Auditions and your focus.

The most important thing for auditions is to remember to have your objective focused on the scene.  Many times when we get to the audition, our objective tends to be - "I want to do good at my audition", or "I want to impress the casting the director".  With that being said, we are showing that we are "actors".  Your brain knows that you are an actor because your objective is that of the "actor" not of the human being living in the given circumstances.  When you get to the audition, which you should always be on time (and by on time, I mean at least 15 minutes before your time), if you rush and are running late, then your nerves get to draw from all the fears and worries you had about being late.  Instead, get there in time for you to take a second and take a few breaths to become present in the situation and in which you are in.  Let the nerves calm themselves.  Then, focus on your audition, not on the competition in the room because they are not your competition.  If you believe they are, then you are dealing with things that will not even depend on you.  I don't care how good you are... if the director is set on blonde hair, then he may cast a blonde person even if you nailed the audition and the blonde blew chunks worse than Steven Seagal.  I have lost a call back before because I reminded the director of the guy his wife cheated on him with.  Is that my fault?  NO!  How was I supposed to know that his wife cheated on him with a devilishly handsome and charming lad?  Long story short, you can only control one thing at the audition, and that is how well you are prepared and how well you choose to live in the moment.  Remember, this is your audition.  Take your time.  If you go in thinking you need to hurry so you don't waste the casting directors time, then the casting director will feel like you are waisting their time.  Own that room.  You are the main focus for as long as you are in there.