How to get that audition and be a better professional performer with hypnotism

How do I get that part in audition? Being a Professional performer and how Hypnosis can help.

I have worked as an actor director teacher writer and specialist hypnotherapist for over 30 years. I say this not to be the BOF but just that I have seen this from all angles.

Missing Pieces Theatre Show

I have most recently Directed a new play with Ballroom, Tap and Lindy Hop called MISSING PIECES http://missingpiecestheatreshow.co.uk. if you are interested. Our creative team was me, Graham Howes, Karen Lynne, Simon Egerton MD, Richard Marcel Choreographer and mentors Carole Todd and Peter John Cooper.

When you are casting as a Director I would say that you are full of hope that the next candidate will be the one you are looking for – so to my mind – I would like you to relax and show me what your particular sizzle is and then demonstrate that we can work together. If you have done your research on the company, show and director – so much the better. If you ask questions that demonstrate an interest and you fit the bill then you are close to the top of my preferred candidates.

Casting Missing Pieces was particularly tough for us and the auditionees. We wanted to make it testing but enjoyable and give people a fair crack of the whip. We had a grant from he Arts Council and Unity Theatre Trust to do a 2 week development workshop to be shown to a mix of interested Producers, Theatre Professionals and invited audience. in addition we would use Community Social Dancers.

Strictly Come Dancing

We had the marvellous Richard Marcel from Strictly Come Dancing to choreograph so we devised a 90 minute Master Class from him in Ballroom Tap and Lindy Hop and then working on text with me.

It was a tough cast because we needed superb actors, amazing dancers, who could pull off a North East accent that wasn’t Geordie, and maybe play an instrument and sing to a high standard!

Not easy – we all have strengths and weaknesses. They would need patience and an understanding of the nature of a work in progress where your brilliant scene may be sacrificed to time pressures or because it doesn’t further the story arc.

Our auditionees worked hard and I hope got something from us too! We ended up with a cast of collaborators who.contributed to the development of the script and went he extra mile giving extra unpaid time to he project because they knew the budget was tight and that it was to all our benefits to show the best that we could show. We are grateful to them for their generosity.

As a hypnotherapist I work with actors dancers and singers to overcome their nerves – it is actually fairly straightforward to learn to relax and get in the uptime trance of “the zone”. Once you are there the rest is preparation, hard work, passion for the project and a commitment to serve the trust of your employer, being pleasant and not arrogant pushy or grand, plus of course talent!

When you create a piece you invest your time, money, hope and energy… So you also pray others will do the same. I hope the profession is kept above the clocking in and out mentality. If you don’t have passion for a project stay away from it! There is nothing worse than directing a piece with people who mangle your carefully constructed text or add to it what you cut and are then lazy in rehearsal and show and act as if they would rather be somewhere else.

One noted pro also told me to look at promising contenders Facebook pages … If they bitched about employers, each other, or had many pictures of them off their face .. Then stay away!

Believe me many employers do this now and they don’t have to select you… Why would they when it is such a high risk and expensive undertaking? The Business is very much a team game and awkward difficult and lazy people are noted. I am on LinkedIn amongst other networking sites and people ask about performers and recommendations all the time.

If you want to be a respected Pro – the above is my advice – above all stay grounded: the best Famous People that I have ever worked with were often humble and lead by example – working hard, helping others generously and demonstrating a commitment to the work. The difficult ones were just that … A real pain to everyone. My plea is that we all work together in genuine collaboration.

I hope this is helpful!

Graham Howes October 2012

Hypnotherapy for Professional Actors, Singers Dancers available at Ipswich, Hadleigh and Colchester in Suffolk and Essex and onsite at TV studios, Film Locations and Theatres or by Skype grahamhowes1

Call: 07875720623

Email: grahamahowes@me.com

 

 

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