The kind of acting in which you are working on a regular basis is many things, but “something that is accomplished quickly” is in nearly every case not one of them. Here are two personal examples to illustrate:
1.) I once took a workshop with a major primetime television casting director. I performed a monologue and braced myself for the feedback. It was not good. In fact, it was awful. She wasn’t mean but she was honest– she could tell I was acting, wasn’t particularly interested in the point of view I was trying to express, and felt that while I had potential I was not yet nearly ready to successfully compete for the kind of parts that she casts. I was simultaneously grateful for her honesty and devastated by her assessment of the work.
More than three years and hundreds of class hours later I got an audition with this very same casting director through my agents. She was casting yet another primetime television series. I went in and did my work. She didn’t remember our previous meeting and I didn’t remind her of it. She loved my audition, gave me a wonderful compliment in the room, and also gave me a callback on the spot. Glad I didn’t give up after the first time she saw me.
2.) I once had an audition for a regional theatre. I felt it went very well but was disappointed when no callback resulted. About six months later the artistic director contacted my agents to inquire if I was available to do a reading of a new play. I was and I did. About a month after that the artistic director called again to ask if I wanted to come back for yet another reading. I did. A few months after that he brought me in to audition for a show he was directing– I booked it! And then during the run of that show, about a year after he first met me, he offered me a part in his next show. I guess there’s something to this persistence thing.
You already know that the path of a professional actor is a difficult one to tread. If you add to it the pressure of expecting immediate and profound results the path goes from difficult to impossible. Set realistic expectations for yourself and your career and then make their pursuit a daily habit. If you’re unsure of what is realistic or how to effectively pursue your goals– and because such knowledge is hardly common this is likely, especially if you’re just starting out, and nothing to be embarrassed about– please call me up at TVI Actors Studio.
We are here to help you!
