The Secret of Life

At the risk of being repetitive, I want to touch on a theme I feel is so critical for an actor, singer, dancer, speaker or anyone. It is in my estimation one of the great Secrets Of Life.

Showing up.

I have a dear friend who is an actress in L.A.. She and I share a great philosophy about auditions. If you audition, you have a small chance of being cast, sometimes one chance out of several thousand. But you still have a chance. If you don't audition, you have no chance, no chance at all. So just by the act of showing up you greatly increase your odds of getting work.

I just sent out a congratulations email to a student of mine who went to an audition. No, she didn't get cast yet, and may never get a role in the show she auditioned for. That is not her decision to control. But she could control going to the audition, which is a brave and courageous act all by itself. It takes a strong person to show up in a room, deliver a piece to people that are often strangers, and then leave a judgement up to them. Brave and bold.

And that really is a philosophy not just for performers but for life in general. The great secret is showing up. Auditioning is a prime example, but also going to rehearsals, taking classes, doing your work. And how often have you promised to see a show or a movie or a concert and instead blew it off for no good reason. Later there is regret especially if you have a friend involved in the show you decided to miss.

Recently I was called into an audition. I was excited that they had called me, rather than putting out a general announcement. As I arrived, I ran into another actor they had called. I was a bit sad that they had called someone besides me for the role, and worse, this other actor would be PERFECT in the part they were looking to fill. To add more bad news, he told me that 6 other actors had also been called in. He named names, and I knew them all, all great actors. Frankly I thought about leaving, but I went ahead and auditioned, because I always try to do that.

And I got the part! My point here is, had I not shown up, I never would have gotten the role, which turned out to be one of the great experiences of my life. Hence my often stated philosophy, "Life is about showing up".

So conquer your heart when it whispers to you that you may as well not go, that your not the right type, that your not good enough. Go.

Show up.

J.T. Turner
The Actors Sensei

Act your age

Todays blog is about a popular topic, auditioning. And I especially want to aim todays blog to younger actors as they pick audition pieces.

 One of the keys to selecting an audtion piece is to make it age appropriate. Many times though, I have had young performers show up at an audition with a piece that is just wrong for them. Let's say I am having an open casting call for a role in a Shakepearean play. I ask actors to come in with a classical piece prepared, preferrably from Shakespeare. A young girl, 12-14 years old, might be smart and come in  with a monologue  as Juliet. But if she shows up and does a monologue as the Nurse from Romeo and Juliet, I will just assume she doesn't know how to prepare a proper audition piece.

Let me be clear here, if you are a teen, and your school is putting on Guys and Dolls, then of course you choose a piece that reflects roles in that play. Teens often play older roles in school shows. but in a professional or community theater production, always try to have a piece that reflects your actual age. In college, as a 20 year old, I played a man in his 60's in a college production. In a legit theater, chances are they are going to look for someone actually near 60.

This is especially true when you are called in for film or commercial work. Having a piece ready that is appropriate for you is critical when you audition for those media. Casting directors want a person who looks 17 to play the role of the 17 year old. Of course, many people in their 20's might pass as a 17 year old, which is fine. But if a director needs a 50 year old, then it is silly for a 17-30 year old to show up, unless they have led a really rough life. Likewise, a parent should not bring a 10 year old to an audition where they need a toddler for a print ad. It wastes the directors time, your time, and the time of the other parents with actual toddlers.

A great step as an actor of any age is to know what range you can play. At my current age I can usually play roles from 45-70. That is a wide range, but I am a character actor. The range tends to widen a bit was we age. When I was 18, still as a character actor, I could play 18-28. Keep in mind that in many scripts and audition calls, a suggested age range is given, if you can play within that range, or feel you are close to it, go to the audition. But don't just "attend anyway" if you are dead wrong for the role. Bad and unlikely auditions are fun on American Idol, but maddening in real life.

So act your age!

J.T. TURNER
THE ACTOR'S SENSEI

ACTING LESSONS, PRESENTATION WORK, COACHING FOR ALL MEDIA.