Acting : The limbo between audition and booking. by Bridget O'Neill

"Bridget, I have good news. The folks at Something Something Casting Studio would like to put you on hold for the role of So and So!!" This is welcomed news. One step closer to booking the project. The catch is you live in LA, now, and NBC's Grimm shoots in Portland. You may need to fly up tomorrow.. or the next day.. they're just not sure. "I'll be in touch the moment I hear anything!" Now, normally, I put a project out of my mind after an audition and callback, but the "on hold limbo" leaves me no other choice than to obsess over the potential outcome. What you know: It's down to you and her, the casting director and client like you, your fate is in their hands. What you don't know: Should I start packing? They need me as a local hire, should I book a flight? Do I go ahead and cancel my meetings for the next two days? It's hella hot in LA, what's the weather like in my beloved Pacific Northwest these days? For 24 hours I was plagued with "What if's and maybes and excitement and dread.." Dread because the number of things I would need to do to prepare in a moments notice if I got that "YES!" call.. I canceled my meetings if, for nothing else, because I couldn't focus on anything else other than Grimm. I started to think about her.. the character I would bring to life and the parallels between her circumstances and this limbo I was in. Although her limbo was much more dangerous, life or death, I felt a growing kinship with her.. Both mine and her future were in the hands of others and all we could do was wait.. It was this parallel that gave me some peace. Once I realized that this discomfort was supplying a visceral connection to Donna and her circumstances, I welcomed it. And then I knew what I needed to do: Start packing. So I packed for a "maybe" and I ran my lines, and I called my acting coach, and right as I was about to put a flight on hold I got my answer.. "Bridget, I'm so sorry but they've decided to cast the entire Reynolds family as African American, so you've been released from your hold." All I could think was, "At least it was something completely out of my control! It could have just as easily been me, they liked me and my work, they will call me in again. I should go unpack now." So, I didn't get this one, but I learned a great deal about myself in the process. And from now on, I welcome the limbo. Thanks for reading! Bridget O'Neill