Share your bad audition stories...?

Question

Dontcha just hate when you leave an audition knowing the person handling the audition has a wrong idea now about where you are as an actor...AAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaa

Answer 1

Hey! You have alot of good answers here.

First that to remember Casting Directors, Agents, etc often love the sound of their own thoughts. A good reference to this is the comment left by "GELFLING". As one of my old acting teachers used to say when asked why he wouldnt allow CDs into the class "because their judgmental bastards"

That being said-you will have great auditions, fair auditions, bad auditions, dreadful auditions and everything in between. To say "Every audition will be great!" is a battle you will lose but to say "Every audition will be a success" is abattle you can win.

Like this audition. What caused you to go south? Learn from this and this audition is a grand success. And you should be thankful for it bad or good.

Remember if you are you or Jack Nicholson you will have bad auditions! Just don't live in the past--move forward. And rmemeber, one day your work will be your auditions and these people you goofed with will not care one inch......and they will probably call you back anyway.

Also send promotions to this Agent, CD, whoever it was..especially if you book something. Let them see you in action.

And to answer Gefling..how do you know? You understand they are human and that a bad audition may be a bad moment and not a static definer of skill.

Answer 2

How are they supposed to get the RIGHT idea about your acting skills if you can't/don't SHOW it to them at the audition? Directors UNDERSTAND that auditioning makes people nervous - BUT we also know that a person who can't even get through a 2-minute prepared monologue or 16 bars of a song, wearing their own clothes, in front of a few people, probably will also not make it through an entire play or musical, wearing unfamiliar costumes, in front of hundreds of people. If you don't DO the absolute best you CAN do, don't blame the director for not casting you.

Choose a few different monologues and songs to represent different characters or styles, that show off YOUR voice and ability well. DON'T just pick songs you like unless they are also the absolute best for showing off your particular voice. Research the shows they're from so you understand the scene and characters. Then rehearse them over and over until you CAN'T forget the words or notes. Start working on this NOW, BEFORE your next audition, so you won't have to race to find good material and cram to prepare it. If you do an incredible job, it's okay to use the same audition pieces over and over again (unless they are the same overused scenes and songs that everyone else is doing - try to find something kind of unusual). If you aren't totally confident about every aspect of your audition, you haven't practiced enough. Practice in front of your friends so that you are used to doing it in front of others. Do it in front of strangers at the mall, if it will help you overcome nervousness.

At the audition, make sure you project. If you can't be heard, we don't care what you're saying/singing or how perfect you might be for a role. You WON'T be cast.

If you make a mistake, keep going - just as you would in front of an audience for a live performance. If you're really good, we either won't notice or won't care. Acknowledging a mistake is the worst thing you can do.

Make sure you're auditioning as a character. We don't want to watch an actor singing a song - we want to see a character singing a song. Help us forget it's just an audition. Become someone else for a few minutes.

DON'T ask for another chance. You should have showed us your best the first time.

Answer 3

I was auditioning for graduate training programs years ago, and I was trying out a new audition piece; it's the speech Richard has right after he murders King Henry in "Henry VI, pt. 3." Anyway, I was auditioning for some school out in the midwest at the U/RTA general auditions, and, as was common practice, I had to do my audition for the school's representative in his hotel room. We pushed some of the furniture out of the way to create a little performance space, and I let 'er rip.

When I finished, the dude just sat there on the edge of the bed, looking at me with an expression that pretty much summed up how AWFUL he thought I was. After what seemed like an endless silence, he said: "Gee, that's a really hard piece, isn't it?"

And that was the end of that audition.

I retired that monologue shortly afterwards.

Answer 4

Ugh...I usually do fine for auditions, but musical auditions in the past couple of years have freaked me out.When I was little I did TSOM but I don't remember the auditon, and when I did Gypsy a few years ago I didn't have to audition, the director just asked me to step in when another girl quit, so when I decided to audition for BATB this year I was a little freaked out over it.I had no idea what to do for a song and I tried to learn a song that I only kind of knew for the audition pretty late.Probably a few days before auditions.My voice teacher and I tried to work on it but the sheet music I had was different than the version I had heard and sung along with, and the words were different than how I'd learned them.So I worked on it and tried to learn it the weird way.So the next day I get extremely sick during school and I have to leave.The day before the audition.I took a lot of medication that night and the next morning I didn't feel too much better.When I go in for my auditon I sound a little icky and nasally, but it goes fine until I have to sing.The piano player tried to play the song and she completely messed it up.I just tried to keep singing and let her catch up with me.It sounded awful I think.Then I fell down in my dance audition.And that's why I was in the ensemble doing minor dancing.I think I learned more than one lesson with that one.

Answer 5

Oh, I have so many bad audition stories! I think they go with the territory. But one that sticks out in my head happened when I was in high school. I was trying out for some summer community theatre musical--Oliver!, I think.

It was my first major musical audition, and I foolishly chose a song I wasn't confident about: "Close Every Door," from "Joseph..."

I was worried that I'd forget my lyrics, so I wrote them on my hand. I had a pretty big head about my abilities (remember, it was my first real audition for a musical! And I was 13! So go easy on me!), and was SURE that the director wouldn't notice me glancing at my hands once or twice as I sang....

So I got up on stage and started in...got about halfway through the first verse and realized that I had, in fact, forgotten the words...looked at my hands....

Wouldn't you know it: I was so nervous that my hands were sweating and the ink had run ALL OVER everywhere! My palms were completely blue.

Needless to say, I did NOT land the starring role in that one. But, I learned a very valuable lesson about the importance of preparation and hard work. (And--permanent marker!)

Answer 6

Yes, i hate it. but not only have i done that in an acting tryout but everything i try out for-i don't know why, but i just can't do it. on my flute audition i didn't know how the songs went-it wasn't my fault my teacher didn't spend time on it like they were supposed to and if after the audition she didn't have me play with her i would have never made it in. at the end they were a little frustrated they put me 2ND chair instead of 1st cuz i did well with the solo unlike the one who played it.
i always have to tell the people that in the shows i do much better than i just did for the audition, but usually they don't even care, guess i gotta work on my auditions huh? but yes i really hate it cuz you know a part should be yours but they give it to someone who just can't pull it off cuz their audit on was better.

Answer 7

well, i cant say this was bad in the way you describe it, but here it goes. a few months ago i auditioned for my school's spring play, and i was ready, got my monologue memorized and what-not. i went in and made it through the audition, and the drama teacher said i had a high potential, and that i should be taking theater class (i know, i shouldve, but i didnt become interested in the theater until months after i had my classes picked). so anyways, i left the audition feeling i had done great, and even told my friends that i would most likely get in. so the next week, i looked at the callbacks list, and i wasnt in it, and it was so embarrassing, i had told mostly everyone i knew i would most likely get in, and i didnt. maybe i shouldve taken theater class, i was really frustrated...

Answer 8

I've not acted, but does auditioning for a music group count? I was a Freshman in high school back in the 70's. We had two groups, "Contempo 70" that sang pop music and rock and "The Cleff Dwellers" who sang primarily soft pop (ie: "Carpenters", "Peter, Paul, and Mary", etc.). I tried out, trying to become a member of "The Cleff Dwellers." They had all of the popular choir and music people there--current members from both groups. I went in, prepared to sing "Leaving On A Jet Plane" by Peter, Paul, and Mary. I was so nervous, I couldn't hardly stand. When the choir director asked me what key I sang in, I didn't know. She tried to help me. I was so embarrassed, I stoped the audition and walked out. I was embarrassed for what I didn't know and for what I put her through. I was prepared to sing it acapella. People tell me that if I had gone in and done that I PROBABLY would have made it. "Hind sight is 20-20"...for what it's worth, my key is "G"!