So how do you guys keep pride in check? - 2007/12/05 06:33OR if you want to tell of a moment in your theatrical career when a teacher/director/friend/whoever nailed you against the wall, and what you did and how you bounced back, I would be very interested to hear some stories. I'm not sure but I don't think this topic has been discussed before so it would be interesting to hear from the regulars about this subject.
Thanks guys!Current Show: Coppelia (Swanhilda's friend) Shows in the Last Year: The Nutcracker(Spanish Chocolate, The Prissy Doll) Little Shop of Horrors (Ronnette), Ragtime (Evelyn Nesbit), Urinetown (Little Sally), Schoolhouse Rock Live (Dori),
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Intoxication
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Re:So how do you guys keep pride in check? - 2007/12/05 19:27I have been treated horrible by directors especially once when I was in a communtiy theatre play and it turned out they loost the musical director. So needless to say with the lead role i struggled at certain times. the director was freaking on me and said she wished I wasn't in it. Luckily a friend of mine is a vocal eacher and they worked on the songs with me for free and the director ended up saying I was the best thing that happened to the group. All you can do is take the shit and then come out on top reallyCurrently Combeferre
Fate ,inks thee to me forever and a day
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brimarie91
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Re:So how do you guys keep pride in check? - 2007/12/27 23:47I think this a weird topic, for me anyways. I think that confidence is absolutely crucial in a performer, I really do. For me, I have to go into an audition (prepared still of course) with the mind-set, "I am perfect for this part, I will blow everybody way. I am ready for this part, and I will get it." INERNALLY, of course! haha! I'm reading a book by Fred Silver, and he said that you cant fake talent, you have it or you dont. But you can learn how to appear confident, and confidence is a factor of talent.
BUT! In my freshman year, when I got Mae in Bye Bye Birdie, people kind of freaked, and said I was snobby and a diva. I didnt feel that way at all, I felt soo grateful for the opportunity and everything and I was working really hard!
The border between confidence and arrogance is so weird, because its like a perception thing. It's how other people see you. But like with your personal pride, I think it's always good to see everything as relative. Everyone still has a lot to learn to matter how much we already experienced. We may be considered very good for our age or school or community or experience level, but we're limited to comparing ourselves to a really small percentage of theatre-people at our level, so who knows? And for me, listening to anything idina menzel sings is quite humbling. &* hi! call me bri =]
current role: Narrator in Joseph...Dreamcoat
soon to audition for: Tony 'n' Tina's Wedding, Picnic, HSM (cringe) Hello Dolly!
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Starlet_Actress21
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Re:So how do you guys keep pride in check? - 2007/12/28 12:05I think a good example of this is this one guy I know. Our town only does a summer musical every other year. So the summer after ninth grade, I was a cowgirl in Annie Get Your Gun and this guy was... i forget the character name, but he was one of the leads. He was so nice and I loved talking to him. We had some little kids playing Jessie, Nellie, and Jake and he was so nice to them. Sometimes he would make suggestions, but they were always for the good of the group.
But last summer, when I was in the ensemble of State Fair, he was playing Abel Frake. Though his talent, which was abundant, had not changed, he had. Now he was mean to little kids for "getting in the way", when he made a mistake, he blamed someone else, and every correction he made, he did it rudely and for only his benefit. We were all so shocked because it was a lot of the same cast and we didn't know why he was acting so different. He was acting very arrogant, not confident in the second musical.Auditioning for: Brigadoon, theatre season, American Music Theatre, Into the Woods, Sound of Music, and AMDA.
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Annelle
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Re:So how do you guys keep pride in check? - 2007/12/28 14:20I think it's important to remember that there will always be someone who is better than you and that you should take that opportunity to learn and grow from working with them. I always think that it's a great honor to work with well known actors and directors in your community. It's like getting private lessons from the best of the best and not having to pay a cent. I also always think about how much I dislike "Pre-Madonna Syndrome" and how very unprofessional those kinds of people tend to be. Losing roles and not being picked for shows that you really wanted to be a part of also keeps you grounded. It's a rude reminder that you are not the "greatest thing to ever grace the stage" and keeps things in perspective.
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Passionate/Persevered
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Re:So how do you guys keep pride in check? - 2007/12/28 15:40I deal with this with a theatre company I work with MAJORLY. It is not only the directors, but the owner of the theatre is a true institutional physco and my peers are terrible to me!!
I'm not going into detail because I know some of them come on here occasionally, but I just tell myself, "One year" or "One show" "and then I'm done with them, I'll never see them again, but they'll see me - - On broadway!!!"
And that helps a little.Currently: Dutchess of Detroit Previously: La Sonnambula Upcoming: Plaza Suite, Best of Friends
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First, you need to realize (no one kill me) there's more to life than theatre. There. I said it. You can't let an obsession with this consume your life.
Also, use it as motivation. Go out and prove them wrong. Show them that if they don't want to cast you in their show for whatever reason that you can go and do bigger and better things. (Like you can't make a High School Production of West Side Story or Secret Garden, but you can be Madame de la Grand Bouche and Mrs. Potts U.S. in a professional youth production with equity directors) ^Can you tell I'm getting into my experience? lol But that's another story for another day. Auditioning For- Bye Bye Birdie (Hoping for Kim for Ursula)
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triplethreat
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Re:So how do you guys keep pride in check? - 2007/12/28 23:22I think that if you are involved in theatre for the right reasons, then you should never have problems keeping "pride in check". True performers recognize that theatre is an art form that requires us to constantly evolve - there is always something to strive for. In my experience, performers who are (or appear) conceited are those who are only in theatre for the self-gratification.
Conversely, you need to find a personal way of handling rejection in a way that allows you to keep going. This is a personal thing - how everyone handles it is different. I think we have all experienced disappointment in the past, it's how you learn from it that allows you to move forward (or not).
Like Bekki, I experienced much rejection at my highschool. I laugh about it now when I see what some of those who were chosen over myself are doing now. Not everyone is going to love me... I've come to expect that. As long as I'm happy with myself, I can keep going._____________ Kris MTA Admin
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Starlet_Actress21
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Re:So how do you guys keep pride in check? - 2007/12/29 09:41triplethreat wrote: Conversely, you need to find a personal way of handling rejection in a way that allows you to keep going. This is a personal thing - how everyone handles it is different. I think we have all experienced disappointment in the past, it's how you learn from it that allows you to move forward (or not).
And this can be reached through trial and error, LOL. I got my first rejection when I was twelve for the school musical and I cried and cried. Then I figured I'd better suck it up and didn't cry over losing any part, no matter the size, for four years. Finally, this year, I got a lot of callbacks for a few major parts... and didn't get them. And I cried. A lot. And you know what, that helps me get over it sooo much more easily. It usually really only takes me a week or so, but I didn't cry over losing the part of Wendy, and I wallowed in that for about three months. But when I lost a bigger part that I wanted more, crying really helped me get over it. I was like, "Why did I stop myself from doing thos for six years?"
Like Bekki, I experienced much rejection at my highschool. I laugh about it now when I see what some of those who were chosen over myself are doing now. Not everyone is going to love me... I've come to expect that. As long as I'm happy with myself, I can keep going.
^Yeah, my school is... interesting. The same people always get the lead roles, and THEN the director casts the rest of us. It's not really working in his favor, though, because people are getting tired of seeing the same girl star in the play since sixth grade (she's now a senior... and has no plans to act later in life). But after my first rejection in seventh grade, I was like, "Right, well, I'll just have to go elsewhere," so I did- and got great parts. All of our actors but one other girl do not go outside of school for roles.
I think rejection can help, as well. I mean, sure, it sucks to lose that role, but as people before me have pointed out, it helps to keep your pride in check.Auditioning for: Brigadoon, theatre season, American Music Theatre, Into the Woods, Sound of Music, and AMDA.
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little_yellow_froggy
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Re:So how do you guys keep pride in check? - 2008/01/02 12:06In my school the high school plays are cast by seniority first and talent second, which is slightly unfair. When I don't get a part I want, I just say to myself- Well you did your best OR You could have done better but it's too late. A lot of my auditions are for all casting (school plays). When I get an ensamble part, and really wanted a lead/ supporting, I think to myself- Now I have time to do 2 productions at onceCurrent: none Upcoming: Les Miserables ('09) Recent: Peter Pan- Crocodile
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margyjohnson
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Re:So how do you guys keep pride in check? - 2008/01/02 13:43Everybody has some really great suggestions here. All I can say is I agree with both sides of it. Not getting parts keeps you humble but you can't just go by one rejection either. If one place rejects you, try another. If you keep getting rejected, keep trying. It may take several auditions at the same theatre before they finally cast you in a part.
I have a lot of pride in myself at school, I guess, because I know there is not much competition there, but when I am in theatre outside of school I am a lot more nervous because you never know .
I've only had one role that I wanted so bad that I cried for a week when I didn't get it. Other times I've gotten parts I wasn't crazy about but that particular one I really deserved that part (it wasn't just me but everybody else said it too) and the person who got it wasn't half as good. But I made the best of the part I did get in the show & a lot of people said I was their favorite character...so that helped a little.
I think the hardest thing is not when you go into a show knowing there is a ton of competition & feeling like you'd be grateful for anything, but when you know everything about the competition & know you are better & then don't get the part you deserve. That's when pride comes into play & you have a really hard time accepting less than you know is your due. I think getting beat by someone who is better is not hard, but getting beat by someone worse IS.
Also when you are in a theatre group where the same people ALWAYS get the same parts (leads) and talent is only a fraction of the decision (a lot of times it seems to be more based on age - oldest kids get biggest parts & etc. for teens & pre-teens) and that's also a pain when you KNOW there are better people for the parts than the ones getting cast - and when you can cast a show before the auditions simply by going down the list & assigning the oldest kids to the biggest parts & going down the list from there...it takes a lot of fun out of the process. But not all theatre groups are the same, thank God...and eventually you get to be one of the oldest kids. Favorite Shows: Once on this Island, Wicked, Hairspray, Legally Blonde Dream Roles: Ado Annie/Oklahoma, Galinda/Wicked, Elle Woods/Legally Blonde Favorite Role: Ti Moune in Once On this Island Jr In Production: Best of Broadway Revue, Elle Woods/Legally Blonde
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Christine_wannabe
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Re:So how do you guys keep pride in check? - 2008/01/02 19:08margyjohnson wrote: Also when you are in a theatre group where the same people ALWAYS get the same parts (leads) and talent is only a fraction of the decision (a lot of times it seems to be more based on age - oldest kids get biggest parts & etc. for teens & pre-teens) and that's also a pain when you KNOW there are better people for the parts than the ones getting cast - and when you can cast a show before the auditions simply by going down the list & assigning the oldest kids to the biggest parts & going down the list from there...it takes a lot of fun out of the process. But not all theatre groups are the same, thank God...and eventually you get to be one of the oldest kids. Sooooooooo true! I am in a Community Youth Theatre group and right now we are doing Oklahoma and I was upset that i got another chorus role even though everyone knows i deserve at least a supporting role! Fortuanately after Oklahoma i will be one of the oldest... (None of the older kids in my cast who always get the lead roles are stuck up and have pride issues luckily) I know i give my best but the older kids ALWAYS get the role even though you could do it a lot better... I totally think the directors cast the show before audition giving all the parts to the older kids and who they "visioned" playing the role regardless of talent and past performances. But... thats theatre you have to just keep trying.Favorite Shows: POTO, Wicked, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Legally Blonde, Hairspray, BATB, Music Man and more!
Currently in: R&H's Cinderella as a Stepsister!
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You can't let an obsession with this consume your life. 
