Who Else Has This Problem....

[Cruel_Sandwich]

Posted: 6/22/06 at 12:20am

...not being able to audition worth s**t!

[neomystyk29]

Posted: 6/22/06 at 12:21am

I hate nerves.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 6/22/06 at 12:22am

See, I can. Singing- I can.
Reading- I'm alittle shaky.

[Cruel_Sandwich]

Posted: 6/22/06 at 12:29am

I think my problem is that I'm not that aggressive in pursuing parts (Or anything, really...) because I always have that "someone else is more qualified than me"-type feeling. I know I shouldn't but it's always there.

[buffyactsing]

Posted: 6/22/06 at 12:38am

Oh yes, my vibrato becomes akin to Edith Piaf's and my throat closes up. I'm much better coping with acting auditions than singing auditions.

[SweetQintheLights]

Posted: 6/22/06 at 12:41am

Self-fulfilling prophecy

If you tell yourself that someone is better than you and that they are going to get the part, then you are more than likely correct.


Nerves are good- to a certain extent. Put the nervous energy into your character and audition with it, not from from it.

Updated On: 6/22/06 at 12:41 AM

[theatregrl0456]

Posted: 6/22/06 at 1:11am

hmm i think everyone has trouble auditioning.

[ChrisLK]

Posted: 6/22/06 at 1:23am

I can't sing at auditions at all. I also have the "someone else is better" complex, especially when it comes to singing. I'm a decent musician, but my whole concept of pitch (and staying on-key) generally goes out of the window at auditions, which is gigantic problem if I'm ever going to be a professional actor. I'm a lot better when it comes to acting, although I'm usually nervous at the beginning of a monolouge or scene, and I relax as I get into the character.

[timote316]

Posted: 6/22/06 at 1:32am

I think I audition well... perhaps too well. I was cast as Cladwell in my college's production of Urinetown... and I don't think I'm anywhere near ready for that. But, we shall see...

[neomystyk29]

Posted: 6/22/06 at 1:37am

Don't you hate that? When you audition too well, and you are suddenly cast in a role you dont have the voice for or something. That's happened to me more than once. I'd rather not have the part than be completely horrible in the role.

[justagirl2]

Posted: 6/22/06 at 1:46am

Amen. Of course, I'm completely unpredictable, and can go from having the worst audition ever one month to a great one the next...which is, of course, a pain in the ass.

Or, how about when the tables are turned? When I was auditioning for Grease, I had already tried out and read for the part I wanted, but I was still hanging around waiting for my friend to finish auditioning. She was in one of the last groups, and they called me in to read for Patty, last minute, because they had run out of girls to do it and I happened to be there. I ended up doing too well, and getting stuck with the crappy part. Auditions just suck!
Updated On: 5/9/09 at 01:46 AM

[timote316]

Posted: 6/22/06 at 1:47am

Its not that I don't have the voice for it (I can sing it well in my room!), its just that its my first lead, and I've never really had a singing role in a musical (I played Sam in Copacabana, but his big song is more talking). It shall be interesting to see how much my nerves will take over...

[thevolleyballer]

Posted: 6/22/06 at 2:12am

I just don't know about auditions. I've been to about three in my life (one for a comedy troupe, which I made then turned down; one for a voiceover, which I got; and the last one, I guess, was my two videos for Hairspray, which I clearly didn't get, for I'm not cast... heheh.). I would love to go on auditions for the stage, aside from merely my regional theatre group, but I just don't know about them.

Gah. Ignorance is bliss for everyone but an actor.
Updated On: 6/22/06 at 02:12 AM

[eatlasagna]

Posted: 6/22/06 at 5:17am

eh.. when i used to audition and sing... nerves were a minor problem with me... and i don't have that complex of someone better than me... i have a little faith in myself... BUT... i can't dance worth sh** AND i feel i'm too ugly to even be cast in anything... oh well

[ILoveMyDictionary]

Posted: 6/22/06 at 10:40am

Singing is my biggest problem at auditions, acting and dancing I'm fine at. My pitch goes kaplooey when I'm auditioning.

[Katurian2]

Posted: 6/22/06 at 10:43am

earghhh- my ability to sing in key also oftentimes flies far away. It takes me about 4 bars to get back on key. But, acting auditions are always fine for me.

[bwaymizfit]

Posted: 6/22/06 at 11:59am

Singing is my problem, too. For me it's not a pitch problem...but when I get nervous, I just have a much harder time with placement. Ugh. Afterwards, I frequently wonder if I actually take voice lessons, because it definitely doesn't seem like that to me.

[breebranker]

Posted: 6/22/06 at 12:25pm

Gotta love being a dancer who sings -

It just seems a bit more fair, being able to watch everyone else audition in their strong suit. Usually you can tell why certain people get called back to sing- and from there, if you're a halfway decent singer, you're usually okay.

But I do agree, I've had a fantastic audition for something I could care less about in the morning, and then suck in something I really wanted in the afternoon! What's that about, audition gods?

[sondheimboy2]

Posted: 6/25/06 at 3:15am

My main problem auditioning is that I'm a forty-three year old and, when I go to an audition, I am usually the oldest, fattest man in the room and start to psych out over that.

And I'm not Equity, so, if I audition for one of the better companies in the city, I am at the bottom of the list and often don't even get a chance to audition.

[Cruel_Sandwich]

Posted: 6/30/06 at 2:51am

man......i really need to work on this not being able to audition ****.....

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 6/30/06 at 3:53am

See, I can usually sing great in an audition. The voice will sound great, but the visual...uh...not so great. I'm usually stiff and forget to "act" the song rather than just stand there and sing. Also, i'm so bad at cold readings. I don't take chances which is what you need to do. Instead, I'm more reserved and I always play the part wrong from the way I would normally play it. It sucks.

[AKDPerformer]

Posted: 10/21/07 at 12:34am

"Amen. Of course, I'm completely unpredictable, and can go from having the worst audition ever one month to a great one the next...which is, of course, a pain in the ass."

justagirl2- I have the same exact problem. You took the words right out of my mouth :)

[gertiecummings]

Posted: 10/21/07 at 12:49am

If you want some great books about auditioning, read Audition by Michael Shurtleff and Auditioning for the Musical Theatre by Fred Silver. They are amazing!

[tazber]

Posted: 10/21/07 at 3:02am

Oh dear god! Cruel found the main board.

Didn't you just get cast as Anthony in Sweeney Todd Cruel? I'd say you must have auditioned pretty well.

[SweetQintheLights]

Posted: 10/21/07 at 3:36am

taz, in Cruel's defense, this thread was started in June 2006.