I’ve posted before that I do theater. Some more stories may be coming on various backstage antics and shenanigans, but for now I will talk about behavior.
the audition process for The Rocky Horror Show was going to be different this time. (this is the third time I am doing the production.) The director wanted to hear songs from other shows, so I had to bring in sheet music and sing something similar to Rocky. I chose a song from Evil Dead, the musical. Bit Part Demon, to be precise, and they loved it. None of them had ever heard it before.
Then they asked me to sing Time Warp, Hot Patootie and Sweet Transvestite and then read some of the lines. Not a problem. So I go back up to the auditorium and sit back down with other folks who were also auditioning.
To backtrack. The audition was held in a small room with a keyboard player and three folks sitting behind a long table taking notes. This was different than other auditions that I’ve been to. Every other one had people perform on the stage in front of everyone else who was performing. I think that’s a better route, because if you can’t perform in front of a group, what are you doing there, and secondly, if you (as part of the group) can’t sit still and be quiet, obviously you can’t listen to basic instructions. You can eliminate two sub-groups of people at once that way.
So anyway I get back to the auditorium and there’s a girl complaining because she’s hearing Rocky songs and she’s saying in a whiny voice, “they told us we couldn’t sing songs from the show.” Meantime I’m thinking, you sing what they ask you to. They make that choice. But I’m also thinking I hope this girl is not in the show. But she gets cast as one of the leads.
She’s young and sorta cute, but not “sexy” really, but she has a good voice. But once we get on stage and start the rehearsal process, she is clearly uncomfortable with the sensuality of the situation. Which is odd because you have to know going into the show that it is all about sexual tension and people thrown out of their element. Her uncomfortableness may have worked if she was playing Janet, but not for any other role.
Then she starts saying things like, “I can’t do that” to choreography. it never comes together and she gets replaced and is out of the show. But then she has to also make disparaging remarks.
Here’s a thought. If you live in a small town and you want to do theater, don’t make enemies at the only theater in town. Admit that perhaps a part didn’t fit and then move on. Don’t think your voice can carry you through other shortcomings. Don’t bring a fucking attitude that starts at the audition process. Don’t develop odd crushes on other cast members. Don’t fall into a romance and then break up right before the show opens.
These weren’t all her, just some observations. I think a lot of myself, but I don’t have an attitude. I don’t think I am the prize of the century or that any show is “lucky” to have me. Although, I’m luck, you’re lucky, we’re all lucky. except Eddy. No. Except the ex-columbia.
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This is the waterproof version of the camera I use to record shows. It’s amazing how much high definition content can fit on one 8M SD card. ~ close to three hours.
