awesoME

I had gotten my Cmail on Thursday that I had an audition the following Monday for a pilot presentation. Once I downloaded and read the sides, however, all I thought was, Sweet! Easy! Then I put them away and didn't look at them again until last night.

STUPID.

And for some reason, I had trouble getting the sides to stick. It was so well done! I felt like I barely had to work at all. This is called being lazy. I was lazy. I figured I could wing it.

Cut to this morning. Okay, Lira, get these lines down, and figure out what you're going to do when your character is supposed to be off screen the two times she enters the bathroom. (Character was supposed to be getting ready, so I came up with a few physical things to do that would still be interesting.)

I get to the audition, joke to the producer and director running the session and then they present me with THEIR sides. Huh? See, the truth is, I still had to look down at my lines because I STILL did not have them memorized. I mean, I knew the gist, but I still had my notes of what physical action to do, where to stress words, that kinda thing. I looked at theirs. They had the numbers 1, 2, and 3, written about two or three times on each page. Down on the floor were the corresponding numbers and the arrows pointing to which direction I should look. It's blocked! My audition is BLOCKED! Usually, I pretty much stand where I am when I'm on camera unless I'm told I can move around. They told me that when they film the piece, they're going to film it eight minutes straight with no cuts. "I've done theater!" I said. "You say that now," the director replies.

So I quickly thought "Hey! I could just write those corresponding numbers on my own sides." I'm smart, sometimes. Especially when I STILL REALLY NEED MY SIDES.

I start the scene and mess up my blocking on the last page. They cut me. "No! Don't cut! I can keep going!" They said they'd like to redo it. Okay. They give me an adjustment, tell me I'm doing great, and I go again. Take two. And I drop two of my lines on the last page. They cut me again. "Oh no! I swear, I really can do this!" I'm laughing. They give me one more piece of information, I take the adjustment and go my third freaking time. I finish it completely with the correct blocking. "That was awesome!" the director says. He holds up his palm. So does the producer.

THEY ARE GIVING ME HIGH FIVES!

"That was really awesome," the director said again, and he and the producer are both grinning! I thank them and leave the room, grab my things and head off when the director calls my name again. I head back into the room and the producer closes the door behind us. "Tomorrow we are probably going to have callbacks with the actor playing the other character. Are you available?" "YES!" They high five me again and I say, "So, I DO have a callback, right? We can just say that right now to really make my day, right?" They both laugh and the director confirms. YEEHAW!

The moral of the story is not to ignore my homework, because I did get the physicality, and yes, the sides were really, really well written and super fun, but what I learned today is that personality really, really matters. I messed up twice, but I joked about it, I joked with them. I was happy, easy to work with, and super happy to be there. I need to bring more of myself to my auditions. I learned in University that an actor must get in and get out, but I'm learning there's a balance. It's not an actor who must get in and then get out, it's ME who must get in and get out. I'll be courteous and not waste their time, but it's going to be ME they get to meet. ME, who loves puns and joking and meeting new people. ME, who is easy to work with and super smart. I need more of ME in my auditions.

Cause you know what? There is a ME in Awesome.

- Lira Kellerman

Comments

[Marci Liroff]

I LOVE THIS! "It's not an actor who must get in and then get out, it's ME who must get in and get out. I'll be courteous and not waste their time, but it's going to be ME they get to meet."
SO true. I keep telling this to actors when I'm casting films, coaching and when I teach classes - that what we need to see is YOUR uniqueness. Almost everyone comes in and does it exactly the same way....when someone comes in and personalizes it and brings that unique thing that only YOU can do (even though you screwed up several times, you landed on your feet and didn't let it suck you under!) we get SO excited! Congrats, and I'm posting this on my Facebook Fanpage.
Good for you!

[Marci Liroff]

here's my fanpage if you want to join it and check out what I just wrote about you!
http://www.facebook.com/MarciLiroffFans

[Scott Takeda]

Thank you for this! I'm at a University now and hearing a lot of "get in and get outs" and it sounds so depressing to think that I'm just another person doing the same thing as everyone else before me. But, I'm not- I'm ME doing MY thing. Congratulations and hope you book it!

[Kristin Quinn]

Lira this is great!! And I love how you were honest about how you could have prepared more. In the end, confidence and personality win! Because ultimately its not about the lines but how you bring them to life and how much fun you have doing so! So who cares about a little stumbling? "There is a ME an awesome" Love!

[Kelly]

Lira, you are a breath of fresh air on this page! Well done!