Audition.
Hi readers! Today's post is super exciting because I am going to be sharing the ups and downs of an audition from the actor’s perspective! I spent the majority of my day at my first audition in New York and can't wait to share all of the fun details with you all. I hope this entry is exciting, educational, and informative!
Wake up. Steam. Repeat.
As every actor knows, the morning routine before an audition can make or break the entire day. It’s so very important to be as well rested and prepared as possible. I start every morning with water. I try to drink the required amount of water every day so I start as early as the second I get out of bed. I also have terrible acid reflux so a big hearty breakfast is an absolute no-no for me on audition day. Though it’s terrible for me, I usually don’t eat at all before an audition unless it’s 6-8 hours before. Not the healthiest choice but I can’t risk phlegm in the throat, ya know? After waking up and vocalizing a bit, I usually have a good steam. Unfortunately one of the only things I didn’t bring to NYC is my steamer (Mom- please send) so I have to choose the alternative and take a hot shower. I actually hate hot showers so it’s not always a pleasant experience, but in order to keep the throat as open and relaxed as possible it’s a must. I usually decide upon an outfit the night before so I don’t have to stress about it in the morning. I try to keep the look casual. Nice shoes. Dark wash jeans. Colorful/printed button down. (Ya gotta leave an impression, right?) Before leaving for an audition I ALWAYS flip through the pages of my audition book to make sure I have everything I need. Music? Check. Headshots? Check. Resumes? Check. Then I double check along with throwing in several pencils, pens, and highlighters because you truly never know what you’ll need so it’s important to be ready for anything!
And I’m off! There were a million thoughts racing through my head on the way to the audition today! I had to stop at Staples and print out a few extra resumes and music for my Actor Therapy class tonight at 8:30. The subway only goes so far so I had to take the subway to 125th in Harlem, then purchase a round trip ticket on the Metro-North to White Plains New York, where the audition is being held. I LOVE trains. I haven’t been on an actual train (I don’t count the subway) since I was a child and I think they’re an absolute blast! There’s something so adventurous and romantic about a train ride. (Maybe it’s just me and I’m insane. Hah!) I love how the attendants punch the tickets and I especially love the comfy seats and leg room! It’s so much different than the abysmal, life sucking experience that is the New York City Subway. The ride to White Plains was really neat! The train went through the Bronx and up into the state of New York. We traveled through several little towns outside the city that reminded me of home. The trees have all changed to fall colors and the views were stunning. I definitely didn’t expect it to be so pretty just a few miles outside of the city. It was really nice to see small towns and journey outside the island of Manhattan since I don’t really get the chance to do either of these things. It was also nice to see trees. Yes, we New Yorkers have Central Park but nothing compares to forests with no skyscrapers in sight. I guess you can’t always have it all!
I suppose I should stop rambling about the journey and discuss the actual audition… The audition was in White Plains New York for the Disney musical masterpiece The Hunchback of Notre Dame. This production, produced by the White Plains Performing Arts Center, will be the New York regional premiere of the show after successful productions at the La Jolla Playhouse in San Diego and the Papermill Playhouse in New Jersey. (WHY HASN’T THE SHOW COME TO BROADWAY?! Maybe one day…) Anyway, I found out about the audition through Playbill.com. The company is hosting two auditions, one today at their center in White Plains and one in midtown NYC on Tuesday. They’re auditioning by appointment only, meaning you have to sign up online in order to be seen. I unfortunately didn’t see the audition notice in time to sign up before all slots were full. Instead of giving up and waiting for the next audition, I decided to email the casting team and ask for consideration in case someone else doesn’t show up. After two emails to the team, they contacted me back late last night and told me they had a last minute cancellation and have scheduled me for 12:30.
This audition is open to members of Actors Equity Association (the actors union) and non-equity actors (which I am.) Luckily, this theatre offers EMC points to non-union actors so if I'm cast, I can begin earning equity points and become a step closer to joining the union. The union is wonderful for a working actor in NYC, because it can open up so many doors! It also helps the actors get jobs and provides them with benefits. Joining the union isn't the best decision for all actors, but with the amount of work there is in NYC, it's a smart choice if you have the option!
The entire audition was such a whirlwind. I got off the train at 12:20, my time slot was 12:30 and it was a 10 minute walk from the train station to the theatre. I grabbed my coat and bag and went running off the train to the audition. I made it to the address of the theatre at exactly 12:30, the time of my audition, but there was no theatre in sight. I went into a state of panic and started asking random strangers where the performing arts center was. I’m 100% positive I looked like a complete maniac but I had no other choice. Finally I discover that the PAC is inside of a mall. (Like, what..?) So I go barreling through this mall, up the escalators to the third floor, and straight into the lobby of the theatre. Suddenly I was in the waiting area of the audition. It was like every other audition room... Actors circling the room doing absurd vocal warm ups, filling out audition forms, changing into character shoes, going through their sheet music. It’s just like audition scenes from movies. Everyone is nervously prepping for their minute with the casting team yet there’s a sense of calm throughout the room. I was terrified I missed my time slot but they were luckily running late. Unfortunately for me, I went from running up the escalators, to filling out the audition form, to being on deck. (Which means next up to audition.) Throughout my many years of auditioning I’ve never gone straight into an audition so I didn’t have time to let the nerves settle or even to breathe. The guy who auditioned before me sang the exact same cut of the song I chose to sing which would normally have thrown me off but if I’ve learned anything, it’s that I know how to bring myself and my own interpretation into the piece. I scurried into the room, placed my music in the hands of the accompanist, went over the tempo, then stood in the center of the room and sang my 29 bars of music.
Most casting directors ask for 16-32 bars of music. This team asked us to prepare a song from the show so most guys where singing "Out There", most girls were singing "God Help the Outcasts." Actors are usually not asked to sing material from the show until callbacks but if the show has a specific composer or sound, the casting team will ask to hear something in the style of the show. For example, actors are usually asked to prepare a Sondheim song for a Sondheim show. Same with Alan Menken, the composer of Hunchback. He also wrote the music to Disney favorites Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, and Hercules.
I performed to the best of my ability. Though I was still out of breath and sweating profusely (what’s new?), I felt great about my performance. I couldn’t have sung the song any better than I did and if I don’t get cast, I simply wasn’t right for the production. This is the most difficult part of auditioning. I still struggle with this concept, along with most actors from collegiate theatre to Broadway. It’s easy to blame the outcome of your audition on a number of things such as your voice cracking, forgetting the words, or the accompanist rushing the tempo. But… if you perform to the best of your ability and give as much as you can possibly give, and still don’t get the job, you have to acknowledge the fact that you simply weren’t what they were looking for. You may be too tall, short, old, or young. Your voice may have sounded too bright or too pitchy. Or you may not have had enough professional credits on your resume. The list goes on and on and on. Rejection is such a huge part of the business. It’s one of the reasons so many give up. It’s so incredibly difficult to be told no over and over but if your eyes are set on the bright lights of Broadway, it’s just another day and another audition. You only fail if you don’t do your best. I did my best. I did the best I could. Now the waiting begins… I could get an email tomorrow, next week, or no email at all. The casting team might decide that I’m not right for this show, and could contact me in a few months when they are casting the next show. No matter what the outcome, I gave it all I had. I succeeded.
Callbacks are Friday and next Monday, so I should hear something soon. I'll be updating!
Fingers crossed!
-Macon