Insight
I will always remember the day in which my outlook on life changed for the better, only now I have a name for it: insight. It was in my class ‘Audition Techniques’ in which we were learning more than just the technical aspects of auditioning professionally. My professor taught us how to view life positively, how to manage our time wisely, and how to keep order in our lives when there is none.
Now, prior to this class, I had auditioned four times throughout my entire first year of college and I didn’t even get an understudy part with any of the plays I auditioned for. Obviously I was feeling pretty miserable and was wondering if this whole acting gig was the right major for me. But then my professor told us an interesting statistic: you will get one roll for every 20-25 auditions you do. Make the most of it. Don’t look at it as a failed audition, congratulate yourself for getting through it without messing up. And think about what you could improve on for next time, use it as practice. This filled me with a lot of hope but then I was topped off with this next line: Don’t go into an audition asking, “Can you use me?” The directors should be asking that question. You should come in saying, “Here I am, here is what I can do.” The directors aren’t going to cast a chocolate cake to scrub the floor and they’re certainly not going to eat a big pile of soft scrub. If you’re chocolate cake, then show them that you’re chocolate cake, don’t pretend to be soft scrub.
This and more was said during this wonderful lecture and I was more than inspired, I was motivated. After class was over I went up to my professor, who was also the director for the next play, and asked what could I do, I want to be a part of the production. A minute later I was deemed ‘production assistant’ and, needless to say, my second year at college was absolutely amazing.
My changed outlook on the world reminds me of Miss Sandra Dee herself, Sandy. Sandy was resistant to change her ways and thought that Danny should change for her. But it wasn’t until she realized that she should put some effort into changing for Danny just as he tried to do for her that she finally got her happy ending. The theatre could offer thousands of plays for me to audition for but I wouldn’t be able to give the audition my all until I changed my ways. I think my professor was inadvertently my mentor to help me accept my quest to leave my ordinary world behind. Looks like the hero’s journey is not just for myths and fairy tales.
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This is a blog post I did for a class last semester and I still like it so here it is on the tumblr. Enjoy
