One day in my fifth period during my freshman year in theatre class, my theatre teacher announced that we all need to audition once to get a sense of what the actors/actress’ go through. This was a class that I was put into accidentally. I really didn’t want to be there. The first play auditions came and went in a blink of an eye. The next play to audition for was “The Crucible” by Arthur Miller, the one after that was a musical and I really cannot sing; I had to audition for this play. Weeks went by before the auditions began. In that time my theatre teacher was teaching us the concept of only one out of a thousand auditions you will be casted. It was because of this little trivia, which made me feel at ease going into the audition. She handed out a list of characters that are in the play and I chose Betty Paris. It is a very small part and I figured if I got it, it wouldn’t be much to memorize. I didn’t think I’d get a part anyway, this is my homework or class work that I had to do and besides she’ll see me and give me my points for doing it.
The day has come, I was a little excited but really balmy about the whole thing. The auditions promptly started at three o’clock. When I arrived there were tons of students in the audience ready to audition. A tall rather put together man handed me a paper and told me to “fill out the following, and return it to me once you are done.” This is my first audition, and it was nothing that I expected. I looked around at the vast amount of seats filled with nervous students; I found a seat next to this very tall skinny girl who looked like she was going to vomit because of nerves. I began filling out the questionnaire that asked questions like “Do you have any talents, Can you do one or more of the following, but one question really stumped me. The question was “What previous productions have you been in?” I really had no other previous shows I’ve been in, unless they wanted me to write out Grandma’s Christmas show, I had nothing. I was looking around at all the other anxious students at this point in time I felt like an ignorant fool who had no business being there. I asked the girl next to me who looked like she was now going to pee her pants what to do? She was very nice and told me that if you haven’t been in anything you don’t have to fill that part out. She introduced herself as Melanie and I told her mine as well, as we were talking, a big booming voice came from the front. It was the Assistant Director (AD) telling us how this all will work. Before I knew it I was on stage introducing myself to perform with my partner to do a scene. In my opinion we did pretty good considering it was her first time auditioning too.
Everyone did so well and it was kind of cool watching others do the same scene as I just did. After everyone was done the AD announced that they are going to start dismissing people. I waited for me name to be called, it never happened. I went through the whole process again. The second cut came and went again and I was still there. I couldn’t believe it, I lasted two cuts. I knew it meant really nothing but it was still an adrenaline rush. The Director (my teacher) told me to grab a script and go on stage. Her AD went up there with me to be the other character, we did the whole scene. When we were done he left the stage and I was too but she told me to stay up there but drop the script. I really had no clue what she meant by that, so I literally dropped the script and it went in slow motion to the beaten up stage. The AD, Stage Manager (SM) and Director were all laughing at me, I looked at them all and said “What?” I was a bit confused on why they were laughing since I did what I was told which was to “drop the script” The director said “I meant set it down.” I really felt stupid and dumb and I wanted to leave the stage but I couldn’t move one muscle. She continued talking saying “go get a chair.” I started to move and once again I was stopped, my confidence level went down drastically. The AD brought up a chair and she told him and the SM get up there with me. The directions were for me to sit in the chair and say “I didn’t do it”. The other two are standing and questioning me with “Did you do it?” When I was done I needed to say “no”. We started and they came close to me and then back away like I was their prey. They were screaming the questions for about five minutes and me saying “I didn’t do it.” I started to feel tired and annoyed so I said the magic word “no”. My audition was now officially over; they let me go after that. I felt relieved that it was all done. There was still one more day before the callbacks were posted. I can now only wait for that list to be posted.
Its d-day, I’m either on it or not on it either way it doesn’t really matter. The list is just those who they are not sure about. The list was just waiting for me to look at it. The paper was taped on the theatre door; my finger was now gliding down the grimy paper. I was in a state of shock for a few moments because my name was on it. I made it on the callback list. I ran my finger over the grimy paper several more times just to make sure that I wasn’t seeing things. My name was on there each time. On the top of the paper I read “Meet in room F-120 for all callbacks at three o’clock that afternoon”.
Once again I was in a room filled with nervous students; most of the crowd was girls this time. I felt a little intimidated by all of them. We were lined up at the back of the room like we were criminals being lined up to see who did it. Some of these girls I have witnessed there audition and they were really good. The Assistant Director went over what we were going to do for this audition. He was done instructing us and we began the last round. My name was called first to read for Mary Warren, I thought it was odd but, I did it anyway. As I stood in the middle of the room looking at who is still in the line of terror, one by one was called to do the scene. I was up there for all of them. It was near the end of the auditions when my teacher declared in front of everyone but being directed to Nicole and me these words. “Katrina and Nicole if you didn’t know it already, Katrina you are Mary Warren and Nicole you are Betty Paris.” My heart stopped as my mouth dropped to the floor. My eyes filled with tears of joy but it seemed as if it was a dream and I was going to wake up. I never did wake up I was just on cloud nine. We were all dismissed after that, I grabbed my cell phone to call my Mom. I could barely hold my phone with the shakiness of excitement, not fully there, nervous, tired and awake; I felt every emotion possible as I called my Mom. I could barely talk to tell her that I got the part not as Betty Paris but as Mary Warren. I was speechless; my emotions surpassed my capability to function.
In other words, with no knowledge and no expectations out of my first audition I nailed a major character my freshman year. It is all thanks to that accident, I am now one of many who will have high expectations for now on. Who knew that an accident could be a good thing? Though, I didn’t want to audition for “The Crucible” it made my life a little more theatrical. It is because of the play I am now a Theatre major and will always be thankful for being pushed into the unknown.
