Am I on Punk'd?!

One good thing that comes from auditioning more is that I'm no longer the shy girl who talks about the weather when entering an audition room. "It's so hot out, isn't it?!"

In fact, I've gotten to the point where perhaps I'm too comfortable. Here's a play by play of a recent audition:

Showed up to audition for a broadway show/national tour. Saw a friend from college there. Said hi and hugged. Heard bits and pieces from the girl in the audition room. She sounded amazing.

Kept chatting with my friend. The girl comes out of the audition room. Holy... She's a semi-celebrity. From TV. A reality show competition. Did I mention she sounded GREAT?

30 minutes later its my turn. I say hi to everyone in the room, and must've said something sassy or cute because everyone's laughing. Good start, I think.

The female CD comments on my dress - she loves it. I tell her I got it in Amsterdam. More witty banter between us, everyone is laughing. "Woohoo! Yes, keep laughing!" I think to myself. I want to be the girl they think about at the end of the day. 

Time to sing. But I have an announcement to make - I lowered the key to one of the songs. (I lost my voice earlier that week.) They look displeased. I sing another song. I am affected by their earlier reaction, thus making me nervous. Hmmm. Compose yourself, Dominique! (Better to sing well in a lower key than struggle in a higher key, right? Right.)

Time to read the sides. I go to grab my phone as a prop. Oops. When the sides referred to a phone, it really meant something completely else. 

Oh, I would've known this had I seen the show? Right, but I've never seen the show. Its terribly popular and expensive, preventing me from having seen it in the past! I am but one of thousands who try to rush this show every week!

I'm embarrassed at my blunder, but playing it off well. They're laughing. At me or with me? Can't tell. . . They're either thinking "Haha, poor girl. She just can't get anything right today" or "Haha, I like her. Maybe not right for this show, but I like her."

At the end of the audition, I felt like I had been on the TV show "Punk'd." In the span of 10 minutes, my emotions had run the full range of a Meryl Streep movie and my chocolatey brown skin had turned the color of bright roses in a Japanese Garden.

I've gotta learn how to strike the balance between bringing tons of personality in the room and being so serious about the audition that I come off as boring. Truth be told, I'd rather be the girl making the CD's laugh than the girl who has nothing to say at all!

-- Dominique | @domtoney

Photo by Ismael Cruz-Cordova

Comments

[Vincent Browning]

As a fellow actor I liked your piece about your audition. You seem to be a cheery type and I would not lose that. Everytime I go for an audition. And believe you me it is not for big broadway shows, I always try to sell my personality to the casting director and whoever else is in the room. At the end of the day I believe (for what it is worth) that apart from your ability to act or sing or whatever they are also looking to see Could I Work with This Person! And believe you me I have asked the question - Why Did I Get the Role? - After I got it of course. And the reply was in some cases - Your Audition was good and we thought we could work well with this person! So - keep your bubbly self to the fore and be as natural as possible and enjoy the few moments that you get with these people. One day you will find the one that likes you LOTS! Best of Luck with your career!

[Dominique Toney]

Thanks Vincent! I appreciate this alot. I think you're totally right!