The Great Acting Blog: "The Audition - A Short Script"

This week, I decided to do something different and publish a short film script I wrote. Why? Well largely because the script deals with something I've been wanting to write about, namely, how an actor can participate in his own downfall by being too eager to please outside forces, a subject relevant to The Great Acting Blog. The script in question is called The Audition, and you've probably already guessed, it's about an audition, and particularly the way auditionee and auditioner interact. We all of us participate in a hypocrisy at various times of our life, and we participate mainly because we are frightened. In the case of The Audition, the interviewer is frightened of losing his position of power over the actor, and fails to explain himself properly in order to hold all the cards, and it may even be the case that he fails to explain himself because he may not know what he is talking about, and wants to conceal that fact. The actor in the script, “Tony Wallis”, participates because he is frightened of offending his interviewer by asking him to explain himself properly, or be seen to not understand and therefore risk being seen as a “bad actor”. Either way, he is ultimately frightened of losing the possibility of employment. The script was inspired by something which happened to me seven or eight years ago while working on a short film. Everytime I said my first line in my scene, the director would shout: CUT! - and tell me I wasn't doing it right, and would then speak my line of dialogue back to me in order to show me how it should be done, and then he would repeat the way I was saying the line in order to hi-light the difference between the two. The only problem was, I could discern no difference between the way I was doing it and his version of the line, and, to this day, I swear I still haven't got a clue about what he was talking about. Anyway, this happened perhaps a half a dozen times, until the director, still unsatisfied, finally and wearily ordered everyone just to get on with the scene as the clock was ticking, and made no attempt to masque his disappointment with my “interpretation”. I don't look back on this incident with bitterness or anger, but with a fond affection for a formative experience on this strange and wonderful journey that is the actor's. Anyway, the dialogue for this scene has been rattling around in my head for a number of years now, and obviously the original incident has been reworked by my imagination, and now takes place in an audition situation rather than on a film set. I intend to shoot the film in one static shot, focussed on the auditionee, Tony Wallis (as it would be in a real audition situation) who we first see when he sits, and we only ever hear The Interviewer off-screen, we never see him. Also, when the line “this here land is my father's land” is spoken in the script, it should be said in an identical way each time. And so it is then, I offer this simple and fun short script. I hope you find it enjoyable to read, and I thank-you for taking the time to do so. THE AUDITION A room. INTERVIEWER Hi Tony. TONY Hi. INTERVIEWER Thanks for coming in. TONY No problem. INTERVIEWER Please, take a seat. TONY (enters frame by sitting) Thanks. INTERVIEWER So, you got my email. TONY (showing some pages) Yes, thanks. INTERVIEWER Oh good, you got the script. TONY Yes, thanks. INTERVIEWER What did you...did you have a chance to look at it? TONY Yes I did, thanks. INTERVIEWER And what did you think? TONY Yeah, great, loved it. Plenty to get my teeth into. INTERVIEWER Oh great, you connected with it. TONY Oh yes, very much so. INTERVIEWER Oh terrific, that's excellent. Now, how I want today to work is: I think we should have a read, read the script, we'll work it a little bit, see what you come up with. TONY Right, yep. INTERVIEWER So we'll read the script, then I'll tell you a little bit more about the production. TONY Right, great. INTERVIEWER A little bit more about the production, about ourselves, the company, etcetera. TONY Great, yeah. INTERVIEWER So, but first lets have a little reading, lets have a look at you. Tony smiles, affably. INTERVIEWER (cont'd) See what you come up with. TONY Yep, great. INTERVIEWER And you said you had a chance to look at it. TONY Yes. INTERVIEWER Have you got any questions about it. TONY Nope, not at this point. INTERVIEWER Or would you prefer to plunge right in? TONY Yep, dive right in, see what we've got and then we can work it from there. INTERVIEWER Yep great, lets dive in, see what you've come up with. TONY Lovely, great. INTERVIEWER Ok. TONY Great. INTERVIEWER So you've got the script. TONY Yep. INTERVIEWER You don't need me to give you a script. TONY Nope, got a script thanks. INTERVIEWER Great. Which part did I give you? TONY As in which part am I playing? INTERVIEWER No, I meant - TONY Oh sorry. INTERVIEWER Which part of the script did I give you to look at. TONY Oh sorry. INTERVIEWER Which scene. TONY Oh sorry sorry sorry sorry – this one (turns pages toward interviewer). INTERVIEWER Which is that?....Oh crumbs, we gave you the “father's land” speech. TONY Yes. INTERVIEWER Crickey, The Big One. TONY Yes. INTERVIEWER Well, I'd love to see what you've come up with. TONY Great, yeah. INTERVIEWER And, you've looked at it, you're happy with everything. TONY Absolutely, yep. INTERVIEWER Ok...So, just relax. I want you to relax. Enjoy it. TONY Yep, great, thanks. INTERVIEWER Enjoy it, ok, you're right for the part, dont worry about that, that's why you're in the room. TONY Great, yep. INTERVIEWER So, dont worry about that, just relax, you don't need to worry about acting, or the character. TONY Ok. INTERVIEWER You're in the room because you're right for the part, ok, you dont need to worry about characterization, doing a character, all that, just relax, be yourself, and, y'know, and, enjoy it. TONY Yep, lovely, yep. INTERVIEWER So...yeah, lets, y'know, lets go for one. TONY Yep. INTERVIEWER Now, it is a lengthy speech. TONY Yep, it's a long one, but the way the writing is it doesn't seem long. INTERVIEWER Oh good. TONY So... INTERVIEWER So, you like the writing. TONY Oh yeah, I think it's really well written. INTERVIEWER Oh good, that is good. Now: Tony: I know you said you don't want to talk about the scene before you do it. TONY Well, I dont mind. INTERVIEWER No, no. TONY I don't mind talking about it, if, if... INTERVIEWER No no, I think we'll just go for it. TONY Right, yep, we can go for it or we can talk about it, I'm happy either way... INTERVIEWER We'll go for it, then maybe we'll talk about it after. TONY Right, yep. INTERVIEWER How does that sound? TONY Right, yep, perfect, great. INTERVIEWER Ok, lovely. The only thing I'd say at this point is: the audience need to feel sorry for the character at this point. TONY Right, ok. INTERVIEWER They need to feel sorry for him, we need the character to be sympathetic. TONY Right, yep, sympathy, yep. INTERVIEWER Ok? TONY Yep, great. INTERVIEWER Ok. Let's go for one. Yes, it is a big speech, a lengthy speech, but as I said before, relax, enjoy it, I'm looking forward to your interpretation, to to, seeing what you've come up with. Ok? TONY Ok. INTERVIEWER Ok, great...You've got a great face by the way. TONY Thanks. INTERVIEWER Have you been told that before? You hear it all the time I bet. TONY Ha, ha. INTERVIEWER Great face. Anyway. The “my father's land speech”, now just before we start, I want you to look into the camera please. TONY (indicating the camera) This one? INTERVIEWER Yes please, look into the camera, and I want you to tell us you're name, and what part you reading for. TONY Ok. INTERVIEWER In your own time please. TONY (into camera) My name is Tony Wallis, and I'm reading for the part of Arthur...no, sorry, Peter, I'm reading for the part of Peter, Peter, not Arthur, sorry sorry sorry, Peter. INTERVIEWER That's ok, don't worry, we got it. So, y'know, in your own time, take it from the top please - great face. Silence as Tony prepares himself... TONY …..”This here land is my father's land”... INTERVIEWER Sorry, sorry to interrupt there Tony. It's great, what you're doing is great. TONY Ok. INTERVIEWER But just on that first line, it needs to be “this here land is my father's land”, what you're doing is “this here land is my father's land”, do you see? TONY Right, ok, yep. INTERVIEWER “This here land is my father's land”, it's very good, what you're doing is very good, and I know you've only had the script for a couple of days, but it needs to be “this here land is my father's land”, not “this here land is my father's land,” which is what you're doing. TONY (to himself) “this here land is my father's land”, right yep, got it. INTERVIEWER Have you got that? TONY Right, yep, thanks. INTERVIEWER Good. Lets go from the top again. In your own time please Tony. TONY .....”This here land is my father's land”. INTERVIEWER Sorry Tony, sorry to be such a stickler, but it's such an important speech. It's “this here land is my father's land”, do you see? The stress, the intention. You're saying: “this here land is my father's land”, what it needs to be is: “this here land is my father's land”, it's the meaning, do you see? TONY Rrriiiight, ok, yep, I thought you meant – no no, ok no, I've got it now. Yep. INTERVIEWER You've got it? TONY Yep yep yep. INTERVIEWER Ok great. Lets go again. TONY From the top? INTERVIEWER Yes please. Again, a silence as Tony prepares himself.... TONY …..”this here land is my father's land” INTERVIEWER Hahahaha!...I think it's one of those days Tony, the tube was delayed or something, I get those days myself. Sorry, I know you're a very experienced actor, but it's “this here land is my father's land” - d'you see? TONY Rrrright. Yeah. INTERVIEWER Do you see the difference: “this here land is my father's land”, not, “this here land is my father's land”, if you put the stress - TONY Right. INTERVIEWER in the wrong place, we lose the sense of the line. TONY Ok, yep – not sure what happened to me there. INTERVIEWER I know, it's probably one of those days, we all get 'em, I get 'em, we all get 'em, it just doesn't snap into place. But don't worry, you're doing well, and I know it's not easy. TONY Ok. INTERVIEWER So, lets go from the top again. TONY Ok. INTERVIEWER Lovely. In your own time please Tony. TONY …..”this here land is my father's land”. INTERVIEWER Ok, sorry Tony. Would you like a glass of water? TONY No, I'm fine, thank-you. INTERVIEWER Is it stuffy in here, would you like me to open a window or something? TONY No, I'm fine thank-you. INTERVIEWER Ok, because we need to work on this opening line. What you're saying is “this here land is my father's land”. TONY Ok. INTERVIEWER What it needs to be is “this here land is my father's land”. Pause, as Tony studies the script. INTERVIEWER Have you got that? TONY So, “this here land is my father's land.” INTERVIEWER Land (they overlap on “land”). Not, what you're doing, which is: “this here land is my father's land”. TONY “father's land” right right right. Got it. INTERVIEWER Got it? TONY “this here land is my father's land”, as oppose to “this here land is my father's land” INTERVIEWER (overlapping with Tony's 2nd quote) “this here land is my father's land”. TONY Right right right right right right right right right, yep yep yep yep yep, got it got it got it got it got it - “this here land is my father's land”.