An Actor Prepares

An Actor Prepares

by Cinti Laird

An actor, who is not performing is always in preparation to perform.  Subconciously, we watch the behavior of interesting personalities.  We listen intently to various dialects and speech impediments.  An unusual walk, mannerisim, a sly grin; all are subject to possibly appearing in the life of a character one is taxed with creating a life around when an audition is finally won; and making the performance uniquely and believably brilliant.  So we prepare, in classrooms, at bus stations, in grocery stores and in rehearsal halls all over town. 

We prepare for an audition by reading the script in advance and preparing monologues or songs for similar characters if the reading of sides do not apply.  We prepare by losing or gaining weight, studying medicine so that we can at least prounce medical terms correctly and to understand the job of the Physician we've been cast to portray.  We prepare because it is invariably always the actor most prepared to meet the challenge who is cast to play the part.  At least that is what we want to believe.  However we know all too well that casting is subjective.  Yet we want to be prepared just in case today is the day that we get cast in the job!

When I set out to become an actress some years ago, I was told that it is not wise to dwell on an audition; to go over and over it in your head after the fact trying to figure out what you could have done different, what you might have done better.  It's over, move on.  Move on because the ratio that an actor will land a role is about 1 out of 100.  That's the ratio and those are the odds.  So move on and get that next audition, put all of that energy into making it as good as it can be and then get the next audition and do the same.  If you book more than 1 out of 100 auditions, you are doing far and away better than the odds.