by Lauren Letherer – Commercial Auditioning Teacher
Waiting.
It’s one of those things that is associated with acting.
You wait to get auditions. Then you wait to hear if you get a callback. You wait through avails. THEN, if you do get the job, you usually spend a lot of time waiting in a trailer to actually shoot. It’s been said that you don’t actually get paid to act, you get paid to wait.
How do you get through those times when you feel like nothing is happening?
Think about this – if you were a musician you would play your instrument everyday. Same with a dancer, sculpter, writer… You name it. But, for some reason, actors finish school, or take one class and think they are done.
Then wait for the phone to ring.
You are constantly changing and evolving. Likewise your craft is constantly changing along with you. An art form does not stop transforming. So in those moments that feel stagnant, do something to feed your creative soul.
Read a play, work on a monologue, go to a museum, write something, enroll in an improv class. The list is endless. By feeding that creative soul you are not only keeping yourself from going crazy, you are keeping that channel open and ready for the next opportunity. Plus, you never know when inspiration will hit you. Don’t ever stop learning. The beautiful part of acting is – you are never done.