Student Blog: The Joy of Rejection

Earlier this week, I got my second rejection of the summer stock season. Of course, I was a little frustrated because it was a theater I really wanted to work with. In the past, I would have pouted and overanalyzed for hours and hours about what I did wrong and how I deserved to be in that show, and so on. However, now, I've decided not to let this rejection get me down, and instead think of how this rejection will help me.

Something I've been doing lately is thinking of my rejections as one step closer to yes. So what? That theatre did not want me? That just gives me more room for another theatre who is a yes. A theatre who matches better with me. This has really helped me find joy in the rejection.

I also like to think of rejection as a learning opportunity. Not in an overanalyze myself to find every little detail I would change, but more as a general thought. How can I make my next audition or self-tape better than this? What does this rejection tell me about myself?

I also try to find a positive. This could honestly be anything. It could be that they don't provide housing, or maybe that they are little too far from home. It could be that I'm not the most passionate about what shows they are putting on. Whatever the reason, I think it is important to look at what you can gain from this rejection.

I think it is also important to remember that rejection is just a part of the theatre process. We are not going to succeed at every audition we walk into, and neither should we. Rejection is how we grow. If we are getting only yes's all the time, we are going to become stagnant. We are going to become boring. We aren't going to need or want to move. We are going to want to try something new. This something new could be significantly better, but we will never know if we never grow.

There are downsides, of course, to rejection. It can be heartbreaking. It can be devastating, especially if it is from a show or theatre you really really loved. However, it is important to not let it break you. It can feel easy to want to give up when you've gotten multiple rejections in a row. However, not giving up is the only way you're going to make it to a yes.

All this to say, I'm so glad that I got this rejection. It means that I have an opportunity to grow. It means I'm one step closer to a yes. It means that I have the opportunity to audition and practice my craft even more than if I had gotten a yes. It means that I can learn about other cool and exciting theatres that I otherwise wouldn't have. A rejection doesn't have to be a bad thing. A rejection is just a joyful redirection.