Confidence Without Arrogance
Confidence is something I look for in performers. In fact, I'd go as far as saying it's essential. I want people to believe in themselves. I want people to walk into an audition room knowing they've prepared. I want people to trust their instincts. I want people to be excited by what they can bring to a role. I want people to recognise their strengths and be proud of the work they've put in. There is absolutely nothing wrong with confidence.
The problem is that confidence is often confused with arrogance and they're very different things.
One of my favourite definitions is this:
Confidence is believing in your own ability.
Arrogance is looking down on somebody else's.
For me, that's where the line is.
A confident performer can celebrate somebody else's success. A confident performer can congratulate somebody who got a role they wanted. A confident performer can recognise another person's talent without feeling threatened by it. Because confidence isn't about being the best person in the room. It's about knowing what you bring to the room.
Arrogance, on the other hand, often comes from comparison. It comes from believing you deserve something more than somebody else. It comes from assuming that because you've had a lead role before, you'll get one again. Because you know the director. Because you're experienced. Because you're talented. But theatre doesn't work like that. Every production is different. Every role is different. Every cast is different. And talent alone has never been the only thing that matters.
Some of the most talented performers I've ever met have also been some of the most generous. Some of the most supportive. Some of the easiest people to work with. Because true confidence doesn't need to put other people down. It doesn't need to prove itself. It doesn't need to announce itself. It simply exists. One thing I always notice in auditions and rehearsal rooms is how people react to the success of others.
Can they celebrate someone else's achievement?
Can they genuinely say "well done"?
Can they be excited for somebody else?
Those moments tell me far more than people realise. Because theatre is collaborative. No production succeeds because one performer succeeds. The whole company succeeds together. I think confidence is also closely linked to growth. Confident performers aren't afraid of feedback. They aren't afraid of direction. They aren't afraid of trying something that might not work. Because they know that being challenged doesn't diminish their ability. It helps them develop it. The performers I enjoy working with most are often the ones who know they still have more to learn. Not because they're lacking confidence, but, because they're secure enough to keep growing.
For me, that's one of the most exciting qualities a performer can have. A belief in their own ability combined with a willingness to improve. The confidence to take risks. The confidence to ask questions. The confidence to support others. The confidence to celebrate someone else's success. Because at the end of the day, confidence should make a company stronger. Not smaller. And that's the kind of confidence I want in my rehearsal rooms.
