Throughout my 25 years of teaching, I've heard the familiar refrain, "I hate auditioning!" Over and over actors tell me, "If I only had three weeks to prepare," or, "You should see me on the set!" or, "I can't do this. I develop my characters slowly during rehearsals." Does this sound familiar to you? If so, then you're not alone! Guess what? Most actors hate to audition.

I've had some very talented actors walk into my office trembling with fear. "Help!" they cry. "I feel like I'm sinking in quicksand!" Auditioning feels like a life or death situation to them. The more they struggle, the less chance they have of getting out alive...or getting the part.

I remember when John Corbett, who was studying with me at the time, came in for a private session to work on his reading for "Northern Exposure." John was so horrified over the idea of having to audition that he was ready to quit the business. I calmed him down and we proceeded to break down the scene step by step. By the time we finished, John breathed a huge sigh of relief and gave me a little wink as he walked out with confidence. He got the part and became a regular on the long-running, highly acclaimed series, "Northern Exposure."

The truth is, unless you're Julia Roberts or Tom Cruise, chances are you are going to have to audition to get your next part. I don't care if you know the producer's brother, if you have the hottest agent in town, or if you give a great interview, eventually it all comes down to the reading - those few precious moments when your career's on the line as you stand, panic stricken, facing the firing squad. And unfortunately, most of you just don't have the tools to get through it without falling apart. How could you? You've never been trained to audition.

Years ago when I studied acting at Ithaca College, I remember learning to project in Mr. Cornea's class as we recited Shakespearean monologues. Later, working with the legendary Lee Strasberg in Hollywood, I spent hours perfecting my sense memory, sipping an imaginary cup of tea as I felt the sun's warmth against my face. At Harvey Lembeck's comedy workshop, I laughed myself silly watching the likes of John Ritter and other soon-to-be-famous comics improvise outrageous skits while I prayed silently that I wouldn't be called on next. I may have studied acting with the greats, but I never learned how to audition. When I started going out on readings, I felt lost, scared and often humiliated. It was as if I had never even studied acting before.

I came to realize that auditioning is an entirely different beast. You walk into a room where people sit in judgement of your every move and you're asked to perform without props, a set, or other actors in some casting director's cramped office. Not the most supportive environment! Plus, you rarely have any time to prepare, and even less information about the character and the script. You feel as if you have no control over your auditions, and chalk it up to luck when you do land a part. At best, the audition process is an intimidating one. At worst, it can be a frightening, embarrassing and even abusive experience.

I think it's about time actors became audition-wise! When an actor walks into my class, the first thing I say is, "Okay, now I want you to erase the following... Erase: 'I hate auditioning.' Erase: 'If I only had more time, I'd be so much better...' and repeat after me: 'I love auditioning! I enjoy the audition process." Sounds too simple, doesn't it? But it works.

I'm writing this book to take away the three P's: pain, panic and performance anxiety and give you back the big P: POWER. My book will help you break through your psychological roadblocks to auditioning and give you the freedom to express your talent, rather than expose your fears. I'll teach you how to connect to your emotional life quickly, with a structure to rely on and a revolutionary phrase technique to get you through readings without stumbling over the script. No more memorizing! No more worrying about the lines! From now on, when you look at a script, you'll know exactly what to do and where to begin.

Once you get rid of the garbage, the "I hate auditioning," "I can't do it," "I'm not good enough," then you can focus your brain cells on the specifics. You'll go in prepared and own it. You can afford to relax a little and enjoy the process. And that's really what the book's about... having fun with auditions. I give you permission to have fun. I mean, if you're not going to have fun with it, then go find another profession. Become a mechanic!

It's Wednesday afternoon, time for my weekly round of interviews. The door buzzes and in walk approximately twenty actors desperate to find a miracle drug that will save them from this terrible plague called auditions. "Do you have a cure for me?" they pray.

One by one, I talk with them about their previous experience to find out which class they are best suited for. Each actor looks more depressed than the next. Most of them are at their wits end. Some come because their agent or manager twisted their arm. Others come because they've heard I'm the medicine woman and can work miracles. And then there are those who simply have nowhere else to turn. They've taken umpteen million acting classes, but they still aren't booking the jobs. So they come to me.

Twelve students will enter my advanced class for the month while the others are read for placement. From the day they walk into my office to the end of my four-week workshop, they are transformed. Come. Let us journey together.

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