So the strange thing about auditions, it seems to me, is that to do well you have to put everything you have into the character you’re trying to portray. Sure, you have to make some choices that you will probably later throw away. But at the root, you’ve got to make it matter to you.

And then, you have to let go of it. Completely. Because there’s nothing more you can do about it until the director makes a decision. And, as we all know, there are any number of reasons why you in particular aren’t right for that part with that cast at that moment, few of which may have anything actually to do with you and your abilities.

Not to mention that you also have to be able to function in your daily life until you get the call.

But it’s even stranger. Because if you do get that call, then you have to jump right back into putting your heart and soul into it.

You know, it occurs to me that this is exactly what we do as actors every time we step onto the stage. It’s just a much tougher audience, and you have fewer crutches to rely on.