What's neat about Party Time is that the production'll be another home invasion like Vincent River was. So it'll be wonderful AND strange!
I was only really suitable for the last role, a character who makes an appearance at the very end of the show.
But I THOUGHT I might have a shot at a character named Terry. I didn't know if having the same name would give me an advantage or just make things awkward. I could've argued that it would save money on printing. "Featuring Terry as same."
I'm lucky because I live with Chelsea Schmidt, who is the production assistant for the show. That means I got a ride to Charlestown Working Theater where the audition was and I got to read the play before hand.
(It's a weird one, guys. I like it, but I can't quite articulate why yet.)
Anyway, the weekend before the audition I was real worried about the monologue I should use. Candy Factory has been my standby for a long time now, but I could have sworn I used it for a Theatre on Fire audition before, and I didn't wanna repeat myself. I actually had to check this blog to make sure that I hadn't. It's definitely time to learn a new monologue.
Anyway, I put Candy Factory into practice one more time at the audition. Director Darren was real apologetic about the boisterous class taking place above the theater. It worked for me. I did my monologue, honestly, the most sober way I'd ever done it. It was strange. This monologue's been real good to me. I'll miss it.
Darren also asked if I ever performed in any non-traditional spaces. I mentioned a performance installation on the Charles River Esplanade where I jogged back on forth on a pier for an hour and a half, occasionally coming to a halt while a woman in a tree far away song a wordless aria. As Emerson College experiences go, it was one of the better ones.
Three days later, I get called back! Callbacks were at the ol' BCA Plaza Black Box Theatre I know so well on a very busy day. Parking in the South End is usually hell, and this day it was particularly bad! Many actors were late. Laura Menzie, who was Juliet in that Romeo and Juliet I did that one time eventually arrived. We were jazzed.
But also nervous! This isn't an easy play to audition for. The entire play takes place at a cocktail party for the one percent, and everyone's motivations are very below the surface - tough stuff to pick up on the fly.
I was lucky to be asked to read for Jimmy, the character at the end of the show. His frame of mind is about as mysterious is everyone else's, but his language does stimulate the imagination. I also got called back for another schmuck who I wasn't as attuned to.
In the waiting room, it was killing us that Darren wasn't dropping any directions after scenes. Usually that's something that would bug me, but I understood. This play is probably harder to cast than to audition for. I don't envy 'im.
Two days later, I was lucky enough to be offered the role of Jimmy.
I did, however, forget to bring my headshot and resume to the initial audition. Whoops!
Still 5 headshots remain.
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