to get new pictures, or ... well, you get the idea - and watched them "tune out" I can watch it happen before my eyes: their eyes glaze over, they nod like they are listening but I can tell they just want to get out of my office as soon as they can.

Actors frequently come into my office thinking I am going to be amazed at how talented, professional and on top of things they are, and they seem to think I will simply agree to represent them with no advice to offer. When they hear my suggestions, they look stunned and uncomfortable. I wonder how well they take direction on stage or on screen. I wonder what is going to happen if we decide to work together and we encounter a crisis -- how can I help someone who can't listen to my advice, or accept anything they feel is critical of them?

A happy life & career require personal growth, and understanding criticism is essential to personal growth. Criticism is everywhere, so use it to your advantage.

Here are some simple steps to deal with criticism: Hear it, evaluate it, learn from it and take action.

Hear the criticism: Just listen. Resist the urge to justify, excuse or defend yourself. If you're not ready to analyze the critique, analyze it later.

Evaluate the criticism: Does this criticism apply to you? Is the critic speaking truth or is he/she off the mark? If you are unsure if the critique is true, ask someone close to you, who you trust.

Learn from it: If the criticism is justified, you have been made aware of something you need to adjust, change or do. Accept this knowledge.

Take action: Once you have figured out what action you should take, do it. This is a typical time for procrastination, but make the choice to make the changes instead.

This process of "dealing" with criticism will be a tremendous advantage to you as an actor.

If you need more tantalizing information on receiving criticism, check out Bob's Corner!