#107: Leave your name with the girl
Tuesday 11/26/24
“I just think maybe I won’t make it as an actor.”
This is the first thing a student said to me when we logged into our zoom session yesterday. She is a senior in high school going through the college audition process. She has 15 prescreen schools and about 10 straight to audition. Prescreen schools require a video submission first that get a “passed” to a live audition, or flat out rejected without the chance to audition in person.
Well, the night before, she heard her 1st result from one of the 15 schools. It was a rejection.
And her response to that was “i just think maybe i won’t make it as an actor”.
I wanted to say “welp, pack it up then! Save yourself!” haha which i only meant a bit. Honestly, there are times where I think “man, everyone told me i should pursue theatre, and no one EVER told me not to… maybe someone should’ve!!!!”. To be honest, i think some people do need to be told the hard truth which is “you are right, you probably won’t make it as an actor”.
But that has little to do with someone's ability and more to do with the life, the hustle, the luck, the money, the connections, the network, and about 10th down the list is talent.
When you are 16, 17, 18, and going through the very hard process of auditioning for college… it can be so easy to hear a NO and think WELP THATS IT! Why is that? It’s because you’ve been cast in every single show you’ve every auditioned for. You so rarely hear NO because if you are paying to do the show, or doing educational theatre, it’s rare people are just flat out rejected. But this is why young people get completely DEFEATED when they hear a “no”.
I share this because if you are a student, an actor, or a coach, I want us to communicate about audition results as data and information. That’s all. It isn’t something to be investigated. It isn’t something to base your whole world view on. As long as you can keep your head up, you can keep going. It’s not to say you cannot be sad - be sad! Be angry! Be frustrated! But then you have to move on the next day. Theatre is about getting knocked down 10 times but getting up 11.
Dreams Don’t Die
Julie