Getting “In It”: Quick Steps to Curing Audition Worries

Written by Joe Deer

November 16, 2017

Probably the most common complaint I hear when coaching students and professionals on auditions is, “I just wasn’t in it.” So, let’s look at some simple and effective ways to engage your focus and personalization.

Being ‘in it’ means focusing on what you want, not on what you’re afraid the folks behind the table are thinking. And that requires some mental discipline and focusing on useful distractions. Here are four ways to shift your focus:

The Moment Before

Veteran actors know that creating a powerful moment before the start of your song or monologue can launch you into a truly engaging audition. For instance, “She just kissed me for the first time.”, “He just admitted he’s my father.”, “She said, ‘I never loved you.’”, “I found a love note from my best friend to my boyfriend.” These are triggers that will send you spiraling emotionally and allow you to focus on making sense of this chaotic plot twist. Take the time to fantasize who you’re talking about, where you are, and what the movie in your mind for the actual event shows you. That’s homework – so you’ll have it at your disposal when you need it.

Discovery, Invention, and Reaction

All audience members love seeing you deal with the problem, not hearing you tell about how you solved it. And we solve problems one new thought or reaction at a time. Allow yourself to discover each new line or musical phrase at a time. React to what the partner just did, or to what you just discovered in the line before. The simple act of inventing a plan in the moment of the song or monologue is so freeing for you as an actor and exciting for your audience (auditioners).

Big Problems Help

Make the “problem” of dealing with that first kiss, or discovery of the love note HUGE! The bigger the obstacle , the more you’ll work inventively to overcome it.

“I’m a person who…”

Many characters (both highly realistic and broadly comic) are defined by just one or two dominant characteristics. Try your song as a person who: “must rescue my friends” (Melchior, SPRING AWAKENING), “thinks he’s God’s gift to womankind” (Gaston, BEAUTY AND THE BEAST), “doubts my own appeal” (Adam, THE SHAPE OF THINGS). Be sure to make it a real obsession, not just a comic mask. If the role is comic, you’ll get more laughs with a real obsession.

All of this requires that you do some homework and run the audition material with one or more of these triggers fully prepared. When you’re comfortable with the piece using these techniques, you’ll be able to focus where you want!



Need some advice? We’ve got you covered.

Joe Deer runs a well-respected BFA Musical Theatre program at Wright State University and has auditioned thousands of students across the US for the last 21 years. His graduates populate Broadway, national tour and international stages around the world. Joe is a Broadway veteran who has performed and directed internationally. He was founding president of the Musical Theatre Educators Alliance – International, and is author of the books ACTING IN MUSICAL THEATRE (with Rocco Dal Vera) and DIRECTING IN MUSICAL THEATRE.