Eat. Audition. Sleep. Repeat.

It seems as though the time has come...I am finally a mere 3 months away from entering the real world. What are my plans, you ask? Good question - a very good question indeed. As a theatre major at Baylor University, my ultimate plan would be to move to New York and begin living the life of a struggling actress. Yet, to get to that point, I have to start auditioning...now.

Until now, I have only attended one professional audition; I auditioned for Royal Caribbean Cruise Line mid-January. Boy, was that an eye-opener! Before then, I had only ever auditioned for high school and Baylor productions, and this could not have been more intimidating.

There are a few things actors must know when preparing for a professional audition:

1. Be confident. It would be easy to walk into an audition and show the casting directors every ounce of fear on your face, but that will serve no purpose. Obviously you've come this far because you DO, in fact, have talent - own it!
2. Have several songs prepared - I mean, at least one song per musical theatre genre. In my last audition, we were horrified to discover that the casting directors had been asking several people if they had prepared a "rock musical" number or a "legit musical theatre" song (what does that even mean?!?), and we felt extremely under-prepared. Be sure to bring a binder with nearly ever musical theatre song you know - you can never prepare too much!
3. Wear heels. I have now heard from at least 3 casting directors that unless you are auditioning for the role of a child, it is more appealing 99% of the time to see a woman walk in wearing heels. 
4. Avoid commonly used songs. The casting directors have seen them one million times - and they've seen them done one million ways. Don't assume that your way will be more impressive.
5. Finally, this audition is not the end-all be-all. Yes, it may seem like it right now, but there will be more opportunities, and you can't let one audition discourage you. Actors will possibly never know what casting directors are looking for - but that's kind of the beauty about it! Not getting cast does not mean you are not talented, it just means they were looking for a very specific individual, and you didn't fit. The encouraging news, though, is someday they might be looking for a certain type - and that type might be you! Keep your chin up, and don't lose your stamina.

These are all things I wish I could have scribbled on my hand before every audition. Do you have any more to add? By its very nature, this profession can make you reevaluate every aspect of your being - your talent, your appearance, your personality, etc. The key is to remember that there is only one "you." If you try acting like everyone else, you might miss the opportunity to find that one role that is perfect for "YOU."

At the end of the day, just be thankful that this might be where you're headed:

Theatre is an avenue for expression like none other, and I know it will be worth all the effort it will take to get there. Can't wait to go on this journey with you - it'll be a wild one!

Until next time,
Kelsey - your auditioning "extraordinaire" ... kind of ;)