By Gillian Bellinger
As a working actor I often struggle with the idea of how best to audition, especially an improv audition. Improv auditions are notoriously difficult and can turn even the best improviser into an “idiot”. So much of improv is based on trust, and if you are playing with a bunch of people you have never played with before, well, trust can be difficult to muster. That being said I have been trying to think of ways to help myself in an audition. I have also been playing an insane amount of The New Super Mario Brothers on my Nintendo DS. I have turned to Mario in my time of need and here is a list of Top 5 Things Mario suggests in an audition.
MARIO SAYS….
1) Hey, it’s all about fun right? Do you think we gave Mario Bros. that catchy tune because we thought it would be a drag? No. It’s because it’s a crack-a-lackin’ good time. Just like improv, it’s all about fun.
2) Sometimes you just have to play several levels more than once to beat them, like 8-8. And maybe you still haven’t beat 8-8, but you will. Because persistence pays off, even if it is annoying trying to race through volcano eruptions while being mini-Mario. As is with an audition, you get it.
3) Sometime things seem bigger than they are. Like a Super Piranha Plant or a Snailicorn, but at the end of the day with a little fire power you can kick the poop out of them. Make sure when you’re at an audition, you’re packing heat.
4) There is of course the obvious, practice make perfect. The more you play, the easier it is. Level 1 may feel hard at first, but after a while you make actually go back to play those levels just to power up.
5) Some days you play better than others. For what ever reason you can’t seem to get past that freakin’ Banzai Bill. Bullets are coming at you from every direction and you can’t seem to get through. But then you put the game down, come back to it, and you can beat it right away. Sometime you just need some space.
Bonus Level Tip: The game is challenging, but when you get a bonus round, you can’t beat the high. Tons of coins (money), extra lives (better medical care), and if you beat the game the ability to “save”, you won’t go backwards. You don’t lose you work. No one can take where you’ve been from you, not even Bowser.
