--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When I auditioned for drama college, they…" description: "\"When I auditioned for drama college, they asked me to do my Shakespeare. I couldn't do it. They asked me to do my modern, and I couldn't do it. They as..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a11/hans-matheson-61409_asked_when-i-auditioned-for-drama-college-they_1382848.jpg" --- # When I auditioned for drama college, they asked me to do… ![“When I auditioned for drama college, they asked me to do my Shakespeare. I couldn't do it. They asked me to do my modern, and I couldn't do it. They asked me if I had a song prepared, and I said 'No,' so I sang 'Happy Birthday.' And I did a reasonable improvisation, a reasonable one, nothing…” quote by Hans Matheson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a11/hans-matheson-61409_asked_when-i-auditioned-for-drama-college-they_1382848.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a11/hans-matheson-61409_asked_when-i-auditioned-for-drama-college-they_1382848.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a11/hans-matheson-61409_asked_when-i-auditioned-for-drama-college-they_1382848.jpg) > “When I auditioned for drama college, they asked me to do my Shakespeare. I couldn't do it. They asked me to do my modern, and I couldn't do it. They asked me if I had a song prepared, and I said 'No,' so I sang 'Happy Birthday.' And I did a reasonable improvisation, a reasonable one, nothing special at all. I don't know how I got in, but I did.” [Hans Matheson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-matheson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The narrator recounts a failed audition where they could not perform Shakespeare or modern pieces, resorting to improvising a simple song, yet still succeeded. **In simple terms:** I failed at the audition but still got in. Key Takeaway Embrace improvisation and authenticity. Themes audition challenges improvisation self‑confidence Mood hopeful determined Type career inspirational When to use this quote - audition rooms - career setbacks - creative problem solving - public speaking Key Concepts performance art adaptability creativity Questions to Reflect On - What can you learn from improvising under pressure? - How might preparation improve outcomes? A Different Perspective Reliance on improvisation may not work in all professional contexts. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) [Birthday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/birthday/) [College](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/college/) [Drama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drama/) [Happy birthday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happy-birthday/) [Improvisation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/improvisation/) [Nothing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nothing/) [Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shakespeare/) [Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/song/) [Theatre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theatre/) ## Related quotes > [I didn't act professionally before going to drama school. I don't know if I had the confidence. 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I mean, all my early acting was musical theater, and my first ever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-claflin/when-i-was-in-high-school-i-was-a-bad-singer-i-mean-all-my-early/) [Sam Claflin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-claflin/) > [She sang as if she was saving the life of every person in the room.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-patchett/she-sang-as-if-she-was-saving-the-life-of-every-person-in-the-room/) [Ann Patchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-patchett/) > [I sang the National Anthem at Dodger Stadium - at a baseball game - which was crazy; there was, like, 60,000 people there, which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-devine/i-sang-the-national-anthem-at-dodger-stadium-at-a-baseball-game-which/) [Adam DeVine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-devine/) > [I sang in choir as a kid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-weiland/i-sang-in-choir-as-a-kid/) [Scott Weiland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-weiland/) ## More by Hans Matheson > [I think the problem I have with films is that, because there's so much hype around them, they become bigger than they should be,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-matheson/i-think-the-problem-i-have-with-films-is-that-because-there-s-so-much/) [Hans Matheson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-matheson/) > [Playing characters who are wonderful and beautiful is hard because you don't feel like that most of the time... well, I don't. It's like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-matheson/playing-characters-who-are-wonderful-and-beautiful-is-hard-because/) [Hans Matheson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-matheson/) > [That's quite a difficult thing in life, to be who you are. And when you are doing interviews, you kind of feel this need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-matheson/that-s-quite-a-difficult-thing-in-life-to-be-who-you-are-and-when-you/) [Hans Matheson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-matheson/) > [Put me in a costume, and I'm your man. I must have one of those faces which seems to suit period drama more than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-matheson/put-me-in-a-costume-and-i-m-your-man-i-must-have-one-of-those-faces/) [Hans Matheson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-matheson/) [Explore all 5 Hans Matheson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-matheson/) ## More Actor quotes > [I actually think acting is a form of self-hypnosis. 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