Give it your all, and then let it all go

28 Mar

I’ve walked out of an audition thinking that was the worst I’d ever done. I’ve walked out thinking that was the best. And I’ve made the mistake of hanging onto every word, movement, reaction from the casting director hours later. It’s a waste of time.

The best thing you can do (and I understand it’s not the easiest!) is to go in, give it your all, and then let it all go. I like looking at every audition as another opportunity to perform. That is what I enjoy doing most after all. So walking into that room I’m feeling good, excited even but not nervous because I may not know how to “audition” but I sure as hell know how to perform. When I leave I then forget about. I’m already thinking about the next thing. Where am I having dinner that night or what are my weekend plans.  Then, when I do get a call that I got a call back or I got the job it is sheer icing on the cake. It reduces stress level big time and I think even improves the quality of my audition itself.

It’s the same way I like to approach acting in a film or play. You do the work- the research, the script analysis, the physicalizations of the character, memorizing lines, connecting to the story, your scene partner, etc etc. But when it comes time to shoot or to perform in front of the audience, I let it all go. I did the work so I trust that I’ve done what I need to do to give the best performance and therefore I will.

Give it your all, and then let it all go!