Remember this classic scene from “Life Goes On”? No? Well, take a moment and watch the clip below, if not only to witness LuPone (as Libby Tatcher) give one kick-ass audition, but to see LuPone stop mid-performance to yell at an audience member — one of her favorite pastimes.
Only, this time the audience member is the director for the show she’s auditioning for, and she has some choice things to say about actors, auditions and respect. Take it away, Patti:
I’m not an actor, but I have a ton of respect for those who slug through rounds of frustrating auditions. So, people: Let’s show these artists some respect during the audition process! LuPone (as Libby Thatcher) demands it.
Chicago Theatre Addict 
Gotta love Patti – but watching any “Life Goes On” clip now reminds me of how much she hated working with Bill Smitrovich who played her husband (which she revealed in her fascinating autobiography). However, an added bonus to this clip is, of course, The Del Rubio Triplets!!! Thanks for sharing, Bob!
I haven’t seen this in years! I loved it then and I love it now! So true. So damn true.
At the end of two days of auditions for a musical that I directed recently, I was criticized by one of the theater’s company members for being too nice to the actors who auditioned. He said, “Every person who left this audition process thought they had the job.” I looked at him and said, “And that’s a BAD thing?!?”
I always give actors 150% of my attention, my focus, my energy, and my kindness, because THEY DESERVE IT. It’s hard to stand in front of people and sing or act. It’s hard to constantly be told, “No.” Or even worse, to be interrupted with a “Thank you.”
An actor who feels appreciated and believed in can move mountains in the theater. Directors who forget this should be forced to audition, over and over, for people who ignore their audition and demean them. The best directors remember what it’s like to be an actor.
Wow. This clip struck a nerve with me, huh? :-)