After some last-minute printer drama yesterday evening, I made it to my previously-mentioned Shakespeare audition. It was being conducted by an up-and-coming theatre company and I found them friendly, welcoming and professional. I came prepared with two headshots/resumes and a Shakespearean monologue as requested. After only a brief wait I was conducted into the audition room by a stage manager who had beautiful hair. Everyone panelist in the room greeted me warmly and I was asked to begin whenever I was ready.
I felt my audition went well. I hit all the marks I set for myself and–with the exception of one passage–I thought my breath support was strong and my enunciation confident. After that, it all went downhill. The director said, “That was great. Do you have a contemporary monologue?” The expression on my face must have told all. I smirked and revealed squirmily, “I haven’t prepared it.” Internally I was kicking myself. How could I have been so dumb … Read more »
The title of this post tells all. I have auditions coming up these next few days and much to prepare. First is some Shakespeare, which I love. I’ve no idea why, but understanding and memorizing the works of Shakespeare comes naturally to me. His writings are so witty, economical, illustrative and intelligent that they seem to stick easily in my brain. I’ve been walking around town for days muttering Shakespeare’s verse to myself and, no doubt, there are people who’ve seen me and thought me mad. And that’s fine. Though this be madness, yet there is method in’t.
There are also samples of industrial video text to interpret. These always seem tricky to me because they’re so heavily scripted, yet one must appear natural, engaging, professional and representative of the product in question. And sometimes it can be challenging to identify with said product, especially if it’s a durable or intangible good like a 3-in-1 printer, a series of refrigerators … Read more »
For about five years, the cute, local Shakespeare Now! Theatre Company sponsored this fabulous, free annual event called the Sonnet-thon, at which all of Shakespeare’s sonnets would be read in succession, each by a different individual, with the talents ranging in age from 5 to at least 90. I found myself reminiscing about this event recently and missing it. It was cancelled a few years ago because, apparently, coordinating the talent took quite a bit of time and gathering an audience proved to be challenging, despite convenient performance locations like the Rabb Lecture Hall at the Boston Public Library. Listening to and reciting the sonnets was great fun for me because I love Shakespeare, not to mention good practice and education. Here is one of my favorites, Sonnet 128, and not just because it has the semblance of musical reference:
How oft when thou, my music, music play’st,
Upon that blessed wood whose motion sounds
With thy sweet fingers … Read more »
After some last-minute printer drama yesterday evening, I made it to my previously-mentioned Shakespeare audition. It was being conducted by an up-and-coming theatre company and I found them friendly, welcoming and professional. I came prepared with two headshots/resumes and a Shakespearean monologue as requested. After only a brief wait I was conducted into the audition room by a stage manager who had beautiful hair. Everyone panelist in the room greeted me warmly and I was asked to begin whenever I was ready.
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