24
2010
Top 3 things NOT to do in the audition room
An article by 
It’s strange, you go through drama school learning all your head and body can take about what to do with yourself and when you have an audition. You learn what to say, what types of questions to ask, how to showcase your material and everything else in your power. What you don’t really learn in a golden-rule-format is what not to do.
These top three no-no’s are drawn from my experiences in the audition room, from both sides of the table.
1. Never apologize. Ever.
It sounds simple, but nerves do funny things to people. It’s very easy to say “sorry” over and over again when you’re in that pressured environment – especially because you’re the one that will feel like the guest. Don’t. From the minute you walk in there, that territory is just as much yours as it is theirs. The second you start apologizing for your performance, you’re planting the seed of doubt in the panelists’ minds and making it easier for them to cross your name out. Never say sorry.
2. Don’t second-guess the judge.
If you were under oath in the courtroom, the lawyers and the judge would sniff you out straight away if you started targeting your answers to where they were ultimately heading. The audition room is exactly the same. The panelist’s sixth sense is their amazing x-ray vision for second-guessing. Just walk in there and do what you’ve prepared to do, the way you do it. Don’t change it for anything or anyone in the room, because then, they are not seeing a truthful performer at work. And they’ll know it.
3. Don’t think about it afterward.
OK, so this one is technically after you leave the audition room, but it’s still vitally important and much easier said than done. There’s no doubt that the reason we think the audition over and over again in our heads after we leave is because we care. You need to train your mind to stop caring the minute you leave the room. Some do it by meeting up with a friend, some do it with the help of their iPods and some [amazingly] can just forget about it. Whatever way you want to deal with the audition afterward, you need to forget about it. The longer you think about it, the further your mind will wander from what the audition really was and quite simply… you’ll end up going crazy! It sounds like a cop-out on this one, but just trust me – Do your audition, do it well, then leave and forget it.
Do you have a question that you’d like to see answered? Maybe you have an experience to share of your own? Drop me a line or comment below.
About the Author:
I am a young actor and director based in the UK. I recently graduated from a CDS drama school with a First Class Degree and am regularly involved in various performance projects up and down the country. I started this website with one aim: To help young actors do what they love to do.
