There was one theatre company that is very near to my home, let's call them "A". The first time I went there, I missed their audition, but they still needed to fill one more role, so they invited me to call-backs. At the time, I had been working with the professional actors at Hedgerow, and my first reaction was "this is NOT Hedgerow!" There were several of us auditioning for the part, and one man was chosen. The directors made it clear, he was chosen because he looked the part. Oh well. The thing that saddens me is that this man dropped out of the play . . . I guess I wasn't anywhere on the "call him next" list. I auditioned a second time for one of my favorite plays, even though I knew I wasn't right for any of the parts. It was one of those "I couldn't live with myself if I didn't try" moments. I didn't get a part, but a friend of mine got the lead. She did a great job and has become a "big deal" because of it. Okay, that meant two auditions at "A", and rejections both times.
I decided to give "A" one more try, and this time . . . I felt as though I did really well with the audition. The director seemed very impressed. I felt pretty good . . . and then I got a rejection 3 1/2 hours later. In other words, I was at the top of the first page of rejections. "A" was now on my "shit list".
On a related note, there was still the other matter of another theatre company, let's call it "B", that fancies itself as being quite prestigious. Several people have told me they are a bit stuck up. I went to one audition there. I was early because I had a conflict. One other man auditioned with me. The director, without having taken a look at our acting resumes and without knowing either of us, pointed to the other guy and said he wanted him to read for the lead part. He pointed to me and said he wanted me to read for a bit part. Oh, by the way, the other guy was white. This shouldn't have mattered with this play, as ethnicity isn't mentioned in the play and has no relevance . . . but who cares? The director saw him as white. "B", for all its prestige, was on my "shit list". Recently, however, I went to see a play there, set during the middle ages. Surprise, surprise, there was an african american on the stage! Sure, it was a small part, but at least he was cast! I decided that I needed to give "B" another try some time in the future. "B" was theoretically off the "shit list", but I hadn't been back there.
Back to "A" . . .
One day, they were having auditions for a one-act festival. A friend bugged me into going. Even though "A" was on my "shit list", I went. It was actually a very fun audition. There were a lot of people there, and we all sat in the theatre as we were called up one at a time to do a monologue. It was like a free show! When it was my turn, I did a poem ("She Moves Through The Fair") and then transitioned to the closing monologue from "Angels in America". I had to get to class, so I rushed out of there. As I was leaving, a number of people were saying what a great job I did. One guy reached back, hanging halfway out of the room, to shake my hand. When I got back in my car, I was surprised at how this hit me. I actually am good at this . . . and yet I can never seem to get a part.
It took a month or so for them to sort out who would be in what play at the festival. I was expecting a "nothing" part that I would turn down. I received the script and my part was a sort of "evil genius". Okay, they had my interest! For the first rehearsal . . . remember the third play I auditioned for at "A", and was rejected after 3 1/2 hours? The director of that play was in this play. She said I audition well . . . okay, I thought, but I was rejected pretty quickly. She remarked that my age was the issue -- all the parts were either too young or too old. Okay. I assumed that it was my dark skin, and the fact that the play was set in Scotland.
By the second rehearsal, she started bugging me to audition for a play she would be directing. The audition is in October, the performance will be in February. Ready for this one? This play will be at "B"! I asked her to show me the script. After reading it, I came back to her and said "if you want me, I'm in." It looks like a very interesting work!
It was just the three of us (remember that this is a 10-minute play) and the director. We met and rehearsed for several weeks. My character changed about six times before the director finally found something that he liked.
Then, tech week. This was where we got to meet and work with the rest of the cast for the rest of the short plays. There were a LOT of people here! I came to realize something: I don't have a shabby history for theatre involvement, but I've only worked with maybe three people there. I realized that "A" and "B" were a sort of "clique". They had never heard of Viviana, and Barnstormers . . . well, they were old, falling apart, and couldn't even get an audience nowadays.
So, these people didn't know me. First tech rehearsal, I went on stage. I did my part, and when I came downstairs to the green room, people were congratulating me. It would seem that I did a great job. The show opened, and this happened performance after performance. People were telling me that someone-or-another wanted to meet me, because they felt I was the high-point of the play. Sometimes, when the audience was a bit quiet, people would say that they were counting on me to get some laughs out of them.
I came out of that three-week run having gained some respect. This is good, but it's also a problem. I was cast because they try to cast everyone for this show. It was 11 short plays, and they needed people. I took that opportunity, and they got to see how good I am. More importantly, they got to see the guy they kept turning away. I wonder if they learned anything from this.
I learned something, however. I learned that I actually am good at this. I have more chances opening up for me, and maybe I'll take them . . . but I feel to this the way I feel to many cliques: I don't want to be a part of it! Both "A" and "B" are off my shit list. I didn't see any more shows at "A" that interested me, but there are maybe two at "B" that are on my list.
During this run, a play I wrote was performed at a short play festival in New York City. That is where my attention is right now. I want to put on another show in New York City. I want to find a way to raise the money, I want to either write the script or find a script, and I want to do it! It's a cliche, yes, but how can I be satisfied with community theatre in a suburb of Philadelphia after seeing one of my plays performed in New York City?
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