This weekend I have audition #4 (the first 3 occurred before this super-special-extraordinary blog was created). Each time an audition came up, it felt like a cliff was being placed in front of me and a cloud with big puffy cheeks was going to come and blow me off the edge! Now, on #4, I feel I'm starting to get in the groove of things. I'm amazed that I've now been rejected 3 times, and I'm still truckin' along (I think I can, I think I can!) without being discouraged! Want a recap? (Too bad, you're getting one anyway)
Audition #1: Steel Magnolias
So, after I kinda-sort-of made the decision that I wanted to audition for a show, I went looking for upcoming auditions. The first was way back in January, the weekend before school started. I had to prepare a monologue (never done it before....) and had to prepare to read sides from the show (what are sides.....) Even though I pretty much had no clue what I was doing, I was jumping in with both feet! Luckily, the site provided the monologues, so I didn't have to find one myself. I'd sit there, read it, memorize it, and speak it. What else to do???? I really had no clue!
So I went to the audition, not in my Sunday best, but looking very nice. I got to the theater 30 minutes early. The auditors were having lunch. I sat in the lobby and read a book. Wow. Interesting. And how, you may ask, did the audition go? Well, not really knowing how to do a Southern accent, I'm sure it was comical to say the least. I messed up a few lines of the monologue and had to stop while reading the sides (a scene from the show, in which there is a reader and you are a single character) because it was blurry and I couldn't read the text. Then, as I was leaving, I tripped over my own two feet walking out the door. Beautiful. Needless to say, I wasn't called back. But I had a blast!
Audition #2: Steel Magnolias
Nope. Not kidding. I went to another audition for Steel Magnolias. It was another production being staged about 30 minutes in the other direction. This audition DEFINITELY went better. First off, the people were much more likable and generally nicer. I was much more comfortable with the material. In the mean time, I had researched different strategies to use while acting and preparing for an audition. I didn't have to do a monologue this time around (thank goodness!!) , but I had to do a different scene during the audition. This actually went really well. The auditors even laughed! I honestly felt like I might have been given a callback. Unfortunately, one of the performance dates conflicted with a choir performance (boo...). I knew that going in, but decided to go in anyway, just in case they had understudies for the run. They either didn't like me, or didn't call me back because of the scheduling conflict. I'll never know because they never called to let me know either way. That was a bit annoying.
Audition #3: Drowsy Chaperone
Again, not kidding. Our school is about to put on their production of this. Last Fall I didn't know that this Spring I'd have all of this wonderful time (and desire to go on this crazy adventure!) so I never auditioned for the show. Another production was being staged about 40 minutes away, so I decided to take a shot. From the get-go I wasn't too excited about it. Not because I didn't want to do the show, but because of the people there in general! Do you ever walk into a room and sense, at first glance, that you aren't wanted? Well, that was definitely what it felt like. College students (the "uber-cool" community college theater people) were running the auditions and it was so poorly run. My type-2, super-organized brain couldn't stand this one bit. When you sit there for 20 minutes, twiddling your thumbs and someone just calls out, "So, um, does anyone feel like going next?" There were numbers on the form to fill out, so I assumed that there was some kind of order. Nope. It was whoever wanted to go. So at this point, I had warmed up about 2 hours ago, and then drove for an hour, and then had sat and not talked for about 15-20 minutes. This seems like the perfect time to go and sing right??? Well, the singing went okay. Certainly not anywhere near my best, but okay. I was pleasantly surprised when I got asked to come back tomorrow for a call-back. How excited was I?? I decided that even if I felt a little uncomfortable in the environment, I should try. After all, it was a musical, and I was given a call back!
So, I had to cancel going to a seminar that I was supposed to attend in order to drive the approximately hour and a half round trip again and audition. I get there and everyone is, I have no other way of putting this, in little anti-social pods. I try and initiate conversation. Doesn't work. Doesn't anyone know simple conversational skills here? I'll even take a "hello"! Finally, after trying, giving up, sitting alone, and reading a book...I swear I'm not anti-social...this nice, albeit "a little out there", girl comes and talks to me. Okay, so I have a friend it seems...cool! Then I discover.
The callback is a dance audition.
Gasp. Oh no! Run away, as fast as you can! Hide! Lauren is going to dance???? Escape now, or forever hold your peace!
This, by the way, they did not tell me, so I showed up in fitted jeans and a nice shirt, make-up actually on... So I "learn" the dance. I can say that much. I knew the proper order of movements and tried to make some logical sense about how to perform it. It may not have been pretty, but I did it anyway. Go me! At first, I had that better-hide-under-a-rock NOW response. Then I thought, I'm doing this because I want to, not because anyone else is making me, or because I honestly care about what anyone else thinks. I'm doing it for ME, dancing and all. (Although, I'm super glad that there is no video footage of that event.)
After everyone danced the combination, we all were asked to leave and come back when they called us. For 45 minutes I sat in the hallway, trying to do any homework possible...all the while fielding questions from my earlier friend and trying not to choke on the penetrating cigarette smell that fills the area. FINALLY, someone calls us all back together. Taking their good old time, they start handing lines to certain people (and clearly not others). After about 15 minutes of this, they call me and four other souls back to another room. The girl who comes in (the same one who was such a peach during the audition) has a piece of paper, on which is written "Thank You" with my name written below it. She says that we are not needed for the rest of today, but we might be called back for ANOTHER audition on Monday night.
At this point, I've had enough. Actually, I'm glad I wasn't given a part. If I had been given one, I honestly was going to turn it down anyway. This definitely wasn't the foundation of the fun, free-spirited, loving life experience that I was looking for. I was actually called about a week later and offered a chorus role, which I turned down. I wasn't spending almost an hour and a half a few nights of week in the car just to drive somewhere and be with people who honestly weren't nice or enjoyable to be around (and to be in a place that reeks of smoke...) Doesn't that sound like something you'd want to do????
Fast forward to February 23!!
I have another audition coming up on Saturday. And 2:50 pm to be exact! I'm auditioning for Cabaret. Now, for anyone who knows me, this is definitely not the kind of show that I'd normally do, but I've decided to give it a shot anyway! I'm preparing a monologue (Roxie Hart giving her "one woman show") and a song ("Take Me or Leave Me" from Rent) and I'm going to have a grand old time! I have a knock-out dress, courtesy of Mama and a thrift store. I'm really excited! I do have to memorize both the song and monologue before then, but I can do it!
Since the last audition, I've read a few books, on auditioning, fully preparing monologues, and I've been singing about an hour a day. I don't have a vocal coach, but I'm using recordings to match the quality of my voice. I've also been good throughout the years in working out how to place my voice in different ways and how to diagnose issues of strain. I'm very aware of what I feel and I think I'm doing okay. In reality, who knows, but whatever. I gotta work with what I have!!
Wow, that was long, but this is what you get when I write a blog post during my 2:45-4:15 class!
Happy Wednesday!!
Love,
Lauren
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