Full Crazy

I was lucky enough to do something right during a recent audition to get a call back.  Unlike the initial audition, for a call back you not only audition in front of the casting director but also the ad agency and/or the director (I like to refer to them as The Judgment Panel).  To me a call back says, "Alright, we want to see if the first time was a fluke or if you really know what you’re doing."

For this call back, I was asked to read for the same role I initially auditioned for.  So I went through my lines again, tried to figure out what I did right the first time, and braced myself for the unknown.

Call back day arrives. As I sign in, I see two additional scripts.  A slight panic starts to overcome me.  As I sit down, another actress is rehearsing her lines and says to me 'Man, I'm having a really hard time with this monologue.' As I try to resist the urge to laugh because she said hard, I say 'Oh, I didn't get a monologue to read.' This statement results in the actress giving me a 'You are so dumb, for real' stare.

My panic increases. 

As I make my way back to the front desk to ask for some clarity, the casting director comes out, points to me and says 'You're next.' 

In a panic stricken voice, I ask the casting assistant about the monologue.  She gives me the reply that I feared.  'Yeah. You will be reading for both parts.' ( the bed intruder song  starts to race through my mind).  I grab the extra monologue copy that was next to the sign in sheet and feverishly read through it. As I finish my first read, the door to the audition room opens and it is now my turn.

Poop.

I walk in, The Judgment Panel has started their job - judging - and I'm doing everything I can not to vomit.  After I slate, I am then asked to read the monologue first. The Judgment Panel reassures me that they aren’t looking for accuracy of the lines, but rather the tone and emotion of the monologue (lucky me).  I start into the monologue. I am almost immediately stopped by The Judgment Panel and given the following direction 'You seem to be acting..stop doing that...' The speaker of The Panel continued to provide me with additional context, but after hearing ‘stop acting’ I blanked out.  

Take two.

This time I make it all the way through without any notes.  Now it's time to read for the part I actually know.  I work my way through the scene, hitting the lines I thought worked last time and adjusting where needed.  At the end I felt relatively confident.  That was until The Judgment Panel says to me "So I see you decided to go full crazy on this."

Not knowing what really to do with that feedback, I smile, nod, and say 'Yup.'

After leaving the audition, I am certain that no one wants to hire someone who just went 'full crazy'.

But then life once again proves me wrong.  Always go full crazy.