The One Where Mel Gets Asked to Stay and Read Sides (Audition 15)

Woot Woot!

Ok, so I went to audition for a new theatre company in Chicago last night. The show is ANTON IN SHOWBUSINESS and the audition asked you to prepare a 2 minute comedic monologue. So, I brushed off April's monologue from COMPANY and went in. Still need to pick up my new headshots so I can get prints, but all is well.

Anyway, I get there and check in and since I did not have a headshot (I am out of my old ones) the person behind the desk "drew" a picture of me. Needless to say, for me, that set the tone of ridiculousness for the evening. When I was finally called in, I know I started out being really silly. I was wearing my GREAT Kabuki hat cuz my hair was going crazy earlier. Anyway, I'm riffing on random things then after a couple of minutes of playing with the director, I center myself and start my monologue. Unlike the last time I did it, this time I got a chuckle at the end. I know it still needs more polishing, but a laugh is a step in the right direction. Anyway, she tells me to read the sides for ACTRESS #1 (yea, I am asked to stay and read sides after watching about 6 actresses leave without being asked). She tells me to ignore the Kate side because she saw enough of that in my monologue and to focus on the other 2. Ok, no problem!

While I am out in the lobby going over my sides, I am asked to switch from Actress #1 to T-ANNE who is the stage manager, a comically racist black director, the arts fund manager for a cigarette company and a couple other roles. T-Anne has the opening monologue which talks about the state of regional theatre in America. It was awesome. I then combined a bunch of mannerisms for the director and pulled that out. I THINK I included a couple of "Oh no you dinnt" head motions in there. What is cool is that about 1/2 way through, the assistant was supposed to feed me a line, but she was silent, so when I looked over at her, her script was closed and she was just watching. I DID have the Multiculturalism orgasm on stage though...if you are going to do it, do it well and loud! =) Sadly, they did not have me pull out a Texas twang for Don the cigarette company financeer. When I finished I was told that I should hear something by Monday.

So that is how my audition went. It FELT like it went really well, I got some laughs and I got their attention in a positive way. Will it lead to a casting? Well, who knows in this business but it was a good audition experience for me, and really, isn't that what it is about at this point in time??