Audition Guide: EXTRA CREDIT - Meri

For: Daisy O'Brien
Audition: Monday, February 9, 2026 @ 6:00 PM PST
Casting: Alexis Koczara & Christine Shevchenko

The Scenes

You have two scenes:

1. Office/Hallway with Jennie – Meri vents about living in her mother's shadow
2. Archives with Lou – Searching for clues, vulnerable conversation, discovering the secret passage

Both show different sides of Meri: the driven perfectionist (Scene 1) and the softer, team-player-in-the-making (Scene 2).

Scene 1: Office with Jennie

Setup

Location: Sidekick Academy - Main Office
Scene Partners: Ella (Meri's mom) + Jennie (Meri's friend)
Core Conflict: Meri's mother just magically changed Meri's outfit to match hers (AGAIN), and Meri is over it.

What's Happening

Meri walks in on her mom complimenting "kids who honor what they've been given" — clearly a dig at Meri. Mom then taps her wand and changes Meri's outfit to blue (matching hers). Meri immediately spells it back. This is a PATTERN.

After mom leaves, Jennie (supportive friend) tries to console Meri: "You have all the talent — is it so bad to follow in her footsteps?"

Meri's Key Lines

"I'm not her clone!"

• This is reactive, exasperated. She's said this a thousand times.
• Not yelling, but fed up. Frustrated that no one gets it.

"Exactly — and she never got her due. Neither did your dad. All the work he did, the work my mom, my aunts did. People don't get it — I don't want to play second fiddle my whole life."

• The heart of the scene. This is WHY she's so driven.
• It's not just about beating her mom — it's about breaking a cycle.
• Sidekicks don't get credit. Heroes do. Meri wants to be seen for HERSELF.

"You're THE fiddle. You're the whole orchestra."

• Meri BELIEVES in Jennie. She's not competitive with friends, she's protective.
• This is genuine warmth. She wants Jennie to see her own worth.

"If you spent half as much time studying as you do entertaining everyone else around here, you'd be up on that wall, too."

• Tough love. Meri cares, so she tells the truth.
• Not mean — direct. She wants Jennie to succeed.

Acting Notes

Energy: Sharp, tight, controlled. Meri doesn't wallow — she acts.

Physicality: When mom changes her outfit, Meri immediately fixes it. No hesitation. She's practiced this move.

Relationship with Jennie: Comfortable, honest. Jennie is safe. Meri can vent here without judgment.

Emotional core: Frustration + determination. "I will NOT be defined by my mother."

Scene 2: Archives with Lou

Setup

Location: Archives (magical library)
Scene Partner: Lou (anxious, self-deprecating, likable)
Core Conflict: They're searching for clues to save the town. Meri is task-focused, Lou is spiraling.

What's Happening

They've been searching books for hours. Lou is panicking. Meri is exhausted but pushing through. They take a break, and in that quiet moment, Lou asks Meri a real question: Why do you need to be the hero?

This is where Meri lets her guard down.

Meri's Key Lines

"Maybe the answer isn't in a book."

• Quiet realization. She's been so focused on doing, she missed the bigger picture.
• This is Meri learning to think differently. Growth moment.

"Thanks." (after Lou hands her a cloth)

• Small, surprised. Lou did something thoughtful, and it caught her off guard.
• THEN: "You know, you've been doing great tonight."
• This is Meri choosing to be generous. It's not natural for her yet, but she's trying.

"But you've stayed in it with us. That matters."

• Genuine. She's recognizing that persistence > perfection.
• This is NEW for Meri. She's learning what makes a good teammate.

"Because I'm afraid being the best sidekick only means I'm trying to be my mom. I want something that's mine."

• THE vulnerable line. This is the truth she doesn't usually say out loud.
• Quiet, almost embarrassed. She's admitting fear.

"I don't want to be someone else's carbon copy."

• The core wound. Said softly, almost to herself.
• Not angry here — sad. This is what keeps her up at night.

"It's crooked."

• Back to task mode. But lighter now. The conversation shifted something.

"The clue isn't IN the archives — the archives ARE the clue."

• Eureka moment! Meri's brain clicks into place.
• Excitement, determination. She's GOOD at this.

"We just had a moment — don't ruin it by chickening out now."

• Playful! Teasing Lou. This is Meri relaxed, post-breakthrough.
• She's letting him in, and calling him on his BS (affectionately).

Acting Notes

Energy: Starts tired/defeated, shifts to vulnerable, ends determined.

Arc within the scene:

• Exhausted → Softens → Admits truth → Re-energized by discovery

Physicality:

• Rubbing temples (tired)
• Accepting the cloth (small gesture, big meaning)
• Leaning in during vulnerable moment
• Standing taller when she figures out the clue

Relationship with Lou:

• Starts as "we're stuck in this together"
• Becomes "maybe you're not so bad"
• Ends as emerging partnership

Emotional core: Meri learning that being seen (vulnerable) doesn't make her weak — it makes her real.

What Casting Needs to See

Across Both Scenes:

✅ Range – Frustrated, determined, vulnerable, playful
✅ Specificity – Every line has a clear intention (not generic "confident girl")
✅ Listening – Meri REACTS. She's present with scene partners.
✅ Arc – We see her CHANGE from Scene 1 to Scene 2
✅ Likability – She's driven, not bratty. We root for her.

Common Traps to Avoid:

❌ Playing her as "mean girl" or one-note diva
❌ Making her too soft/apologetic (she's NOT sorry for wanting more)
❌ Forgetting to LISTEN (especially in Scene 2 with Lou)
❌ Rushing the vulnerable moment (that's the money beat)
❌ Playing the end of her arc in Scene 1 (she hasn't learned the lesson yet)

Practical Prep

Character Work

Before the audition, ask yourself:

• What does Meri's mother's success cost Meri emotionally?
• When did Meri decide she had to be "the best"?
• What would it feel like to ALWAYS be compared to someone else?
• What does Meri want people to see when they look at her?

Physicality:

• Meri is PRECISE. She doesn't waste movement.
• In Scene 1: tighter, more controlled
• In Scene 2: starts tired, softens, then re-energizes

Voice:

• Scene 1: Sharper, more clipped
• Scene 2: Softer in vulnerable moment, then back to decisive

Scene Partner Dynamics

Jennie (Scene 1): Best friend energy. Meri can be real here.
Lou (Scene 2): Unexpected connection. Meri is surprised by him.

Both are SAFE people. Meri doesn't perform for them. That's the point.

On the Day

🎯 Bring:

• Headshot/resume
• Water
• Comfortable clothes (you might be asked to move)

⏰ Timing:

• Arrive 10-15 min early
• Monday evening audition — they may run behind

📋 Sides:

• You don't need to memorize (it says so in the script!)
• But know them well enough to make eye contact

🎭 Direction:

• Be READY to adjust. Casting may ask you to try it different ways.
• "Can you do it softer?" = they want the vulnerable side
• "Can you do it bigger?" = they want the determination

Final Thought

Meri's story is about a kid who's been told her whole life that she's destined to be a sidekick — and she's fighting like hell to write her own story.

The actors who book this role will be the ones who make us FEEL that fight, who show us the armor AND the cracks, who let us see the kid underneath the ambition.

Daisy's got this. Show them you can carry a lead, hold emotional complexity, and make us root for you.

Good luck. 🎬

Guide by CoCo (Prep101) | For internal review — do not distribute without approval