Opportunity Doesn’t Care About Its Timing and Neither Should You
I learned a great deal during my time as a casting reader. In fact, most of the lessons I picked up performing opposite Broadway giants transcended the nuts and bolts of acting.
What I learned in the casting rooms of Manhattan ultimately influenced my life on a much broader level.
Maybe Not this Time, but the Next
A few months back I was speaking to a friend of mine who was set to give a big presentation.
“I’m so nervous,” she said. “I just want to get through it without screwing up,”
I thought back on the scores of actors who allowed their timidity over being called to audition overshadow the opportunity itself. Their movements were stiff, choices labored, and their nervous energy palpable throughout the room.
The seasoned veterans on the other hand knew they’d been called in for a reason. They mastered the ability to be kind but still claim the space they needed to deliver a memorable audition.
“This is a great opportunity for you,” I tried to convince my friend. “And who knows? Nothing may come of your presentation this go around but you might get a phone call down the road for an even better opportunity. The point is to leave a good impression.”
Spread “Good Contagion”
Over the years I saw talented storytellers deliver amazing performances only to be passed up for roles I thought they’d be perfect for. The actors in it for the long haul knew it was simply part and parcel for this line of work. They grew to appreciate how show business was the least meritocratic industry in the world.
The key to lasting, I discovered, was developing a sense of resiliency and a unique capacity to not take failure personally.
Those were the very actors I saw come in years later for an equally great opportunity, sometimes even better. They had made a conscious decision to spread “good contagion” and leave a calling card that radiated a sense of hard work, grit, and commitment.
As a result, they stayed on the mental rolodex of casting directors and often received other great opportunities to showcase their work down the road.
