Actors Share Their ‘Worst Audition Ever’

Sometimes, the best ideas come from unexpected beginnings, or at least that was the case for "Worst Audition Ever."

Making its New York debut at Joe's Pub on Monday night, "Worst Audition Ever" gives performers a platform to share a candid, humorous take on their “worst” audition experiences.

The brainchild of Christine Lakin (“Step By Step,” “Family Guy”), the concept for the show came from a rather routine evening.

"It started about a year and half ago sitting around in a cabin north of Los Angeles with a bunch of my actor friends, drinking beer, and telling war stories," she said. "Corri English (co-producer) and I kind of both looked at each other and said, 'This is hilarious.' And one of us was like, 'This should be a show.' And two months later I decided, 'Well, screw it. Let's see if it is one.' "

Kristin Hanggi, 2009 Tony nominee for her direction of "Rock of Ages" on Broadway, took on the directing duties for the evening, after viewing and participating in productions of the show in L.A.

"As someone who is always at casting sessions, my heart always just wants to leap over the table and hug actors sometimes," she said. "Everyone has a bad day -- being sick, losing your voice -- all that stuff that happens in this crazy industry. So, they brought this show that kind of celebrates this kind of imperfect process."

Though the title of the show suggests failure in an audition, the actors' performances proved otherwise.

Stories for the evening ranged from Jenna Leigh Green's (“Wicked”) imperfect debut as a fast-tracked Elphaba in Toronto, to Tyler Maynard's (“Altar Boyz”) “audition” as a Hudson Hotel bellboy nearly turned crewmember of Sean Combs.

"Not every single story people tell end up with them not getting the job," Lakin said. "In fact, a lot of the stories end with getting the job. You've either gone through something where you think it's so horrific that you're never going to get it, and then it turns out you end up getting it ... or you actually get the job, and then that audition leads to a horrific experience, thus making it a 'worst audition ever.' "

Even with many of the stories leading to actors getting the part, Lakin thinks there's something unique about sharing stories about "mutual humiliation."

"Because you're constantly putting yourself out there, you're constantly kind of getting your ego shattered,” she said. “And if you can't laugh at all of the crazy things that we do, then I think you just go crazy or become an alcoholic."

As far as where the show is headed in the future, Lakin said she hopes to branch out into other genres like "Worst Vacation Ever" or "Worst Date Ever." And if all goes well, you may be seeing "Worst Audition Ever" at home.

"We're pitching it as a TV pilot," Lakin said. "I can't talk too much about it, but we have some meetings set up when we get back and that's something we've been working on for a while."

All proceeds for the event benefitted The Actors Fund. For more information visit www.worstauditionever.com.