In the audition process, young performers waste a tremendous amount of energy anticipating and then trying to be what they believe the production hiring entity “wants” them to be.
Yeah, sorry, no.
What they really want is someone with the talent to be themselves while saying someone else’s words.
What they really want is someone with the talent to be themselves while singing someone else’s words and melody.
By simply bringing ourselves to the casting process, we can inspire the writer/directors, producers, casting folk (let’s just call them “creators”) to see our value in the short and long term.
This makes sense, right? You’re not planning on being an actor for a week. And since – every day – you work at being you, why not start there?
Your greatest assets are who you are and what you are, not some straight off the shelf “character” with a whole mountain of choices you thought would work in an audition. Characters aren’t as complex as you. They’re not nearly as human or real and they’re filled with an overwhelming self-consciousness of “this is right” and “that is wrong.”
If you want to watch yourself perform, buy a ticket.
You might as well because you’re wasting your time observing your “character’s” performance instead of fully participating in your performance. No wonder you regularly walk off stage after a scene muttering, “Man, that didn’t work.”
Actor/Spectators are tortured performers. Their minds click in and out of a scene randomly because of a bazillion distractions. They’re watching themselves, posing, listening to themselves, judging, attempting perfection when there is no such thing. No joy in that.
There is no power in doubt. There is no power in insecurity. There is no power in confusion. There is no power in distraction. There is no power in worry. Why kill your creativity? Why restrict the creative space in your brain?
So, for starters, U B U.
You Be You.
The rest of the lifelong performer process is you being “more” of you.