BWW Blog: Patti Meadors - Why a Lose is Actually a Win

Finding out you didn't get the part you wanted always stings a little. You could be jealous, hurt, angry, or just plain old sad. And all of these things are okay, and are normal emotions. Never suppress your emotions because it could lead to some pretty unhealthy emotional/mental habits.

Being sad about is okay, but you have to be able to step back and see it from another angle. Just because you didn't get the part does not necessarily mean you are not talented. It could be that your voice didn't fit the type they wanted, you had conflicts, or that your hair just wasn't the right color that they needed to fill a role. That's the frustrating thing about performing arts sometimes. It could, and many times in professional theatre, does come into play what you look like. My current director, who also happens to be a huge role model of mine, always says it's the right time, the right show, the right part and the right director. All of these things factor into the casting of something. Maybe the director is going in a different direction than you envision for the character, or maybe the show is something like "Legally Blonde" and you're more comfortable singing the low bass notes of "Sweeney Todd".

With everything that factors into it, you have to learn not to resent yourself for not getting the part. You also need to learn to be resilient and pick yourself back up, even if it seems impossible when you first find out that you didn't get what you wanted. Losing does not mean a complete loss. Sometimes, doors close and suddenly new ones open up and you wouldn't have gotten the opportunity to explore without not getting that part. Life is not a single door. Life is an abundance of doors and paths and games and journeys and lessons to be learned. Failure comes along with life, it's human, as a good friend of mine put it.

Surround yourself with supportive friends and family who can help you when you get really down, but trust in yourself and know that you are strong and can be resilient. A part does not define you, nor does a certain program. Individual talents flourish where they need to go, and I truly believe everything happens for a reason. Keep your chin up and everything will turn out much better than you thought of when you get turned down. And remember that it's okay to be sad, just know that a loss is a win in disguise, because you learned from it. You can learn from everything you do. Life is too short to be upset with yourself for too long, because how can you learn from something if you're always upset about it? Step back and see it from all sides. Find your win in it.