I find the Actors Access tagline to be rather ironic. There is so much in this business and in life that is out of our control, and when we try and force things to happen our way, it usually has an adverse effect.
You can’t control if the Casting Director is choosing to see non-Eq’s at the EPA. You can’t control that actor who went in before you and sang the same song you had been preparing to sing. You can’t control that you bare an uncanny resemblance to the producers ex-wife and that he “just can’t put his finger on why he doesn’t like me.”
But before packing up your tap shoes and catching the next train back to Allentown, lets look at what you can control. First of all, it helps to show up. I remember many an early winter morn as a non-equity actor, sitting in that little alcove at the AEA building hoping and praying to be seen, and wishing that my pee was talented enough so I could just use the lounge bathroom. (If you are non-Eq, you are forbidden from entering the lounge, even to use the bathroom.) I eventually got tired and discouraged and stopped showing up. At one point, I stopped auditioning all together. That’s when I would hear from a friend the next day that ”they just happened to be seeing people,” and “oh they were looking for a non-Eq for this one part and hey guess what I got a callback!” I would politely smile and congratulate my friend all the while thinking “SHE got a callback?! But I’m so much better than her!” Yeah, well her ass showed up and mine didn’t so who did I expect them to callback?
Second, prepare. One of the few things you can control is constantly working at improving yourself and your skills. You can control how often you go to class, or the gym, or work on new material. Doing this has a multitude of positive effects. It gives you a routine in what can be a very hectic lifestyle and it gives you confidence. If you’re consistently in class, or working out, you don’t panic and think “Oh, I’m just not good enough” when forced to switch a song selection at the last minute or when Nick Adams takes off his shirt while auditioning next to you in that dance call.
Lastly, don’t be afraid to let go. I was holding auditions recently for a play I’m directing and there was one role that was difficult to cast. While there were many talented actresses who came in, none of them were age appropriate. This one girl came in who was very talented and age appropriate. She did her monologue, but it was very rehearsed and choreographed. I asked her to lose the context of the play she was working with and just simply sit in a chair and talk to me, using the monologue. She freaked out. She would start the monologue and then panic that she wasn’t “doing it right” or how she “planned it”. She couldn’t handle not having control over the situation. While she was perfect for the role, I ended up casting a less appropriate actress. I felt that if I cast this woman a majority of the rehearsal and performance process would be spent reassuring and coddling her. Playing therapist to an insecure actress is the last thing a director has time for.
Instead of it being about control, it should be about preparation and trust. Trust in yourself, and that when the right opportunity presents itself, you’ll be prepared.