How To Get In The Good Graces of Directors

Hi Folks,

At this point, I've written so many blog posts (with lots more to come!!) that I'm thinking I might one day write a book about what I learned at Williamstown. So, the saga continues. Today we're talking about working with directors. Now, let me preface this by saying that I believe these notes were geared predominantly towards film auditions, however most of these tips apply for any kind of audition. So, I present you:

How To Get In The Good Graces of Directors

1) Don't look at the text if you're supposed to be memorized

2) Ask yourself, "What question is the character REALLY asking?" in this scene? What is the real task happening between the characters?

3) Identify real human behavior within the structure of the script

4) Train yourself to write down notes from directors in rehearsals

5) Style is rhythm

6) Focus on the immediacy of the text. Back story is nice but not imperative, especially if you're working under an extremely tight timeline.

7) Finally, from my own experience directors want actors who can take direction well, are punctual, and do not create unnecessary behind the scenes drama