Jesus, John

I’m taking a comedy class with John Gallagher. When I signed up I had no idea who the dude was. He likes to name-drop all day and night, which made me skeptical. He’s a very nice guy but I’m still not completely sure what my read is on him yet. Yesterday in class he gave us some auditioning advice, which apparently won two of his very successful actor friends (whose names he most certainly specified at the time) the greatest auditions of their lives.

As one of the stories goes, this guy was on his way to a huge audition when he was accosted. The event left him rattled and took his mind off the audition entirely. When the guy entered the audition room he explained his odd experience and gave a great audition, landing the part.

Ok, I certainly see the merit of getting out of your head and acting completely on impulse in an audition room. It keeps the scene honest and fresh.

Mr. Gallagher seems to think the moral of the story is to make up some cockamamie tale to tell at the beginning of your audition so that the auditioners have a window into your true personality. He insists that this will make you unforgettable and win you the part. I’m not even kidding, we spent time in the class one by one entering the “audition room” with and impromptu tall tale.

What the?!? I find this advice extremely hard to swallow. Wasn’t the whole example based on the fact that the terrifying event really did happen to the auditioner and what that event actually did to the actor and his performance? If you enter an audition with a bizarre-o story and then do a bad job on your sides, you will simply be remembered as that bizzare-o individual that must be avoided. John’s comments on my wild entrance in class was that I can come in and tell a completely manic story and then audition for a somber part and TA-DAH, I’ve just shown them my range rather than just the somber sides….Hmmmm. This kind of makes sense. John also strongly believes that an actor as a person is hugely important during the auditioning process in addition to acting skill and that this little story does give the auditioner a glimpse at that person, whether they plan on breaking the ice or not. Jesus, John. I don’t know what to think anymore.

I kind of get what he’s saying…but I also kind of think it’s weird and manipulative to go around telling made up stories about freak accidents and traumas.