Cold readings with your partner or group

Practicing cold reading will make it easier to take your focus off the words on the page, and allow you to get into the scene and the interaction with others in the reading.  You can do this yourself by taking a scene and doing one character’s dialogue aloud.  Try to do this by glancing at each line, then delivering it without looking back.  The more you do this, the better you will get at this kind of site reading.  Using a second person to read other parts will give the exercise even more reality.

Work on your voice

Your cat will probably get really bored with your using her as the audience, but try to use quiet times to entertain her with your characters and your dynamics.  You can have tremendous presence on camera and still have a weak voice.  Or you might have the perfect face for the part, but you aren't able to bring in enough power, or enough finesse to get the sense of the character.

You can also work on diction when you are alone or in front of your camera on the tripod.  Delivering lines without uhh's and ahh's, and eye rolls when you blow it, will help you show the professionalism the directors are looking for.