An Actor Prepares

INT. AUDITION CENTER-MIDTOWN-NEW YORK

Paul and Khloe are waiting to go into the audition room. Paul
is not wearing a shirt, just a blazer, no shirt. Khloe is
trying to focus and concentrate. Paul is fidgeting.

PAUL
Do you say the name of your
monologue before you start or do
you just start with the monologue?

KHLOE
I usually say the name of the
monologue before I start.

PAUL
Yeah, that’s probably good, right,
you should probably always say the
name of the monologue.

KHLOE
But, really it’s just whatever you
want to do, I don’t think it really
matters.

PAUL
Hey, look at that guy, he looks
like the actor who plays Mr. Big on
“Sex and the City”. Do you think
it’s him?

KHLOE
(annoyed)
Ummm, no I don’t think that’s him.
I am really just trying to........

PAUL
God I love that guy, maybe I should
go say hi.

KHLOE
No, no, no. Don’t say hi.

PAUL
God, he looks just like him. I’m
sorry, you’re probably trying to
concentrate here. Ok, I will just
let you focus.

Paul starts reciting part of his monologue in a very fully
supported voice

PAUL (CONT’D)
YOU KNEW WHO I WAS WHEN YOU MET ME.
YOU KNEW WHO I WAS WHEN YOU MET ME.
YOU KNEW WHO I WAS WHEN YOU MET ME.

Khloe closes her eyes.

PAUL (CONT’D)
You, you, you, you, you, you, you,
you, you, you, you, you, you, you,
you, you, you, you. I always have
to remember the first word of my
monologue and then I am normally
totally ok.

KHLOE
You?

PAUL
Yeah, you.

KHLOE
Right.

PAUL
What monologue are you doing? It’s
ok, you don’t have to tell me. It
will just mess me up. Oh God, oh
God, I am soooooo nervous.

Paul goes over to the wall and does a handstand.

The monitor of the audition, Alex, comes over to see what
Paul is doing.

ALEX
You can’t do that in here.

PAUL
It just relaxes me, I’m just
letting go of my stuff, you know my
stuff, I need to let go of my stuff
before I can really concentrate on
my acting.

ALEX
Alright, well you’re up next.

PAUL
Really? I’m next. Ok. YOU KNEW WHO
I WAS WHEN YOU MET ME. OMG, I am
sooooooooo nervous. Ok this is it,
I came all the way from Florida for
this.

KHLOE
Good luck.

ALEX
Paul Anderson.

PAUL
Present, here, yes, present, here.
This is for you mom!

He kisses a cross on his gold chain and walks into the
auditioning room.