"Oh, I'm terrible at auditions," blathers the famous actor. If you believe that, we've got a condo we'd like to sell you - on Venus.
In rare cases, an actor will be seen in one show and cast in another without ever auditioning. If that happens often enough, he becomes famous without ever having to read for a part. Still, how did he get the first part? By osmosis? And do you want to bet a career on that kind of luck?
Cold readings are the crux of an actor's career - make-it-or-break-it time. Read poorly often enough, and you'll find yourself back in Sweetwater, Nebraska, being a plumber like papa wanted in the first place. Read well often enough and you might become just famous enough to demur, "Oh, I audition terribly."
UNDERSTANDING COLD READINGS
The confusion starts with the name. Nobody "reads." It's an audition with script in hand. And only an idiot does it "cold."
But that's just the tip of an iceberg that sinks an awful lot of actors. Far too many otherwise competent people blow jobs - sometimes careers - because they don't know what's expected of them at a reading.
Start here: Cold reading is not an art. It's a skill.
You cannot go about it in the same way you perform a rehearsed role. Your preparation will be different, and your goals are different. Why?
- You don't have the time.
- You'll be acting with a script in your hand.
- Nobody wants a full-blown performance anyway.
FOR WHOM THE PHONE RINGS
When your agent (or, in rare cases, a casting director) calls, get the particulars: when, where, and for whom, and repeat them back to make sure you've got them right.
Then find out as much about the character as possible. Your agent can read you the description from the Breakdown Service, or pass on any other particulars obtained from the casting director. (Sometimes nobody knows nuttin'.) Scripts are supposed to be available 24 hours in advance of the reading. If so, go get one. If not, see if you can't at least get the pages you'll be reading, called "sides."
Now, to the closet. On a theatrical cold reading, dress to suggest the part. If you're up for a construction worker try jeans and a workshirt. But don't wear a hard hat, carry a lunch pail or rent a pneumatic drill.
ARRIVAL/PREPARATORY WORK
Be at least 30 minutes early - you've got some homework to do.
First, be sure you get the right script and the right part. We're not kidding. We've seen the deflation that comes with walking into the producer's office, ready to read "Spag," only to find you were supposed to do "Hetti." (We know they'll give you more time, but somehow it's just never the same.)
So, if you're not positive, check. In fact, if there's anything you don't understand, including the pronunciation of a single word, don't be a scared rabbit, talk to the casting coordinator. "That casting coordinator is a resource," says theatrical casting director Deborah Barylski. "If you have a question about the material, ask."
Now before you go to work, here's…
WHAT NOT TO DO
Don't memorize
Ever been to a first rehearsal "off book'? It's a disaster. Why? Because you can't act and worry about lines at the same time. Don't try to memorize in the hope you'll impress somebody. You won't. Cold readings are not line memorization contests. It's assumed you can memorize, and you're only setting yourself up to fail. "As a matter of fact," says casting director Susan Glicksman, "We discourage actors from memorizing lines because they get too involved with remembering the lines."
(Some say memorizing guarantees you'll keep your nose out of the script. Gorilla pucky! Staring out with glassy eyes, trying to remember your next line just looks like there ought to be a "Vacancy" sign on your head.
If you have only a couple of lines, or you're one of those rare individuals with photographic memories, go ahead. Otherwise, forget it.)
Skip "business"
Every time you decide to do something in a reading (a cross, a way of reading the line, etc.) you've got another job to do. The more jobs, the worse the reading will go. We call that "assigning yourself too many tasks." Lewis' Law: under the stress of a cold reading, the human mind can handle only so many tasks before it blows a gasket.
If you see "demurely" in parenthesis, that doesn't mean you have to interpret it that way (as long as you're not changing the writers' intent) and if the script says "He lights a cigarette," forget it. In fact, ignore all stage directions - including your own. Skip props, pantomime, or nifty ideas for blocking.
Remember, your strongest selling point is your eyes. So, if you want to be effective, sit. Uncomfortable sitting? Then stand. Still. Movement distracts.
(Speaking of all this, theatrical agent Joel Rudnick tells the following hilarious story: "Never use props at an audition. I mean you learn that in Acting 101. At our agency we had an actor who was going up for the role of a bad guy in a very important movie. And he decided that he would be shaving the other person in the scene. You know, holding the knife at the other person's throat. And he went out and bought a straight razor. And the person who was reading the part opposite him turned out to be the casting director. And it wasn't just a casting director, but the head of talent of a major studio - an executive. And I can still remember when he called us back to tell us how it had gone, the voice of the agent yelling into the phone, 'You what?!? You what?? YOU-KNOW-WHO-THAT-WAS??
Don't overwork the scene
There's an expression: "Being too good at a reading." That's when an actor comes in with a full-blown performance. A reading is not a house, it's a blueprint for a house. It's a way of saying, "Okay, guys, here's an idea - but, if you don't like it, it can change." Don't try to do too much with it. (Actors especially get into trouble with bit parts. They try to make "Telegram, ma'am" into a devastatingly dramatic, Oscar-winning Moment. As casting director Barbara Remsen put it, "Don't make two lines more than they are.")
Don't "work on" being nervous
Telling you "Don't be nervous" is like saying, "Try not to breathe." Besides, a certain degree of nervousness is good. Gets your energy up. (There's an old radio saying: "When you're not nervous, it's time to get nervous.") But deal with the nerves - don't fixate on them. Don't sit there thinking, "I'm scared ... I'm SCARED ...GOD, AM I SCARED!!" Don't give nerves the "mental time." Channel your mind away from them by concentrating on what you're trying to do with the reading. Rehearse. Go over objectives. Re-read the script for new insights. When nerves attack, fight back by…
