Should You Go To An Audition Unprepared?

I had an interesting experience this past Friday night.

I had submitted myself for a casting call.  This was the breakdown:

Amore Seeks Circus Performers for its Holiday Spectacular

Amore, an arts organization performing in the East Village, is seeking circus acts for its holiday extravaganza double-bill of Pagliacci and The Circus Princess.

Jugglers, unicyclists, magicians acrobats, contortionists, clowns and any other non-flying big top acts are sought to add style and atmosphere to the production(s).

Ok, I can’t contort or unicycle (that’d be ridiculous!) but I do have a background in gymnastics and as I’ve told casting directors in the past, feel free to throw me through the air as I’m sort of physically fearless (ok, this is a bit of an overshoot; threaten to put me on a snowboard and throw me down a mountain to my bloody, icy death and FORGET. IT.)  But overall, I’ve been looking to capitalize on some of these lil’ old special skills we have slapped on the bottom of our resumes.  I can tumble, baby!  And that’s more than most NYC actresses can say.

This would be a “yes.”

This would be a hard “no.”

So I self submit.

And I hear back (my new headshots are working!  Thank you David Noles!)

A friendly little email voice called Iris told me they could probably use me and they’d get back to me later in the week with details.  Days later, I receive an email stating:

Dear Singer/Dancer

If you haven’t yet confirmed your audition time for tonight, please do so as soon as possible.

Whaaa?

This was the first I heard that auditions were tonight.  “Shoot,” I thought (in my mother’s preferred word choice – no actually my mother’s first preferred word choice would be “oh darn.” #SoCute)

Anyways!

“Sh**!” I thought “I’m working tonight and I can’t switch shifts this last minute.”

Then good news came.  I emailed Iris and she informed me they’d be there until 10pm.  Great – I can make it.  But I was still in the dark about what they wanted to see.  It wouldn’t be a monologue – they want a circus act after all.  There was no question in my mind it would be a movement call, considering the breakdown.  I shoot Iris another email.

An hour or so later, I arrive at work.  I’ve got a headshot/resume and movement clothes.  I see that Iris has responded to me with tonight’s audition details:

Sing us a song that shows your voice and personality.

Whaa?

I expected cartwheels.

So I’m at work.  I only have movement clothes.  Nuthin’ cute.  I don’t have my book of songs.  I haven’t sung a note since March.

I was suddenly in a conundrum:

Oops, The Clash just got here…

Anyways!

It’s a conundrum.

• Do you show up unprepared but at least you showed up?
• Or do you quietly back down since you’re not bringing the best version of yourself to the table?

I don’t know where I stand on this.  But with this particular situation…

I chose to go!

I show up – last one of the night.
I keep my jacket on to hide my workout clothes underneath.
The director looks at me weirdly when I have no sheet music to give to the accompanist.
I tell them I’m going to sing a cappella “if it’s cool.”
I think this might be ridiculous but I just do it anyway.
When they decide they like me and sit me down to chat, I admit I was completely confused about what this call was for and I came here to be a circus performer.

And somehow, because New York City makes SO much sense… I get cast.

So hooray.  I’m very excited.  I don’t know how I pulled it off.  Maybe it helped I wasn’t prepared because I took the pressure off of myself, shared who I was and allowed them to make the decision (that’s what auditioning is about after all isn’t it?)

But I won’t let this one lucky experience be a cop-out when it comes to prepping for auditions.  My next theatre audition is for The Flea and I’ve been doing a whole bunch to prepare for that, including hiring a private monologue coach.

I suppose it just proves that each experience will be different and must be taken as just that – an experience.

Have you found yourself in a similar situation?  What’d ya do??

Keepin’ it real; not red,