Don’t Be Like Barry

Our own, wondrous Jolie Jenkins (LK&Co. Faculty Member Extraordinaire), contributed this fantastic post. Please check it out and then get thee to her blog for yet more fabulosity.  Her writing is almost as yummy as her recipes! joeycake.com

Don’t Be Like Barry

This week I had a rare callback where I was grouped together with a few other actors to do a scene. Normally an actor auditions solo, reading their part with a casting director, so getting to observe what others are doing in these rooms is practically unheard of. I felt oddly thrilled, like I was getting to be up close to wild animals in their natural habitat. Actor safari!

Two of us sat in the waiting area running lines. We were looking around for our remaining scene-mate when a casting assistant ushered him over. “I’m Barry,” he said.

“Glad you could make it!” said the other actress, without a trace of irony (either that or she’s really good). “Do you want to run lines with us?”

Barry shrugged. “Sure.”

I noticed the empty table in front of him. “Do you have your script?”

“Yep.” He tapped his temple with his pointer finger three times. “Right here.” He was very pleased with himself. “Off book.”

“Bravo,” I said, “That’s impressive.” I didn’t have a good feeling about Barry just then. He reminded me of a cocky waiter who takes orders by memory and then doubles back sheepishly to ask who ordered the salmon.

The other actress began her opening lines. Barry interrupted.

“When do I go?” he asked. We both looked over at him.

“Excuse me?” I said.

“When do I go?”

“Go where?” I was genuinely confused.

He snapped at me a little. “When is my line?!” I sat there with my mouth hanging open.

My fellow actress held the script toward his face and pointed to some words. “Your monologue starts after I say ‘Good Morning.'” It was then that he registered the small packet of papers each of us held.

“I thought I only had one line.” His eyes darted around and beads of sweat gathered above his lips.

I don’t think I helped: “Your line? Dude, you have a lot of lines.”

At that exact moment we were called into the room. And bless Barry’s heart, he did not roar fiercely at the actor safari.

How to not be like Barry?

1. When the appointment comes in, make sure you have the right sides. Double check. Triple check. There’s almost always stacks of sides near the sign-in. Get there a little early and make it a habit to check your version against them. And don’t ever not take them in the room, even if you happen to be off book. Always hold sides!

2. Rehearse. This goes without saying but I’m saying it anyway because I’m kicking a dead horse.

3. If, somehow, you get there and have the rug pulled out from under you, BE HUMAN and excuse yourself to procure the correct sides.

4. If casting and/or other actors are waiting for you? Too bad. Tell them NICELY you need to take a second and get your feet under you again. You’ll be WAY glad you made people a little uncomfortable for a second (plus, they might not even care) than leaving without your balls.

5. If (audition or no) you’ve been regularly logging rehearsal hours making choices and breaking down text, your actor muscle-memory will kick in. Trust it to support you.

6. Move your body. Go outside or into a hallway or even a bathroom stall and do some jumping jacks. Give that nervous energy somewhere to go.

7. When you get in the room, do not talk on and on about how you just got the sides. Don’t even mention it. Even though this seems like (and is potentially) an egregious error on someone’s part, no one cares.

8. Be nice to people. Not only is it the kind, human thing to do, they’ll be more awesome about it if you need to start again.

9. Listen like a motherfucker. You’re basically cold-reading so the best, most important thing you can do (and should be doing anyway) is listening.

10. Leave it in the room so you can let it go fully.