Building Resilience with Auditioning
“The first step to a better audition is to give up character and use yourself.”
– Michael Shurtleff
Michael Shurtleff, the famous casting director/theatre producer and author of the seminal book for actors, Audition, is alluding to the fact that authenticity is a vital part of any performance.
Most actors know the more concrete audition strategies. It is imperative to know your lines, find your light, use your voice effectively, and exude confidence.
Many actors also feel better when they prepare for and research a role. This, of course, can be invaluable to building a character. But according to Shurtleff, there is little else an actor can use as source material in a reading but his own emotional life.
But what if the audition process itself brings up many emotions that get in the way of being present for the reading? How does the actor tap into the emotions of the character and bring the best performance when his own history and blocks are getting in the way?
The very nature of being a performer is filled with possible rejection on a daily basis. How does an actor, musician, or dancer do their best at an audition, show up with his or her authentic self, and also face the reality that he or she may very not well be chosen for the part?
With The Inner Stage™ workshops, I help performers lift their emotional blocks and triggers so they can feel more resilient with the auditioning process. When these old triggers are removed through experiential exercises and psychodrama, the performer is then free to be more spontaneous and creative in the moment he or she is on stage for the audition.
Our next Inner Stage™ workshop, Nailing the Audition, is Monday, October 22nd at 6PM at Ripley-Grier Studios 520.
Whether you’re an actor who regularly goes on many auditions or someone who is contemplating performing in the future, this workshop will help free you to develop the skills to enjoy the excitement and opportunity inherent in the auditioning process. For further information and to register, click here.
See you on the 22nd and be on your way to emotional freedom with auditions!
© 2012 Valerie Simon, LCSW, PAT