BWW Blog: Amanda Grillo - The Waiting: Post Audition Anxiety

Whether it be for a job interview, a sports team try out, or auditions for a show, we've all been kept waiting anxiously for results. "Did I do well enough?" "Did they like it?" "It would have been better if I had done this." Cue "I Hope I Get It" from A Chorus Line. You begin to over analyze the performance you gave. You crave a sense of approval and validation. The audition haunts you until you get that email, phone call, see the physical list posted on a bulletin board, or however the director shares the information. I don't like thinking that things are a "sure thing". If it's my first time auditioning for a group/director or they are a close friend of mine that I've sung for dozens of times, I always make sure to bring my A game and the nerves are still there. How do we deal with post audition anxiety? How do we deal with the waiting? Cue Sutton Foster singing that C# for a near fourteen counts in "I Know It's Today" from Shrek the Musical.

DON'T: Over analyze how you did.

Overthinking is something I am always guilty of. You start to think every little thing you did was wrong and that you have no shot. Or you think you absolutely nailed it and you get too headstrong about it, even though things may not go as planned. You can acknowledge your mistakes and what you can improve on, but don't let it get you down. As long as you gave it your all, be proud of yourself. Auditioning is one of the most nerve-racking things we are required to do as actors.

DO: Ask for feedback if you can.

I have learned so much about my acting style and audition technique by emailing professors and instructors that I have auditioned for. Every director is different, so what worked for one director in an audition may OR may not work for another.

DON'T: Assume on either side of the spectrum.

If you had an off day and you thought you did absolutely horrible...don't think you have zero chance. You may not have nailed it, but you may have inspired the director, casting panel, etc. for a new take on the role or even a new role all together.

On the opposite side of the spectrum, don't think you are guaranteed anything. There have been many auditions I've gone in for where I thought I nailed it. I thought I had that role in the bag. I didn't get a call back and I didn't get cast. Knowing that the results can go in either direction grounds you and prepares you for whatever can be thrown your way.

DO: Be Professional.

I'm not saying you have to go in and be a perfect professional robot. You have to try and go with the feel of the room, if that makes sense. Take the professional scale you felt in the room, and treat any further business in that setting with that decorum, even if you are "best friends" with whoever is behind the table. I once had an audition for a small staged reading by a student organization on campus. I had no idea that my roommate was going to be the one I would be auditioning for. I walk in and she is the only one behind the table. We lock eyes and then begin the most professional audition you'd ever imagine. We acted like that was our first encounter. I go back to the apartment later that night and we have a good laugh about how professional we are and how to the untrained eye, it looked like we didn't know each other at all, much less lived together. However, I got no special treatment when it came to getting notified about casting or anything, nor did I expect it. Other auditions have been completely casual, and I've treated them in a relaxed manner, but professionally.

DON'T: Create a cast list in your head

In coming up with this list of do's and don'ts, I consulted with Jared Reynolds, a junior at the University of New Haven, who says, "It almost never works out like you think it will and when it is different, you [may] have feelings of resentment towards the cast"

Above all else, JUST RELAX. Distract yourself if necessary. A wise man once said "A watched pot never boils." If you get your mind off of the casting notice, instead of constantly refreshing your email (which I am usually guilty of), the new email notification is all the more thrilling.

Coming Soon: Preparation and Inspiration: Getting to Know Your Character