The number one reason actors freeze or over-perform at auditions is fear. If you’ve ever experienced sweaty palms, a faster heart-rate, speaking too quickly or too much, forgetting lines, anxious feelings, lack of control or confidence, scattered thoughts, going blank, tensing up, or a loss of focus or presence, you’ve experienced fear in an audition.
When an actor experiences fear, it can have a restrictive effect as fear blocks the body from receiving. The mind goes into protection mode. The body tightens and becomes narrower. Even blood vessels constrict. But your body is your instrument; it must remain open so as to embody the essence of a character and execute redirects from casting.
Notice how open and free you feel after an audition that you knock out of the park. It’s because the engagement in the activity is flowing effortlessly since there are no mental or physical restrictions in the way. You may even forget what you did in there. Just like painters and athletes, this is your optimal state of flow.
READ: Turning Your Audition from Sabotage to Success
At a recent SAG/AFTRA workshop, I spoke about a trick actors can employ to subvert this fear. When you receive a stimulus such as a
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