Amayzine

Caroliens tips voor als je auditie doet

En ook jij hebt er iets aan

There I am, in a dark rehearsal room that is now temporarily serving as a waiting room. On the left, five young drama school students are sitting in a row, dying of nerves. God, I still feel just as young, but on my CV that is lying in front of me, it really does say that I graduated seven years ago. More and more auditionees are trickling in, who apparently know each other from the musical world: they are going over songs and doing vocal exercises with a crazy straw in a bottle of water (voice bubbling, learned something new). Today I am auditioning for a performance where I also have to sing, so I am already 1-0 behind compared to this group of people. The only thing I can do is present myself as well as possible and hope that I can show what they are looking for.

Now the average Dutch person can probably count their number of job applications in their life on one or at most two hands, but this number is my annual routine. The big advantage: those nerves for such a casting are becoming less and less. And although each application requires something different from you, there are definitely a few general points that will help you present yourself well during such a terrifying interview.

  1. Dress to impress: for an audition, I always read the character description carefully and wear something that fits the character. If you go for an interview: dress as if you already have the job. So no exaggerated outfit if the position doesn’t call for it, but don’t come underdressed either.
  2. Be confident: I know, this sounds a lot easier than it is in practice. But when I am giving a performance during a casting and I am sitting on the other side of the table, the people who exude ‘control’ immediately have a big advantage over those who are dying of nerves. It always works for me if I do a breathing exercise beforehand: sit calmly in your chair with your eyes closed and focus for a few minutes only on your breathing. If your thoughts wander or you get distracted by noise in the room, try to refocus solely on your breathing.
  3. A good start is half the battle: make sure you go well prepared. If I haven’t learned my lines well, I feel a lot less free and can’t immediately apply the directions. Make sure you have practiced your story well, so you can immediately answer unexpected questions. Bonus: you come across as much more confident right away.
  4. Keep speaking calmly: when I have to speak in front of a large group of people, I pay particular attention to my diction. Am I speaking loud and clear enough, and can everyone follow me? Especially when nerves play a part, you can hear that immediately in your way of speaking. Try to speak calmly and not too high in your voice, so that everyone can follow you well.

If all these tips don’t help: ‘what doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger’. In nine out of ten castings, I hear a no, but I always try to stay positive and look forward to the next opportunity!