Student Blog: Rejection Hurts

Rejection is never easy. You might think that after a while, it will sting less. Wrong. It will always hurt because you will always mourn the possibilities. After a thousand no's, “no” #1001 will still be hard: hard on your heart, your morale, and your passion. This path is not for the weak and takes so much strength to keep pursuing. What I feel people rarely talk about, is, yes, the “no” is hard, but what’s harder is maintaining your level of passion. Because, truly, a little bit of confidence, drive, and sparkle is stolen with every rejection. What separates the people who are cut out for this life from those who will burnout far too quickly, is how fast you can get back up and remember why you’re putting yourself on the chopping block. It’s normal to need breaks and to feel less passionate about your craft, but that’s when you need to separate yourself into group 1 or 2: are you going to dig deep for that determination to make your dreams come true, or are ready for a different lifestyle and content with the fact that you at least tried? If the passion isn’t there, to spark the fire within, you need to find a way to rekindle it, or extinguish it all together. The choice is always yours and no one’s path will look the same. 

As I’ve mentioned before, my theatre path started less than a year ago. In that time I’ve accomplished remarkable things and I’ve, also, had quite a few let downs. Just recently, I had two, back-to-back rejections of different calibers. 

Rejection #1:

I had the opportunity to audition for my first regional show! It was my first open call (to preface: I was expecting to experience something along the lines of the Little Women open call that was documented all over social media) and it was not scary at all. In all honesty, I was a little underwhelmed because I had hyped myself up for this cutthroat experience that did not happen. The LA regional theatre audition scene is significantly less intimidating than any NYC audition vlogs you will see. The process began at 9 AM and I was seen by 9:30 AM, which is such a win as a non-union actor. I went in, sang my little song, and I was on my way. It was such a chill first experience and everyone (behind the table and in the holding room) was so kind. I am so grateful for this experience and the opportunity to gain more confidence in a pro audition room, that even though nothing came from it, I’m counting it as a success. If you’re like me, as soon as the character breakdown is posted, you’ve already begun to imagine what your life will be like if you book the role. When that daydream is shattered, it’s hard to not feel the loss of the reality that only ever existed in your mind. So, no, I will not be making my regional debut this summer, but it was such a lovely experience that the let down didn’t hurt as badly as I thought it would. 

Rejection #2:

the stakes were so much lower and, yet, hurt so much more. Welcome to community theatre. I am aware that there will be at least a few people reading this article that are involved with this specific community and company, so… hi! I am in no way shape or form, trying to be negative about this company or this production team, I am simply relaying my experience. To set the stage, this is the company I began my theatre journey with and have become very tight-knit with the community. Since starting, I have been a part of every one of their productions. Auditions for the fall show roll around, and I am obviously signed up. I go in, sing my little song, dance my little dance, and I’m on my way. I received a callback for one of the leads and so I head back in and do my thing. Offers are starting to go out and I, unfortunately, was not cast. Being, first off, involved in a consistent community theatre, it was hard to have this be my first “no” from them since last July. Secondly, this was my first callback for a lead in a musical, ever, so that definitely hurt too. Because, again, I was already imagining what the “yes” would look like. Don’t be like me. Don’t imagine a life that isn’t yours yet; you will hurt your own feelings. Funny enough, tears were shed for this, but not for the regional show. But, I've gotten over it and it certainly is not the end of the world. That's the basis of this life I've chosen, so my skin just needs to keep getting thicker. It is what it is, so onwards and upwards.

All this to say, everything happens for a reason. You never know, by not getting one project, what will be placed in your path. Trust the timing of your life and remember to count your blessings. I’m currently playing a lead in their summer play, so I should not be complaining! What is meant for you will never pass you by. Always remember that I believe in you, so don’t forget to believe in yourself!

Until next time,

Brynna

ig: @_br.ynn_

tt: @brynnaweir

"You wait, little girl
On an empty stage
For fate to turn the light on"