Description
Kissing at Auditions
Ruth Kulerman
A reader asked about handling "intimate" scenes at an audition. The
letter contained so many relevant questions that I have broken the
note into sections and answered each separately. Here goes:
"When you are auditioning for a part in a play and there's a 'love
scene' and the script says that you kiss, etc., do I go with the
flow and kiss the reading partner or just read the words and assume
the action will come later? - Jessica"
Jessica: Do not go with the flow. Go with the decisions you made
months earlier about what you would and would not do at an audition
or in a performance (stage or screen). Face this question now and
answer it now. Yes, I will or no, I won't (kiss, deep throat,
strip, etc.). And stick to your decision.
"What does a director usually expect?"
What a director expects is irrelevant. What is relevant is what
you, yourself, want to do. If they threaten not to hire you, wish
them well and leave. There will be other roles and other directors.
Refusing intimate exchanges never undid a career.
Exception: If you know in advance that the scene you will be
reading is sexually charged, then you must refuse (or accept)
before and tell them immediately so that your audition spot can be
given to someone else. If you know about the scene before you get
there, and then suddenly back out once you are there, that is
unprofessional. If you learn about the scene when you get to the
audition, you can tell the monitor you would prefer not to read for
the role. Then leave.
"If I don't do the physical part during the audition, and just
speak the words, can that hinder my chances of getting the part?"
Usually intimate scenes are acted out only on the third or fourth
callback. I have rarely heard of the initial audition requiring
kissing or nudity (run fast, if it does) or even passion. [Editors
note: The actors' union generally forbids nudity at auditions.]
"If I do kiss, I don't know if the other person would be expecting
it or would feel offended in some way."
Forget what the other person thinks or feels. Take care of
yourself! Try to discuss it with the scene partner beforehand tell
him/her what you will and will not do and stick to your decision.
"I want to come off as a professional, but not sure which direction
to take."
Professional is being true to yourself, polite to others, but being
firm about what you will and will not do. We actors are often so
hungry to be cast that we lose all sense of perspective. Remember
it is a role you are losing, not a kidney or a left arm.
GENERAL COMMENTS ABOUT INTIMACY IN ACTING
Personally I long for days when Clark Gable swept Scarlet up Tara's
stairwell and the rest was imagination. I prefer bosoms and the
rest of the anatomy covered. However, I recognize that that
attitude puts me somewhere the other side of the dodo bird. Extinct.
Sex in all its variations seems to be a permanent part of stage and
screen. There used to be gratuitous car chase scenes. These have
been replaced with gratuitous sex scenes.
As an older female actress, even I have faced a "now what?"
situation. I was cast as the lead in a 35 minute independent film
being directed by a Brit who hadsome success in England before
coming to the states. I wanted to work with her, mostly because it
would look good on my resume.
The role, the lead, was an aging wealthy courtesan who spends her
last night with her favorite client. I was promised there would be
no nudity, no physical contact--told that the gentleman would be
seen leaving my boudoir and then the camera would watch as I die
happy (heart attack, or something).
We rehearsed, we discussed, we walked through the scene. We had
lunch. Jolly. Then comes the shoot, the boudoir doors slide open
and shut and suddenly the favorite customer crawls into my bed and
the director is telling me where to place my hands and legs. I was
furious. I refused, threatened to walk out--not that it mattered
much, since it was my last scene both in the film and the shoot. I
found the idea itself distasteful and the director's sneakiness
disgraceful.
So what does an actress do when auditioning for a script calling
for intimacy, sex scenes, nudity or deep throat kissing at an
audition?
My immediate response is a resounding "Do what you want." Some
actors shrug these scenes off with indifference, some with grace,
some think they are fun, some think they are business as usual.
Other actors are confused, timid, intimidated, uncertain,
frightened to say "no" because they don't want to offend.
Just this evening an actress told me of a self-submitted indie film
audition she went to. The ad had called for a monologue, which we
worked on. My own red flags went up based solely on the Internet
site where the audition was listed.
She arrived at the audition and was handed a scene to cold read.
No, there would be no monologue. Yes, the audition would be on
camera. She said the scene read like hard porn. She was so upset
that she said she couldn't do a good cold reading. I asked why she
didn't leave. The answer: "I don't want to get a reputation of
being a diva."
Although her response was emotionally understandable,
intellectually it just didn't make sense. She'd rather be
considered a bad actress than walk out on an offending audition?
Think about it (1) Chances are this kind of operation is not going
to attract or produce anyone who will ever have enough power to
make or break your reputation as an actress. (2) Casting people
never forget a bad audition so your reputation as an actress is
blown anyway. (3) Handing the script to the monitor and saying, "I
prefer not to read for this," is certainly less damaging to a
career than reading the scene and doing a mediocre job! Again a
case of our needing to be cast so badly that our common sense flies
out the window.
In this profession, one needs a small lexicon of handy phrases. "I
prefer not to read for this" must be added to your list.
The following comment may raise some eyebrows: Is it possible that
your headshot may lead casting offices to make certain assumptions
about the roles you want to play? Need I be more descriptive? This
headshot question certainly applies to both men and women. And
don't bother with "blaming the victim" comment. Our headshots are
supposed to look like us, which certainly includes what kind of
roles we are interested in be considered for. Therefore look to
your headshot.
PS: I strongly suggest that you do not attend an audition in a
hotel room or in someone's apartment unless you take a friend with
you. There are some people out there who know our need to be cast.
They misuse that need for their own shady purposes.
PPS: While kissing at auditions is rare, it's not on stage (or on
film). Chad's book has a chapter in it titled "How to Kiss on
Stage." It includes the number one kissing mistake that actors
make. You can learn about it here:
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