This week we’ve been talking about how to keep our cool when a last minute audition comes our way. Instead of getting frazzled, or worse yet, bitter about the chaos of the biz, we are sharing tips on how to embrace & conquer the challenge!

Make an emergency audition pack. And keep it in your car!

For Example: My emergency audition pack has saved me on multiple occasions. After I got caught in an unexpected rain shower, when my yoga class ran late, and then now when I got called with a super last minute audition. It has a few necessaries in there for me including: Hair brush, hair spray, dental floss, minty gum, blot powder, a lint brush, a book to kill time, and my headshots & resumes (pre-attached).

Do the best you can. And don’t make excuses for it!

For example: Recently my friend got a call from a casting director when a few of the actors for his session didn’t show up. She then got the opportunity to audition for a big primetime TV show she normally wouldn’t have enough of a resume to get in for. Exciting, but she had so little time to prep her sides in comparison to the other girls. We felt her falling into the trap of giving up. She wondered if she should pass on the opportunity (no way!) or apologize to the audition room about not being more prepared. Luckily she just did the best she could and didn’t make any excuses for her performance… And she got called back fro the role! The people in the room had no idea she had just gotten the sides because she committed to her choices and didn’t apologize for anything! now she is called in regularly by that office for great projects all the time!

Create small routines when you can. And stick to them!

For example: Every morning I sit and drink my coffee looking out at the mountain view out my kitchen window. Some mornings I journal, others I mediate. Every evening I do the same while I drink my decaf tea. It’s so simple and yet so grounding. This way no matter how much I have to run around, I book end my day with stillness, gratitude, and my own mini tradition.

Other examples: Committing to a set morning workout time, an evening reading routine, or a spa-like bedtime ritual can all help us stay centered amidst the chaos if this crazy business.

They say, “Luck is where preparation meets opportunity.” Now you’ll be prepped and ready to rock when a last minute anything comes your way. Take abreath and enjoy the ride. Most other people are just cheering and jeering from the sidelines.

Break legs!
Megan Manzi