I'm not an expert or anything, but I'm gonna talk about the factors of an audition that make a difference to me, and hopefully we'll all learn something.
DIGESTION
I know that when I'm nervous I tend to get gassy. That's why I watch what I eat before going into situations that I know will make me nervous, like AUDITIONS!
I didn't eat anything at all before I went to this audition, because I knew if I ate something my bowels would stand at attention and be like, "HEY let's really hunker down and get all our work done early today so that we can go home," and I wasn't going to let my intestinal tract boss me around like that. I'm in charge here. And I figured I'd reward myself with lunch afterward.
I would never condone starvation as a means of motivation. All I'm saying is you need to retain control of your body. Whether you get gassy or hungry before an audition, feed or don't feed yourself accordingly. You know best.
INTERACTION
When I showed up for this audition, there were a bunch of people in attendance, but they were all quiet as church mice. So, I stayed quiet too.
Even if you're in a good mood, even if you're as nice as Goku, you don't start blabbering and excitedly introducing yourself to people if they've been sitting in serene silence up until you showed up.
If it's a quiet group, keep it quiet. If it's a talkative crowd, find your own spot to put your stuff down, have a seat (or a stand), and just be there. If the conversation comes your way, feel free to join - or don't; I don't, often. I like to conserve my own energy for my performance, but I'll gladly accept positive energy from other people. You may be alone when you walk inside, but outside you're all together. And that's cool.
So when you enter the space, adapt, find your zone, and ride that wave. Your audition has already begun, and you're in control of everything.
RESPIRATION
Always be breathing. When you wake up the day of the audition, start breathing and never stop. Really breathing. Full, gentle inhales and full, sobering exhales. All the time, forever.
Breathing serves two purposes. First, in case you didn't know, breathing will steadily, almost magically connect you directly to your emotional place. If you breathe, your voice will convey exactly what you want it to and exactly what you need it to.
Second, breathing acts as an important reminder that you are in charge of your own destiny.
You might have eaten a burrito that was too big too close to audition time, you might have brought one headshot instead of two, you might have had an awkward conversation with someone you may know but you don't remember, you might have a viscous string of mucous hanging in the back of your throat that is too far up to snort back and spit or swallow and too deep to blow out through your nose, there might be a LOT of things that are out of your hands now.
But you always have your breath. So enjoy it. Let it flow through you and make you bigger. Let it be your legendary weapon that you'll never need but will always carry with you. Cloak yourself in it and let it warm you. Let it bring you everywhere you want to be. If you're breathing, you're alive, and you can do anything.
And when you breathe, remember that you're being given a chance to do what you love. So enjoy it.
2 headshots remain.
