The Co-Star Audition

So I've been on very few theatrical (film/tv) auditions. For the last year and a half, 95% of my auditions have been commercials. Which is fine with me. I know the commercial world. I'm good at the commercial world. It's all about improv and personality, which happen to be my specialties. I thought that commercial world and theatrical world were similar places; after all, they're all professional, on-camera jobs. Right?

Wrong.

So yesterday evening my manager calls me to tell me about an audition for a co-star role on a TV show. I'm so excited, because this is the first audition my manager's gotten me. And it's for a TV show! Woot! I get the sides (only 1 scene, 11 lines) and I pour over those sides. I knew them cold. I wrote each line on flashcards and I wrote an unsaid thought for each line. I pictured my environment, I made character choices. I probably spent 4 hours on these 11 lines. I knew them like no one's business.

I get to the studio. I walked up in my cute little dress and necklace and heels (no underdressing for me!) and I sign in and I wait. I see six or seven other girls up for the role; thankfully I noticed I'm one of the better dressed girls out there. I see a name on the sign in sheet that I recognize, then I realize it's not because she's a friend; it's because I've watched her on TV before. She's been a series regular and has done a large number of guest star roles on TV.

The girl next to me starts saying her lines outloud over and over. I started to go over my lines again, but I stopped myself, noticing that as I went over my lines it made me nervous. I stopped and just stretched and tried to relax, and I did feel calmer.

Then I went into the audition. Both of the ladies there were as nice as could be, but when the reader started reading, I completely blanked on my lines! It was like my nerves decided to kick in right then, and everything I had memorized flew right out of my head. Lines that I KNEW just disappeared. It was a horrible feeling.

Fortunately I at least remembered my delivery choices, even if I had to look down to grab the lines. They were kind enough to give me a second chance, telling me to look over the sides again. I took a few minutes, tried again, but I was only able to remember a few lines. At the end I thanked them and headed out.

What was wrong with me? I'm not normally like this. I thought the nerves from auditions were now long past.

I am praying that perhaps, by some miracle, they still liked my choices enough to see past the nervousness. However, knowing this business, I'm not holding my breath at all. I'll have to chalk it up to a live-and-learn experience, and know that next time will be much better than this.