THE REALITY OF THE SITUATION

The biggest detriment to actors booking the job is their concern for being liked instead of focusing on the scene.

It is astounding all the things actors are focused on at an audition that have nothing to do with the scene they are performing.

Actors are so busy trying to show what they believe the casting director wants to see that they forget to just really connect and play the situation of the scene honestly and specifically.

When an actor is given an audition scene, often their thoughts will be:

“How can I make this look the way I’ve seen other scenes like this look?”

“How can I pretend to be this character that I am not?”

“How can I get them to give me this role?”

Many actors get sidetracked by wanting the scene to be more than it is. They can’t see what’s honestly happening in the scene, because their vision is blurred by their need to impress.

They feel it is all up to them to come up with brilliant choices in order to stick out of the bunch. That puts a lot of pressure on an actor, and is no fun. But the truth is, the “brilliant” choice to make, that most actors don’t think to make, is to play the scene honestly and specifically.

As soon as you think that way, all sorts of fun things to play will come to mind. Real human behavior is what’s entertaining.

In the past I used to try to come up with “creative choices” to make my audition stick out. Sometimes it worked, but more often than not, it made me feel panicky and nervous, worried that my choices were bad or not as good as other actors’ choices.

Then I realized, the creative choice that most actors don’t think to make, is to just play the specific reality of the situation given in the scene. It seems so obvious, but it is a breath of fresh air to casting directors when an actor approaches an audition this way.

Say you get a scene wherein your character is sharing a memory from his early childhood. That’s a fun thing to recreate. It’s exciting to watch someone in the act of recalling an event from their past.

Try it out right now…

Notice how your focus goes to images in your head. Those images often surprise you and elicit an emotional response. Trust that in the performance of the scene it’s enough for you to enjoy that simple experience. Don’t make the mistake of layering over some “clever” business or attitude that you believe will make it more “entertaining”. Real behavior is always entertaining.

When preparing for a scene, let the scene create the choices for you.

In the scene you are given wonderful things to play, so make sure to take note and use them. Many actors won’t think to.

For instance, consider the locale. Let the setting of the scene affect your behavior. People behave differently based on where they are. The way you talk in bed in the morning is different than the way you talk at a bar. How you behave in an interrogation room is different than how you behave in a restaurant. Let your surroundings affect you.

Suddenly, without thinking about it, you will allow choices to happen, instead of creating choices and serving them to us cold on a platter.

Also, make sure to carefully read the stage directions. Many actors will not pay the stage directions close attention, and will just sit there like a lump, completely missing opportunities provided in them.

Not only do they give physical instructions that might be fun to play (“She begins to exit, but stops.”), but they also give clues to the character’s inner life (“She stifles a sob.”).

The casting person knows the scene very well. When you miss a good opportunity that the stage directions are offering, they will notice.

In order to play the reality of a scene, simply ask yourself, “What is REALLY happening in this scene.” I’m not talking about some deep, hidden meaning behind the words. Instead, you are looking for the simple truth of what is actually going on. Keep it as simple as the way you perceive your own life.