Handling Nerves at Auditions

When I started public speaking when I was 13 years old an accomplished Rostrum member told me that "If you dont have nerves, you're dead!!!!" And its so true :) Even the experienced get nerves but the difference is they use them. Secondly the way I do an audition is to be the biggest, most confident and most arrogant person in the room. Now when I say arrogant I dont mean to other people but to the actual place your at. You need to say to yourself that "I am so above nerves that it is an insult to even suggest I have them and that feeling you have in your stomach is something you ate." When you say that to yourself you can start believing it and its all about mind set ;) Thirdly, I usually read a script once/twice when I get it and then read it again before the actually audition (and I mean an hour before I go on). This again goes with the arrogence that helps so much. And if you stuff up (and believe me it will happen many times even when you do it billions of times before hand) You laugh it off and poke fun at yourself. When those who are auditioning you see you laughing they want to laugh and the who audition just becomes a few mates seeing how you reading something sounds. Believe me it works!!!!! Fourthly, you are not going to be cast in everything you go for no matter how good you are. I was rejected 10 times in a row before I got my break. Learn from these, understand that you may not have fitted the directors vision and move on to the next. (Arrogence and stubborness was mainly the reason that kept me going :) ) And finaly I was reading all these comments and only one of them mentioned having fun!!!! If you dont have fun its work, and everyone hates work and dreads it. Thats whats always worked for me and I hope this helps Dont forget to smile :) David Green DRAGON FILMS