I learned early that every time you go for an audition you will learn something new that can go wrong. It goes for wardrobe, parking, mastering your lines, signing in, the terrible 20 meaning the 20 steps from the waiting room to the audition room where things suddenly change, the people who feel like talking to you in the waiting room and taking your space etc.
In October 2008 I was lucky as I saw on Actors Access a breakdown for a thriller, the director was a writer I had met several times once at the San Diego Film Festival on a panel (as I was an intern with the San Diego Film Commission), and another time at Sundance Film Festival in 2005 as I was doing public relations for Sony Online Entertainment. He was always very cool and laid back so when I saw his name I emailed him and said that if he thought I could be a good fit I’d love to be considered for an audition. His answer: Call the casting office and come in for an audition, tell them that you know me and you will be reading for Mia.
I was so excited! It was an incredible week I had just booked a commercial for Pechanga Casino and was shooting all week staying at a hotel – living the dream! Getting ready when on the road in 2008 was different than now with all the improved technology (the first iPad came out in 2010). Just prior my commercial shoot I had taken a class, which put an emphasis on reading all material you can get regarding the role and project you’ll be auditioning for. Being a good student I happily found a printer and downloaded the entire script from Showfax. As the time of the audition was arriving I got a call telling me the page numbers of the sides I was supposed to prepare. I looked in the script at those page numbers and it came to my surprise that it was a crescendo to a love scene and a few lines to perform but more sounds..grunting…I was like well…After all when Harry met Sally was a huge success maybe they want to see if the actress they were auditioning was comfortable doing an orgasm! I went to the audition and met with the casting director who complemented me on my bright orange shirt (colors are important on camera and on stage, learned that too), met the writer/director and I believe an investor in the room. They asked me if I had questions so until you have it fake it, right? I said I think I’m fine with confidence as I was prepared to go with the scene. I slate my name and started the scene. They let me do my scene and looked at me and said: Which pages do you have? I told them these ones. They then informed me that the page numbers they gave were for the sides download, not the script and I had done the wrong scene. They then handed me the proper pages. I played it cool and did a cold read from the pages they gave me while feeling extremely warm and blurry. At that point it faded to black in my head.
I did my job as an actress, thanked them for their time and left. My husband was waiting for me outside and asked me how it went. I said I think I just embarrassed myself. Let’s talk about something else.
Video of Mia (aka My audition nightmare from 2008) performed by the talented Christin Gatlin during Fringe Festival 2014 on the roof top for Fringe Club.
Very thankful for my fellow talented actors from the Poolhouse Project. I adore them! Thanks for considering and performing My Audition Nightmare – Mia while I was in Europe.
Cheers! Caroline
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