Somethings Gotta Give (and it DID!) Auditions 22, 23 & 24

I am a firm believer, now, that rejection in theatre is not personal. It is just that you are not the right fit for whatever reason. And that you can become more well rounded through classes if you cannot get cast.

ANYWAY, Saturday was audition #22 for the Players, Please production of TWO ROOMS. There are 4 roles in this piece, 2 men and 2 women. I looked at a monologue from the show once, so I was a little familiar with it and knew that I did not want to audition for the wife, I wanted to play Ellen, the State Department worker. So I put on a suit, slicked back my hair ala Eurythmics era Annie Lennox and discovered Lombard. The audition was a cold read, so based on the little I knew about the character at this point in the show I made her a bit of a hard ass. They told me they liked it and asked me to read a 3-person scene instead. Not a lot of people seemed to be asked to do that (at least not the day I was there). Soo...I went out, read through that scene and came back in. This takes place a little earlier in the show, so kept the attitude. When we finished they asked me to soften it up a little, like I was talking to a child. Then they told me I reminded them of early Sigourney Weaver! BONUS! So I did the reading and they made sure I had their website for the cast list. Well....it finally came out and I didn't get it. =( But, it is exposure in front of another director, so that is always a good thing.

Sunday night found me finding Wheaton Drama, Inc for their production of OLIVER! All the women had to sing the first verse of "Oom Pah Pah" which is great, but I learned the 3rd because it was more fun. C'mon "Pretty little Sally, goes walkin through the alley, displays her pretty ankles to all of the men. They can see her garters, but not for free and gratis, an inch or two and then she knows when to say when" is so much more fun! So, I of course blanked on the second line. They let me talk to the accompanist and start over. My voice did not seem to sound very good in there, which peeved me off to no end but my voice is a work in progress. ANYWAY, then it was time for the dance portion. Super, super easy routine. Every step repeated for 8 counts. So if a jazz square takes 4 counts, you do it twice! Pony is 2-counts so we will do it 4 times. You get the picture. It was easy and fun and so many people told me how good I did on that that I felt a sense of redemption. AND I was told that my sense of humor was like Allison Janney and I should do her type of roles!! BONUS!

Lastly was Monday's audition out in Chicago Heights for MAME. This was the show I wanted and I wanted to play Vera, the role originated by Bea Arthur on Broadway. Of course, I get lost heading to this audition...which happened when I went to this theatre to audition for RENT. Anyway, I get in, the director tells me that the show is unpaid as I have a lot of experience (what was HE looking at...it is all theme park and workshops with a bad acting teacher). I told him that was fine, I just wanted to participate in the show as I loved it. I sang the 16 bars of "Wherever He Ain't" and then they had me vocalize where they seemed impressed by my low range. Cool. Then to sit until they had me and the other 3 late arrivals go and learn the dance. Dance was easy and fun and non-repeating! Then it was time to read. I was the only person auditioning for Vera who was NOT given notes. Others were told to be drunk or that Vera is a Grande Dame of the stage...and these came after I read. So, I thought I did ok. Eventually they read a list of the people they wanted to stay and I was one of them! OMG!! Then, before we came back in, they told me I could go home. Talk about going for a high high to a low low. I wondered if maybe I should have played it bigger and been told to scale it back, instead of keeping it smaller. I don't know. All I know is that I came home and actually cried for the first time because I wanted this show so bad!

Fast-forward to Tuesday afternoon. I am sitting at home, chillaxin after taking care of some car stuff and my phone rings. It is the director of MAME calling and telling me that, while I have not been cast in a principal role, they would like me to be a part of the Adult Ensemble. What am I going to say, NO!?!?!?? It is a bit of a drive, but other than a church production of JOSEPH.... I have never been in a musical before! HELL YEA I will do it! It will be a learning experience and one that I cannot wait to be a part of!

Well, We Are Up To Audition 21

I don't remember a lot between auditions 16-20, so I cannot give you much info. They all felt like they went really well, but I did not get a callback or anything, so who knows!

Tonite was #21. I was invited to audition for the Village Players of Oak Park. I have auditioned for them 2x before, sent them my resume and headshot and they asked me to schedule a time to come out there. So I did and spent the last week and a half hunting for a dramatic monologue that I liked. It is so much easier for me to find comedic ones I like. I have a backlog of ones I want to work on! Anyway, I finally found one from THE LOVE SONG OF J. ROBERT OPPENHEIMER. It was different from my comedic and I liked it so....

Well, I spent today learning it, breaking it down, finding actions and emotions, memorizing it and just trying to get it on its feet. I feel like I have a lot more work to do on this one, but it felt like I had a strong start today.

I got there almost 55 minutes early, in part because I thought I had a 7:15 when it was actually a 7:45. I used the ladies, put on fresh lipstick and ran through my monologue. Then I went into the room. I did my comedic first and did not get one laugh. That is always a depressing feeling! Next was my dramatic. I thought the comedic was my strongest, so I opened with that. But I got more chuckles in my dramatic than in my comedic. Not sure how to read that one.... But, it is one that I have room to go with, and that is a good thing, right?

I noticed that the director(s) were taking a look at my resume. Is that a good thing or par for the course? Anyone know?? They seemed to take a looong look at it. I don't know. I'm just at the point where I want something positive to come my way.

Last night was #20 at Oakton CC. I did my COMPANY monologue, but angled to the side and trying to keep one point of focus (a change). I really don't know what to think. They asked me to stay and read a side, but it seemed like they did that with everyone. I looked it over, it was for a mom(! I don't feel that old, but whatev...). Read through it a couple of times and went back onstage. I talked it over with the director and her mentor to get an idea of the action and the feeling the character had and then performed it! Who knows what they thought about what I did....

So, now I sit and wait. I have an audition on Saturday that is a cold reading, an audition on Sunday that I have to prepare "Oom Pah Pah" from OLIVER and an audition on Monday for MAME, where my song might be too high for the character I am auditioning for. Busy weekend, maybe something will come out of this. I just have to keep plugging along and trying! Oh, and I also have to look into getting an agent...busy times ahead!