I think nearly everyone must have a ritual before going into an audition. It might be a certain pair of socks that you don, a specific warm up in the morning, or muttering the lines to yourself over and over again in the bathroom until they don’t make sense anymore and you ask yourself why you did that to yourself again knowing full well it stresses you out. So, yes, most of us have those helpful (or unhelpful) habits to get us in the right mindset for an audition. But what about afterwards? What do you do to help yourself when the audition is over?
I never used to think about this. I would leave the room, swinging up and down through many emotions and thinking through a plethora of unhelpful comments. I found it difficult to pinpoint what I could take away from this experience. I struggled with letting go. For weeks after the audition, I would get odd little thoughts like “Oh no! Why didn’t you do this? Why did you say that line like that?”. These are never helpful!
I knew I needed a ritual after my audition, too. After discussing this problem with an old teacher of mine, I came up with a plan. This plan allows me to let go of the audition quickly, not obsess over it, and constructively learn from it if I get a no, or improve upon it if I get a recall. On the practice side of things, it helps me keep a log of whom I have seen and gives me the feel of control in a situation that can feel out of control.
So, What Do I Do?
THE PLAN
Go to a café and grab a drink. Treat yourself.
Sit and breathe.
Take yourself out of the situation. It doesn’t matter if you think you have done good or bad, that is not what should interest you right now. Stop feeling. Start thinking.
Take out your notepad and answer these questions:
1. Who was the audition for? Who was in the room?
2. What was the structure of your audition? Did they ask you any questions?
3. What was the atmosphere like, did you get on well with them?
4. Did they redirect you? If so how?
5. What do you think they were looking for?
6. How do you think you got on (pros and cons)?
7. Anything else you need to right down?
8. What goals can you set for next time?
9. What did you improve on from your last audition?
10. Most importantly (if you only write one, pick this one)! Was there anything that made you feel happy in this audition? This can be anything from a nice chat outside the audition room to a comfy chair in it, it doesn't have to be about the work produced. Write down as many as you can!
Once I have written these down. I feel like a weight has been lifted. It is simple and might seem obvious, but with the hype of the moment it is good to sit and structure this conversation with yourself. My brain always thanks me for it: no agonising reassessment of the situation, just an assessment of the facts.
I’ve even created a spreadsheet now where I can track all this information. It’s also incredibly useful when helping friends prepare for their auditions.
Hopefully, you find this little ritual a helpful one. If you have any more questions that you think would be helpful to others or if you have rituals of your own, send them over and I will add them to the list!