Knowing Who You Are

Knowing who you are as an individual and performer is half the battle at an audition. Even at the age of 32 I find myself still figuring out who and what that is for myself so all of you out there who feel overwhelmed by this particular task, please know that it is an ongoing, ever changing situation for most everyone.

The audition does not begin at the piano or right after you introduce yourself, the audition actually begins outside the room. Why you might ask? Because many individuals behind the table have decided whether or not you are right for the show even before you open your mouth to present your material.

Knowing who you are has many steps, however, today I would like to present three of them and their value.

Your look: As crazy as this sounds, your look has everything to do with whether or not you will be called back or called in again for a role. Your look lets us know who you are and what your personality is like. Your look includes your clothing, your hair, your shoes and(for women) your make-up. Does this mean you need to wear a shirt and tie or prom dress to every audition, actually quite the contrary, it means you must dress appropriately to who you are and the shows needs. There is a fine line between trying to hard and trying to little so figuring out what that is for you at that moment in your life is worth figuring out sooner than later.

Your material: As I have traveled the country auditioning potential students for my classes I have noticed how incorrect most of the material out there is for people. If your material does not showcase who you are as a person or performer than get rid of it. If you have researched the character or individuals age and realize that you may be too old or young for certain material I suggest you get rid of it. If you have never read the script of a piece you have in your repertoire I suggest you read it before ever performing it for anyone, not doing so shows a lack of professionalism and necessary knowledge for the piece. And much like "Your Look", does your material scream YOU.

Your self worth: Probably the most difficult of the three is your self worth. Knowing who you are and what it is you have to offer as a performer is evident as you audition. Confidence not COCKINESS is a tool in the bag of tricks that everyone should have. I recently was at an audition myself and remembered a quote that Alison Franck of PaperMill Playhouse once said to me - "Sometimes all the actor needs is the approval that what they are going to share with us is going to be accepted". Every actor needs to trust that what they have prepared and what they are going to deliver is wonderful material and should have the confidence that it will be accepted from behind the table. Knowing this is actually quite freeing...believe me as one who knows!

All of these cater to knowing who you are as a performer. We are all taught to be brilliant performers and to extend our performance material to try new things and go the distance with some material. But isn't it amazing how when we audition we are often asked to give less of the performance and more of ourselves as we deliver...we are asked to be vulnerable. Try next time you audition applying all of these to their fullest and see if it works out for you. Show your heart in your performance and show the real you - not the performer you.

Best,

Rance Wright