Breaking the Ice

http://crimealwayspays.blogspot.com/2010/11/ever-failed-no-matter-try-again-fail.html

"Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better."
Samuel Beckett

Part 1:

Day #1 back auditioning after a brief hiatus. A warm-up, if you will. 
Its for a Broadway show, to play a 16 year old girl...from Wiltshire, England. I didn't really come across the note that, "using a regional accent would be an advantage," until last night at about 12 midnight. And to clarify, "would be an advantage" means, do it. "That's okay," I thought to myself, "I'll just wing it." Because you know that we all try to sound like Harry Potter from time to time.
So I get there and wait in line for a while until I can sign my name up on the list. By the time I'm able to make my first of 12 bathroom trips that morning, I'm so flustered that I hit my head on the toilet paper dispenser (which is in front on the toilet). I half hope that I'm bleeding everywhere so then I'd ge- have to leave. But no. And they also announce that they will indeed have time to see Non-Equity performers today. Oh goodie. Time to put that English accent to use. Wingardium Leviosa! I might add, that some actresses beside me discuss their extensive research on the Wiltshire English dialect. Perfect.
Finally time to line up to go into the audition room. This audition used 'sides' (a dialogue from the script) so I would be reading with another person. Out in the hall I go over my lines and try to boost my confidence with positive thoughts. Time to go in the room...
Nice people, the casting person and the reader. We start the scene, and my first thoughts as this guy is speaking to me is, "Wow! His accent is good!" And I don't even know what a Wiltshire dialect should sound like. Maybe he was from England. I don't know, but it threw me off a bit. It was too good. I made it through the scene without doing anything terribly idiotic, but shaking like a leaf. That's the worst. And walked out consciously trying to hold my chin up.
People have said to me, every time an audition goes terribly, that its one step closer to being great. So, phew! One down. I'm just glad its over.


Part 2:
The evening holds another audition. Hamlet. Well a sort of adaptation of Hamlet, I later discover. Ophelia beckons so I trek out to Brooklyn with my friend, lets call her, Nell. Thank goodness she was there. This was an experience that needed to be shared.
It was surreal to say the least...as though I was in my show, "Laura in the City," with the viewers laughing with me. It was far too bizarre to be real life. (Hence the notion behind "Laura in the City.") The director kind of looked like Bob Ross (pictured left), but with a modern flair. Like if Bob Ross had spent some time with Jenny on the block. After some prep time, we perform our monologues in a kids classroom while Bob sits in a miniature chair eating hummus. I didn't do that great anyway, not that I was nervous at all. My biggest concern was, "Oh shoot. What will I say if he calls with an offer?!" Ha. Never know. He still might. That will be another tale...


I have a feeling there will be a few weeks of "warming up".