Michael Kostroff - Audition Psych 101

2017, 2019 Michael Kostroff

All Rights Reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the written permission of the author.

Published by Gatekeeper Press

2167 Stringtown Rd, Suite 109

Columbus, OH 43123-2989

www.GatekeeperPress.com

ISBN (paperback): 9781642376128
eISBN: 9781642376111

Printed in the United States of America

For Billie Shepard, world-class actor, teacher, and friend, and the mother of Audition Psych 101. Teach an audition class, she said. But I have nothing to teach, I protested. Dummy! she said, Every time I have an audition, I call you and you give me some golden piece of advice that saves my ass. Write it down!

THANKS

I owe a special debt of gratitude to my favorite editors, Jenny Kostroff, Patrick Richwood, and Sue Judin, and my crackerjack copy editor Mindi White. I also want to thank my extraordinary cover artist Tim Gabor for his patience with my endless tinkering, and for delivering the most perfect book cover I could ever ask for.

Im grateful as well to the many actors, casting directors, and others who contributed their thoughts on the subject of auditioning.

Finally, my heartfelt thanks to the thousands whove attended the Audition Psych 101 workshops over the years. Your participation has helped me to hone the concepts in this book, and to communicate them more clearly and effectively.

If your auditions feel more like trials than performances, you are not alone. Michael Kostroff has been where you are. For years he walked through the fires of auditioning, barely surviving. Believing auditions didnt have to be torture, Michael gradually discovered some pertinent truths, then tested his theories, using himself as a guinea pig. And something remarkable happened. He began to really enjoy auditioning! And yes, he also began to be successful at it. He seemed to have turned the audition process on its head. And thats lucky for us.

I have been teaching actors of all levels for over thirty years. I founded five acting workshops in four states, taught acting at San Jose State University (where I earned my Masters in Theatre), as well as at San Jose Repertory Theatre and Voice One in San Francisco. The point is, Ive been teaching long enough to recognize exceptional teaching talent when I see it. And that brings us back to Michael Kostroff. The gods were good to Kostroff. Hes not only a brilliant actor and writer but, whats most unusual, he can really teach.

Kostroff and I met in 1997 at San Jose Rep when we were cast together in Neil Simons Laughter on the 23rd Floor. Working with him was a joy and an education. He was open, supportive, and generous. We became friends. And so, over the years when I needed help with an audition, Id call Michael. Like most of my fellow actors and students, I could be plagued by the unwelcome voices of self-doubt, nerves, fear, second-guessing, self-evaluation, and people pleasing. These rude voices could really diminish the audition experience.

Working with Michael was magical. I immediately realized he hadin a gentle, fun mannerrealigned my attitude toward the entire process. Quite suddenly I noticed I was looking forward to my auditions as a chance to act, play, and show my best self. It was a huge adjustment. Numerous times I said, You should teach! And numerous times he said, Awwww, no. That went on far too long, because hes authentically modest. Fortunately for you, I am authentically relentless. Ultimately, I prevailed. We brought Michael to San Jose Rep to teach a one-night class, and Audition Psych 101 was born. He teaches all over the country now. To this day, my students and fellow actors come up to me and tell me how their attitudes toward auditioning have improved and how much more they book and enjoy their auditions since attending the class. They consistently mention how simple, accessible, andmost importantlyfun Michaels techniques are to use. Kostroff has elegantly hit on a simple truth: most of what we hate about auditioning is in our heads!

If youre not able to attend his Audition Psych 101 workshop in person, read this book. If you are able to attend his Audition Psych 101 workshop in person, read this book anyway. Then enjoy your next audition!

Billie Shepard

This is not an acting book. Its also not a book about how to break into show business, get noticed, or get an agent. In fact, its not even your typical book on the subject of auditions, though thats the sole topic; theres very little here about improving your cold reading skills, choosing audition materials, scene analysis, camera technique, or any of the other usual audition-related subjects. This book is about one specific element of the audition process: the mental partthe weird shit that goes on in actors heads as we face what is easily one of the oddest ways anyone has ever applied for a job.

Its my belief (and my experience as a working professional) that much of what goes wrong for us in auditions has less to do with talent, acting ability, or learned skills than with things like nerves, insecurities, second guessing, fear of judgment, overanalyzingthat kind of stuff. (Any of that sound familiar?) I think the place we run into the biggest problems is in the space that sits between our ears, and that the way we think and feel about auditioning can be our worst obstacle. This is even more so once actors reach a professional level. Beginners and amateurs might botch the basics and exhibit more nervousness, but for people who more or less know what theyre doing, and for whom the stakes are a bit higher, the mental gremlins can pose an even greater threat, taking us down hard and blocking access to our best work.

I also believe theres a considerable amount of mythology that actors build around the idea of auditioning. And everyone just sort of blindly follows along, never questioning certain widely held falsehoods. On these pages, Im going to offer some reality-based alternatives to those bizarre myths.

By the way, theres a reason that Im uniquely qualified to teach this stuff. It isnt because of my modest bit of professional success or because Im some sort of shaman. My unique qualification is simply this: I was once impossibly bad at auditioning. Im not being humble or coy or cute when I say that. I give you my wordI stunk. I was monumentally awkward. I felt like Id snuck in and didnt belong there. (Anyone else ever feel like that? Or is it just me?) Everything about my demeanor was one big apology. I was so anxious that I couldnt focus at all. And afterwards, sometimes I couldnt even remember what I did or said in the room; it was like a blackout. Im sure I came across as overwhelmed, terror-stricken and miserable, andwould you believe it?I never got cast. Never. Strange, huh? I guess no one wanted to hire the sweaty weirdo with the blank gaze and the quivering voice. Go figure.

Luckily, I was blessed with an analytical nature, and so I was somehow able, over many years, to pick apart and sort through the various elements and micro-moments of the audition process, figure out where things were going wonky, and eventually get to the place where I could present myself comfortably and finally, really enjoy auditioning. Now I teach my colleagues how to do the same thing. (Never would have seen that one coming in a million years.)