June/July tend to be the slowest months for auditions, from my experience. I was beginning to worry that I would have nothing to write about this month. I have been self submitting on Actors Access and LA Casting as always, but the auditions have been few and far between. Then came quite an audition, and what a story I have for you all.
I submitted through AA (Actors Access) for a role that had very little character description (Supporting – 18-30, single mother, bold, defensive) and no project description at all, it just stated that it was a non-union feature film. Being that I fit the very vague description I submitted. Instead of the usual Cmail we get with an audition notification, I received a phone call. The voice on the other end of the line inquired if I was available for the audition date Thursday July 11th at 10am. I said yes and proceeded to ask the usual questions. Will you be emailing the sides, or if possible the full script. To that she replied, there will be nothing issued prior to the audition, it will be a simple cold read. Ok, not anything to off about that. I then asked if I could get a summary of the story, and a character description. She said no, we are not releasing that information either. OK, I asked if there was any direction as far as wardrobe. She explained that they were looking for a very specific type at this call, and I should just wear what I was comfortable with. So, that conversation was basically me talking to myself. I hung up with no more information that I had before the call. She did say she’d be emailing me the location of the audition on Wednesday night, the night before the audition.
From this call, certain red flags went off for me. I was going into the audition with absolutely no information, I don’t’ really understand how this is beneficial to anyone. A cold read is one thing, but no project information, no character breakdown not even wardrobe, that’s another. And I had no way to contact them back through Actors Access, since they did not schedule the auditions through the service. I decided I would go to the audition anyway (good practice) but with my guard up for anything out of the ordinary.
I arrived at the location and went to the space. The space was large and professional, I signed in. I was handed one page of sides and sat down to read it over. I was immediately called over to begin. The director asked me if I was familiar with the sides and story. I said “No, I had inquired as to that information when I received the call but was told that you were not releasing it”. He said no problem we’ll just jump into it. It was a short emotional scene, where I was expected to break down and cry at the end.
The director called out to a girl and asked her to come and read with me. He explained that she was another actress on the project. I began the sides and she immediately started hysterically laughing. This is supposed to be an emotional exchange between two very close sisters. The director said ok stop… asked the other actress what was going on with her, she said “I’m so sorry I was just laughing at something that happened earlier”. The director said this is unacceptable we are here to work… so we started again. Again she burst into laughter. The director said ok stop stop… then proceeded to ask her if she had taken her medication today, to which she replied. Ahahhahah no no I didn’t. With a bit of direction he asked me to try again, he wanted me to get very emotional, to take it over the top and said he would direct me back, but my only line was “I wish I was dead”…so I felt a little improvising was in order. I was not very in the moment due to the incessant laughing from the other actress, and the yelling from the director, but I was trying. He said several times, don’t let this throw you, to which I sweetly replied, “it’s no problem at all, everyone has their own way of working.” I felt like I was on a punked type show, things were totally out of control.
At this point, the director stops the audition for the 4th time, and says he is going to ‘get the bag’ to which she replies I don’t think that’s legal what you do to me… at this point the whole situation is laughable and I am not buying that this is a genuine exchange between the two of them. I feel like they are trying to get a rise out of me. Which I was not going to give them. I remained calm. I wanted nothing to do with the exchange they were having and honestly I was done with the process. The director apologized to me and said you can do the scene alone we don’t need the other actress. To this I said thanks, but I think I am good. I walked off camera, put my sides down, and simply said “thank you this has been a joy”.
The whole situation left a bad taste in my mouth. Not only is is disrespectful of my time and energy but it’s just downright bad for everyone involved. Maybe the other actress was just a loon and having a bad day off of her meds, but the way the director handled it was just as unprofessional as the situation itself.
I really thought that I was done with the totally unprofessional audition scene, but today has proven that I am still very much a part of it. But to this I say.. keep handing it to me industry, I will keep plugging along, through the hard ones, to get to the great ones.