How to Deal with Stress in Acting Auditions

Preparing Ahead of Time

Practice your lines with a friend or an audition app. Find the script or excerpt that’ll be used for your audition and make a few copies of it. Focus on memorizing your lines, then practicing with a friend to make sure you’ve got it down. If you’re practicing on your own, use an app like Rehearsal 2, which helps you rehearse your audition lines on your own. Rehearsal 2 costs $20, but may be a worthwhile investment if you attend a lot of auditions. Mnemonic devices can go a long way in helping you memorize your lines. Think about the first letter of each line and make those letters into a word.

Get to know the character you’re auditioning for. Look through the script or excerpt and find bits of dialogue that point toward the character’s motivations and goals. See if you can really get into the mindset of the character, so your performance can be extra believable. If you’re confident in your audition material, you may feel more assured and confident going into your audition. For example, try to figure out if the character is fierce and determined, shy and quiet, or somewhere in between. You want the director to really believe your performance!

Play out the audition in your head. Think about every step of the audition, from when you arrive at the building to when you’re performing for the casting director. Get an idea of what the audition will look like from start to finish, as this can help take the edge off during the auditioning process. Envision yourself having a successful, productive audition so you have confidence when the actual audition day comes. Get in the habit of visualizing your audition each day. Give yourself a few minutes to pretend that you’re entering the building, waiting to be called, and performing.

Arrive at your audition early and prepared. Set an alarm so you get the audition building with plenty of time to spare. Give yourself time to look over your lines and rehearse a little bit, so you don’t feel rushed. Knowing that you have plenty of time to prepare and wait may help take the edge off. It won’t look very professional if you show up late or unprepared for your audition.

Make a playlist with relaxing songs that will calm you down. Download some songs that always put you in a serene state of mind. Put the playlist on shuffle and listen to some tunes as you wait to be called for your audition. Focus on the music instead of browsing social media or checking your email. You can use the music app on your phone for this, or a streaming app like SoundCloud or Spotify.

Center yourself physically before you enter your audition. Space your feet out at about shoulder width, then start shifting your weight from your toes to your heels. Focus on the feeling of shifting your body instead of thinking about your nerves. It helps to practice deep breathing exercises while you do this.

Keeping Calm during the Audition

Relax yourself by taking several deep breaths. Place your hands on your chest and start breathing in through your nose. Inhale for 4 seconds, then exhale through your mouth for 8 seconds. Repeat this process until you feel calm. You can do this as many times as you need to.

Create a calming phrase that you can repeat to yourself. Think of phrase or mantra that helps keep you relaxed and centered. It can be something that takes the pressure off the audition, or a phrase that improves your mood. Memorize this mantra and repeat it to yourself whenever you’re feeling nervous. For instance, you can say something like: “All I can do is perform my very best.” Phrases like “I’ll give this my best shot” or “Time to have fun!” are also great options to consider.

Enter your audition with plenty of confidence. Leave your insecurities and worries about the audition in the back of your mind. Instead, walk into the audition room with lots of confidence, so you look prepared and professional to the casting director. Try not to display any nervous tics as you enter the room, like twirling your hair. If you‘re prone to shaky hands, hold something heavy to keep them steady. Casting directors are going to be more impressed by a self-assured actor than someone who’s staring at the floor and not speaking loudly. Sometimes, the key is to just “fake it.” If you pretend to be confident, the confidence may come naturally!

Listen and react during a scene so your performance seems genuine. Don’t recite your lines off the top of your head. Instead, pretend that you’re the character, and that you’re hearing the scene’s dialogue for the very first time. React to these lines like you’ve never heard them before, which will make your performance a lot more authentic. Try speaking your lines with the intended emotion and energy. Even if you’ve memorized your lines, it won’t be very impressive if your delivery is flat and disengaging.

Force yourself to focus on the task at hand. Clear your mind of any other thoughts and feelings, even if your mind feels overwhelmed with nervousness. Remind yourself that you’re here to audition, and that you need to be completely focused on nailing your audition. You can always get distracted by your thoughts and feelings once the audition is over! For instance, tell yourself something like this: “I may be nervous, but I can’t let my anxiety get in the way of my audition. I’m going to focus on practicing my lines instead.”

Let yourself have fun during the audition. Remember why you’re pursuing an acting job in the first place—to have fun while doing something that you love! Ignore the pretenses of the audition and pretend you’re acting in a real scene. Pretend you’re acting for the final production of whatever you’re auditioning for. This might make your performance more exciting and fun!

Staying Positive after the Fact

Own your performance as you leave the room. Stay confident throughout your entire audition, even if it doesn’t go the way you expect. Hold your head high as you walk out the door so the casting director knows that you’re a professional. You can express as many emotions as you want once you leave the audition room.

Accept that the audition may not go perfectly. Don’t expect absolute perfection from yourself—this will only lead to feelings of disappointment. Instead, remind yourself that it’s okay to mess up sometimes, and that you just have to do the best that you can. Remember: worst case scenario, you won’t be the first person to make a mistake in your audition, and you certainly won’t be the last.

Reward yourself with something fun after the audition is over. Treat yourself after the audition, whether it’s with ice cream, a trip to the pool, or something else that helps you kick back and relax. Even if the audition doesn’t go as planned, you can still celebrate everything you’ve accomplished to get this far. You may feel less stressed if you have something to look forward to after your audition.

Think positively even if you don’t land the role. Try to view your audition as more of an experience than a necessity. Even if you don’t get the role you were hoping for, remember the audition experience so you can feel more confident for future casting calls. It may be tempting, but don’t call your fellow actor friends and see if they got the part. This will just add to your own stress.

Log your experience in an audition journal. Dedicate a blank notebook or journal to recording your audition experiences. Jot down everything that happened during the audition, including any feedback you received from the casting directors. For future auditions, you can reference this journal so you have an idea of what to expect! If you have a better idea of what to expect at an audition, you might not be as nervous later on.