All day @ Equity

Auditions @ Equity aren't easy to go to when you have a 9-530 desk job and aren't Equity yet. I managed one audition last summer ('07) for "The Farnsworth Invention". I got in, in the first half of the day but it was kind of obvious that the audition was a formality as the person behind the table gave a look of "just hurry up & get it over w/." After that, I decided to get more comfortable w/ more than one monologue and wait for something that I thought I truly had a shot at before taking a day off to sit and wait for the chance to audition, again.

Then I saw a posting for season auditions for The Public Theater in Lewiston, Maine. Now...why would I want to go there? Well, "Last Mass at St. Casimir's" was in their season line up and "Last Mass..." happens to be the third show in the trilogy of the Pazinski Family in which I played Annie in the 2nd show called "King O the Moon". And we had read a version of the 3rd script at our cast party. I had always wanted to continue the role and now here was a possible opportunity to do so...

So, I got up early and signed up on the Non-Equity wait list (I was #8 as I had killed time before going over because I mistakenly thought since no one was lined up outside that I was a bit TOO early...wrong. I should know by now there is no such thing as "too early").

Once auditions started, we were told that it looked good and we should get in. Then, more Equity people showed and pretty soon we were told @ 11am to leave and come back @ 2pm.

Back @ 2pm and by then the #s were less and as time passed we were told that 2 maybe 4 would be seen. Most of the Equity (mostly older) actors that saw us waiting gave us positive words of encoragement but one younger actor came around and was nothing but negative. Someone actually told him to take it elsewhere. Not helpful.

More time passed, more bailed. My number 8 status was hovering around 4 or 5 now. I decided to wait. We were told we could leave our headshot and resume if we didnt' get in. I started to prepare a note and then was told to head back. I was going to get in! I was going to be the very last audition of the day but I was going to get in!!!

The time finally came for me to step in. There were 2 people behind the table. The one person was very friendly and the other person just seemed tired of seeing so many actors audition. I gave my monologue and I saw red ink by my KotM credit and was told callbacks would happen as the shows came up in the season. (Which means spring for Last Mass...)

In the meantime, fingers will be crossed I guess... Couldn't really tell if I did good or bad from their reaction. But if I do get it, it would mean a paid gig that gives me Equity! Which would be mostly good - and a good role to revisit, too. :)