Who would have guessed I was safety-pinned into my dress?

Who would have known there were still price tags on some pieces of my clothing?

Who would have imagined I was sweating it out earlier that day, going through a litany of crucial decisions:

• Should I shave or wear black tights?
• Should I try out my new make-up or go for the tried and true?
• Use hot rollers or diffuse my hair?
• Sing in the car or rest my voice?
• Pre-hydrate or merely sip water ‘cuz it’s a long drive?
• Hug my director friends or keep a professional distance?
• Do the dance audition in leggings or a skirt?

I did my homework. I prepared. I prepared some more. I did a thorough voice practice before getting into the car. I made important decisions (for the record: shaved, wore new make-up, used hot rollers, sang in the car, sipped water, kept a professional distance–although I super wanted to hug the whole group of directors–and wore leggings).

I took risks. I belted. I moved. I danced.

I won.

Audition season is here. It’s time for your One Woman/One Man Show. Enjoy the process. Do all of the prep, the thinking, the wondering, the deciding. Then throw it all out the window and have a blast!

The Prep 

Choose your material. Songs, monologues. Go for what you connect with and showcases your talents and abilities.

Practice. Try stuff. Experiment. Play with abandon. Pan for gold. Throw in every idea that comes to mind, and be especially open to any idea your body naturally expresses. Discover the truth of the monologue or song (which is a monologue put to music).

After rehearsing, execute what you’ve practiced. Freshly. Each time. Know what you want from your (invisible) partner, and fight for it. Use the words and music to get what you want. Repetition is key.

Hold a dress rehearsal. The way we stand and walk and sing in our audition outfit–and especially our shoes–is much different than how we move wearing yoga pants, a sweatshirt and bare feet. Put on your chosen audition outfit and shoes, take off your glasses, let your hair down, and run a couple of dress rehearsals in the days just before your audition.

Practice your introduction. Consider this a mini-monologue and script it. “Hello, my name is Carrie Jay, and I’ll be singing ‘Broadway Baby’ from Follies. My first monologue is Susie from Wait Until Dark. My second monologue is Shelby from Steel Magnolias.”

The Thinking

Bad news for thinking: it’s not part of the creative process. Give it something else factual and logical to do.

Get your route to the audition location on google maps.

Prepare your resume. This will take some thought and memory skills. (All the more reason to keep it current after each job you get!)

So now your brain has been assigned a couple of specific tasks, and can stay out of the way.

 The Wondering

Okay, you can drive yourself crazy with this one. “I wonder if I’m [fill in the blank] enough?” “I wonder what the directors are looking for?” Etc.

Here’s what the directors are looking for: a person who shows up, is completely accessible, prepared, professional and passionate.

You don’t have control over the directors’ thoughts and opinions, so just go ahead and Fire the Judge, and be done with wondering.

The Deciding

The outfit. The hair. The car snack. Visualize the audition space, if you’re familiar with it. Make all of these decisions, then forget about them, sing in the car and get in the zone.

Throw It Out the Window and Have a Blast!

You’ve made the most important decision of all: to audition! To perform! To put yourself out there and DO IT!

Love the process.

Love yourself.

Love your life.

‘Cuz you’re livin’ it. With courage and joy.