When we don't prepare for an audition that's when self doubt starts to creep in, nerves show up, and we don't present our best selves. 

The challenge for most actors is "What is the preparation work?" The important thing here is to develop a system that works for you, and stick to it. 

1. Do not perform your script when you first get it. 

Approach your script as an investigator. Read through it (in your head) as an audience member and start to highlight some important points of the story. Then, read through the script a second time, and write down any important things you might have missed. Then, you'll want to read it a THIRD time from a director's point of view. Really pick up on all the details as well as the bigger picture. Try to stay disciplined and go through the steps one by one.  

2. Do not daydream as if you have already gotten the role. 

This puts your focus inwards. When you go into an audition, you want your focus to be on the story,...

Being an actor can be very isolating at times (let alone during a global pandemic).

When you first get an audition, you lock yourself in a room to study your script.

When you arrive at your audition, you feel like a social outcast in the waiting room, trying to stay calm amidst a sea of other passionate artists.

When you leave an audition, you rarely get any feedback unless you book so this can also create a feeling of loneliness.

With the acting world at a bit of a standstill, this is a perfect time to get quiet & work on your skills before our biz gets back on its feet. 

How is your scene analysis game?

Do you struggle with breaking down your scripts?

Do you find it difficult to connect with your characters/scenes?

How easy is it for you to 'throw away' your work and surrender to the moment?

There are three parts to actor scene-study: I call them Study, Sense, and Surrender.

Study encapsulates your ability to break down and analyze a script. You are basically a text detective, finding the clues that the writer has left you.

Sense represents your ability to personalize the text. Your universal connection to the world and themes of the piece. It's the emotional part of scene-study.

Surrender illustrates your ability to let go of the work and lose yourself in the moment-to-moment discoveries & actions of the piece. This is often the hardest step but arguably the most important. 

Here...