UPDATE PART 2 of- Just go up there and have fun hmmmm?
Posted on 03/05/2008 at 01:45 AM
I really don't like to audition. Not to say that I will turn one down .... I'm not crazy. So what is it that I hate about it. I spent a few years as the contest queen. I did over 5 of them. Most with multiple rounds and they were very intense. Why did I do so well at them and at auditions I feel totally stressed. I think it is because my goal in a contest is just to do my best. An audition feels like there is so much riding on it.... Maybe it is just that I psych myself out.
My very first audition was for a club in the boondocks of NJ. There was to be an open call for comics and I was the only one who showed up! So there I stood on a small stage and performed for the owner and his wife. I never got a call back..... who beat me out for the gig. Actually the room got passed off to another Booker and he on the first guys say so booked me.
I did another audition where I did very well but the Booker told me that his non existent partners did not think I was right for the room. My favorite kind of audition was when I met Bob Levy and he invited me to do a guest spot with him on a show he was doing in South NJ. When I got there he had arranged for the owner of the room to watch me the next night. Bobs audience are rabid, very male, and the kind of audience that wants it fast funny and raw. So the suburban Mom hit the stage and shocked everyone and herself even more by hitting it out of the park!!! The owner loved me and I have been on rotation ever since.
Really my favorite way to audition is to just be given a spot on a regular show. I got passed at the two clubs in the city this way. The first time I was on a show that Adam produced. The GM of the club was there and it wasn't an audition. He liked what he saw and told me to send in my avails. At the second club I was also doing privately produced show at this club and after was introduced to the owner. He asked me a few questions and then told the guy running the shows to put me up on the next open spot. I got up and id a set and they watched me. They put me up on the next show and watched me again. At the end of the night I was asked for may avails. I only wish every opportunity could be like this. I never saw these auditions coming .... I just was doing what I do and it just organically came to be. Unfortunately most auditions aren't like this. They are a set amount of time and often you are one of dozens performing under all kinds of crazy conditions. Last year I had two other auditions one for the Las Vegas Festival and the other for a TV production company. They were back to back one on Tuesday and the other on Weds. Tuesday morning I learned of my loved ones health situation. I did the shows but I just wasn't there completely. I had less than stellar sets. I was too upset with my personal life to even feel upset about it.
Last month I was fortunate to be offered a booked Audition for Last comic Standing. How do you narrow down your entire essence to a 2 minute set? Many figured that out.. I didn't. I was the very first booked audition in NYC. How that happened I have no Idea. I sat in the wrong chair. My appointment was for 8:30 and the people who were scheduled for 8 went on after me. But hey in the end it was a long shot.... and just avoiding having to stand on line was a prize in its self.
Tonight I am auditioning for the Montreal Comedy Festival. I found out this past Thurs afternoon. I spent my weekend performing and wracking my brains out how to do the best 6 minutes I have. I met with a friend on Friday and we spent over 2 hours trying to flesh out the set. Saturday night I produced a show at my Local JCC. They have been doing a comedy night for the past 8 years and I was producing this show for the very first time. Feed back from the JCC is that it was the very best show they have ever had. Adam hosted and Karith Foster and Al Lubel where on the bill. I chose to not perform. I have been very stressed out and really needed to just produce the night. I thought I would be chomping at the bit to get up there but for the first time maybe ever.... I was happy to just watch a great night of Stand-up.
Sunday came and I hit it hard. I did 5 shows and schlepped out my old 1988 mission impossible cassette recorder. I have never taken a tape recorder to the clubs. I have to say I have short changed myself by not doing this. I listened to the tapes and graded each joke. I then strung together the best jokes and wrote a set list. When I looked at the list of the jokes that seemed to be the ones on the tape that did the best I noticed something. They weren't my favorite or funniest jokes. Now I'm totally confused. I hate showcase sets and auditions . You have to make these Sophies Choices about your material and I think I am too close to my own material to really be objective. UGGGG Never mind actually performing the set. Am I loose and I focused?? Is may essence coming through?? DO I appear nervous??? Am I totally stressed.
I have a DVD that I did for Comcast on Demand its 7 minutes long. It is to date the best performance I have recorded. Is it the funniest? I have killed alot harder. The thing about this DVD that I love is this. You get me. My essence is there. What sets me apart is there. The best part that I see is that I am enjoying myself. I dug out the DVD and watched it. It was a perfect set. I wrote the jokes down and made a set list and got in my car and went to the city to see how it would fly. I had 4 fantastic shows last night. Diverse audiences and most of all I really tried to relax and just appear that I was having fun. I have my set list and now its just time to do it! So tonight is the audition. I got my lineup email today and I'm going 5th which is great! I am the queen of getting the second to last spot. They are predicting torrential rain and I am afraid to drive in this situation. My husband is taking the afternoon off to drive me there.
I am going to assume that it is just a spot. I have heard it is rare to get Montreal on the first try. My goal is to just act like its a taping. I want to get a great tape. If I think too much about what getting this would mean to my comedy career I will be too pressured and if I know me I will not look like I am having fun. I will not show my essence and I will be doing myself a disservice.
-----------------------------PART 2----------------------------------------- Carl decided to drive me to Philly. For those of you who read this blog know that I fear driving in strong rain. They were predicting a downpour and I was stressed as it was to do this audition. I took a nap in the afternoon and we left our home at 4. We would be hitting rush hour and wanted to avoid it if we could. The weather held out and we got there and parked and ate at a small Italian place next to Hellium Comedy club. As we were eating dinner I started to feel very anxious and went into the bathroom and cried for about 15 seconds. I have a tremendous amount of stress in my life off stage. I am still a mom of a teenage son and I have a daughter in college and husband and home and a dog to care for. I have elderly parents and other family issues pulling on me each and everyday. Somehow the stress of this audition was getting to me. Carl recently has been coming with me to my weekend shows and tonight decided to leave work and spend the time with me. He knew just what to say to calm me. My real issue is one of feeling focused. When I feel focused I know I can do the job. Somehow today I just felt hormonal and nervous. I decided to calm down. Getting the festival isn't what matters. It was an honor to be asked to do this. There were 15 or more comics and I was the only female invited. I decided to just use the set to re introduce myself to this wonderful club and look like I was having the best time doing it!
Sidebar-
My favorite part of getting a big gig is this. The email or phone call. Robin are you available to do this show on xyz date???? I love emailing or calling them up and saying YES! Then I LOVE writing the date on my computers calendar in its pretty BLUE FONT! Everything after that is work, and stress and driving and worrying. Sometimes if I am on the stage and Killing its fun but not till them. The worry for the KILL is nerve wracking. My next favorite part is saying onstage. IM ROBIN FOX and putting the mic in the stand and getting off. Getting paid and leaving are fun too. The travel switches it back to sucking.
So shut up Robin and tell us how you did!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I KILLED. I Nailed it. I hit it . I did it! I had some fun doing it too once I got my first big laugh. I didnt feel all that focused but I was well rehearsed and I just forced myself to go slow and to smile and to look like there was no other place on this planet I wanted to be more than on that stage. I never ever have worked so hard for one set since I began and all I can say is thank God I did. I have no control if it will be a good day for me when I have an audition! I have no control of how I will feel or if I will be stressed. I worked out every kink I thought I could before hand and went up there well prepared. I had a set...set I told myself SMILE relax.... enjoy this..... stay here and now. It all worked! Now the rest is up to the people who decide and God knows what else.
I must have put in 40 or more hours on this one set. I did 9 shows and taped everyone of them and listened to the different jokes later at night. I graded each joke with a score based on the response it got on the 9 shows and like a baseball team I made my line up. Sorry, Two in Diapers joke you didn't make it... come back next year and audition again. Vibrator joke your a hack and we really can't use you for this.....maybe at the next show at Therapy, dont call us will call you. Make ballon Animals... Im sorry your just not right for this show. Spanking come right in.... sit in the V.I.P lounge can I get you something to drink while you wait? Ransom note joke..... Your very funny but were very sorry we just dont have enough time in the line up for you. Thanks for auditioning. Ba Bye.
Will I get it??? When will I know??? I dont know the answers to these questions yet. What I do know is this.... It was a successful show and I am very happy. I changed my mind set before the show to this. I am here and its an honor. I am the only woman asked out of 15 comic. This is a chance to show this club I can do a very funny almost except for one curse " Clean set" In the end it was very good that I did this. I was able to talk face to face with the booker and clarify some things with her. When I first did the contest 2 years ago they asked me if I liked hosting. At the time it was a NO. I let them know I would be delighted now to host and they got a chance to see how I have grow and developed in the past 2 years.
Thanks to all of you who sent me the nicest wishes on the blog page and by email. It was wonderful to feel that the home team was rooting for me. I am Blessed. xo
Comments are below
Posted on 03/04/2008 at 12:12 PM by Jill Twiss
You'll be amazing. Have a great show and then come back and tell me all about it!
go get them Robin!
Posted on 03/04/2008 at 12:37 PM by Josh Homer
and keep us in the loop.
I didnt even know who I was till I was 40 Josh.
Posted on 03/04/2008 at 12:45 PM by Robin Fox
I think living your life brings out a stronger sense of who you are. Also most of my material is semi autobiographical. I really should be listening to my tapes right now and writing my set list over and over.... or taking a nap... instead I am on the Soapbox blogging and playing Keno Pop on Pogo. Self sabotage?? Or just trying to say calm???
Just Another Set...
Posted on 03/04/2008 at 01:10 PM by Al Wagner
I used to joke that the only advantage to auditioning before you're ready is that you're used to playing to three people who don't look interested.
But you'll be great...because you already know the key is to treat it like any other show. You know how to handle that. Have a safe trip, and a great, fun set.
Go Robin!
Posted on 03/04/2008 at 05:41 PM by Sam Garrett
WHOOP WHOOP WHOOP!
can't wait to hear the report
Posted on 03/04/2008 at 09:53 PM by Mindy Matijasevic
:-)
Yes!
Posted on 03/05/2008 at 09:25 AM by Kantad Svendsgaard
Congratulations Robin. We all knew you would do well - and the preparation really helped. Good to see that, maybe I can learn something from your hard work!
congrats Robin!
Posted on 03/05/2008 at 12:10 PM by Josh Homer
don't forget the little people when you blow up.
Glad to hear you did well
Posted on 03/05/2008 at 01:30 PM by Dave O'Gara
I knew you would.
I prefer an audition to submitting tapes that never get watched. Or get judged by some weird criteria that has no bearing on the funny (someone in my staff said your delivery was too slow).
Huzzah!
Posted on 03/05/2008 at 01:49 PM by Adam Sank
So great to hear you nailed it, babe. And now, no matter what happens with the festival, you can be proud of yourself. You did your very best, and that's far more important than the result.
That said... I HOPE AND PRAY YOU GET IT, BABE!!!
thanks for the update!
Posted on 03/05/2008 at 04:02 PM by Mindy Matijasevic
and congrats! great that carl's presence works for you. and i found it interesting to read how you prepared.
Thanks everyone...
Posted on 03/05/2008 at 04:23 PM by Robin Fox
I am so happy to have this behind me.. I really worked my very hardest for this one. It was great having Carl there to support me and to encourage me. Mindy- thanks so much for mentioning that you found it interesting how I prepared. The soul reason for me blogging is to share what my journey is like. The nuts and bolts of doing this interests me very much. Sharing what I find works for me gives me great satisfaction and if it helps another comic all the better!
"The soul reason for me blogging is to share what my journey is like"
Posted on 03/05/2008 at 04:36 PM by Shaun Eli
Ah, the cleverness of that error.
Sole....
Posted on 03/05/2008 at 04:48 PM by Robin Fox
It took me 3 minutes to figure out what you meant. Im funnier than I even know I guess.
some "errors" are beautiful
Posted on 03/05/2008 at 10:31 PM by Mindy Matijasevic
i believe pennicillin was an accident. and probably many of us were too.
I was an accident...
Posted on 03/10/2008 at 08:44 PM by Dave O'Gara
and check out that gorgeous mug. *Swak*
