Audition Feedback

After a misty morning spent domestically, running errands with M, I returned home to find a great voicemail: Audition feedback.

I love audition feedback. I wish they would mail me their notes of what they thought. I love feedback, especially from a strange situation such as an audition. And the more specific, the better.

It was the director himself (someone inspirational to me), calling to thank me for auditioning, that it was good to see me, that he's a big fan of my work. He hoped that I would audition for the playhouse again, and then told me that he had a specific type in mind for the role- and since several talented people of that type auditioned, he decided not to give me a callback.

Which is perfect. It could not have gone any better.

I gave a good audition, but still learned how to give a better audition. I got great feedback, and praise for my work. I wasn't sure how I'd be able to schedule the evening rehearsal schedule around work at the restaurant and class: and now I won't have that conflict, I can concentrate more fully on training my technique and my physique.

I'm really happy. Today was good.

Audition

Two Auditions recently.
Probably no work, but good lesson.

Audition 1. NYC, 9am. For a regional theatre season, including two high-glamour musicals.
Next time, I will be dressed more glamorously for musical theatre audition. At least kitten heels, at least semblance of styled hair, and coordinated outfit. It is a performance, and I should dress as I would for going onstage.
Next time, I will not disagree with the piano player. If he says that the intro is "wrong", rather than doing it anyway, I will politely take his advice and choose a different song- I have plenty in my book.

Audition 2, Rockland County, 7:30 rainy night.
Rather than responding "in character voice", I will try to respond, even in cold readings, honestly and organically off the other person. I was so set with trying to play my objectives that I failed to build off what was happening in the room and use the full instrument of my voice.

Acting Class

Exercise: Tell a story, with each person contributing one word. The goal of this exercise is not to create nonsense, but to develop a coherent plot. Sample text:
A: One
B: Day
C: My
D: Father
E: Said
A: That
B: I
C: Should
D: Eat
E: Only
A: Delicious
B: Things
C: Period

We did an improvisation exercise, where two players volunteer and the teacher gives them both separate and secret objectives. It was fun to play, I got lost in the plot, and I also received a good reminder to keep choices personal. Rather than extrapolating about off-stage characters, the action is stronger when it is kept between the two people talking (the two characters that the improvising players are familiar with).

Next worked on a scene (about "Medusa", circa 1995). The scene could be strengthed with stronger objections: there is a need to acquire the information this person has, there are consequences, there is a deadline. Having a controlling idea to carry one through the text makes the text come alive-

In my own experience, this was best demonstrated in an audition that I did at Frenchwoods Festival. Reading the copy that we were to coldread, I understood that it was seduction. And once I understood that all the words were to the point of seduction, I could act within that and make best choices. That was a wonderful audition and a good show to work on.

In this process, I am most interested in discovering what will make me my best self. I mean to contribute to the world as best I can, as a performer, as family, as citizen, as friend.

Something I'm thinking about, not directly related to theatre, is about the helpfulness of apologies. I have been swayed from my thinking that apologies are the best remedy. It seems to me that many people prefer to merely forget the problem and see improved action instead. This confuses me, as in my ideal world, everyone articulates everything completely and communicates fully.

Then again, in any world, there is a time limit.