Audition: Cold reading sides for Getting Out.
Director: Nina Pinchin.
Location: Vital Theatre Space, W. 42nd St., 3rd fl, NYC
. . . Notice everything around me, in this perfect moment, it's exactly what I need . . .
In 1983, the University of Miami Hurricanes suffered an egregious loss against their archrival, the Florida Gators, 28-3, one in a long line of losses for the team. In fact, during the '70s, the university had all but decided to drop their football program. The team was hardly swimming in self-confidence.
The loss was all the more painful because they had just completed a grueling training period w/three intense practice sessions a day under extreme pressure from their coach, Schnellenberger. Fearing the worse from Schnellenberger, and more than ready to lower their expectations, Schnellenberger instead exuded optimism and pushed for even tougher training, because he believed in his team.
Rather than present just a pep talk, he & his staff presented the team with cold hard evidence that they could win, i.e., they used film of the game to show how much talent and potential the team had, reminded them of the tough tests they mastered in practice. Positive expectations slowly transformed into experience: the team went from praying they would win, to hoping to they would win, to knowing that they could win, to expecting to win.
That year the Hurricanes beat Nebraska, the top seeded team, in a nail-bitingly close 31-30 win to capture the National Orange Bowl Championship. It proved Miami could win w/out superior talent in every position. The egregious loss against the Gators started a winning tradition in Miami that continues to this day.
The Vital Theatre Space, just off Times Square. It was one of the best theatres yet that I've auditioned in, and upon arrival, seeing the clean professional waiting room, the well-groomed, experienced, calm confident actors, I immediately felt completely out of place, very far from the way off-Off Broadway venues I've been traditionally trying to break into, and those have been hard enough! Scared -- for a few minutes I serious contemplated turning around and going home. But no --I wouldn't let myself. I signed in, I found a place to sit, and I began to try and relax and concentrate.
Positives
This perfect moment . . . I connected with my scene partner, and about 30% of the time, I took her in, I let her responses "hit" me, and then I looked down, breathed in, and then responded without anticipating, without thinking . . . this perfect circle, this perfect moment . . .
Negatives
70% of the time I rushed to pick up my lines, forgot to breathe, and I didn't give myself a chance to take her in and let myself respond.
Insights
What I found fascinating about the cold-reading was about 2/3rds of the way through, I finally started doing what I've been trying to train myself to do: take-it-off-the-page. And it worked like magic -- the difference was like night and day. Before, the reading was mechanical, uneventful -- but then, somehow, I let myself connect, and immediately my scene partner reacted, the energy stepped up, and I could feel the auditors lean forward. It was just a few lines, but it was enough to tell me what I need to do, to lead me where I need to go:
I've somehow got to get more practice in cold readings, learning to just let things happen. I believe I have enough a theatrical sense that I can heighten and make things interesting, but w/out that foundation of true unanticipated response . . . it's too hard, and you really can't carry it off: the moment devolves into 'indicating' and 'acting.' Somehow, I have to find a person or group to practice with -- just a few hours a week I believe would do a world of good. I'm burning to do this, but . . . how?
Some guidelines
- Before a cold-reading audition, simply practice taking it taking-it-off-the-page and remember to breathe!
- Before starting, remind myself to connect -- take my time -- right off the bat, to take-it-off-the-page, and to breathe!
