Auditions...

I was surprised when I pulled into the parking lot and saw so many cars. Surprised, and a little nervous. I haven't done this in a few years, and hadn't really done it in closer to eight or nine. I figured I'd be a little rusty, but I did have a slight edge over my compatriots in this endeavor.

I knew the director. Of course, so did half the other people auditioning, but I didn't know that from the parking lot.

So I got in, got my audition form, got my sides and sat down next to an actress I've lit a couple of shows for. We made small talk, caught up with each other for a bit 'cause it's been a couple months since we've seen one another, then it was time to get started.

Herr Director did his informational spiel about the show, what the concept was, where rehearsals and performances would be held, all that jazz. Folks seemed pretty excited, and I was surprised to see fifteen people show up on the first night of auditions for a play that we're not getting paid for and that performs in the next state over.

I was more surprised that most of them were good. Usually auditions are hit and miss, especially for unpaid theatre, but most of these folks could act. And quite a few of them were people I'd never seen before, something that would have been unheard of two years ago.

I did my bit, read a few times, knocked the rust off, and I feel good about the audition. Chris and I have worked together several times, he's directed me, I've directed him, and we're the best of friends, so we get along well when we work together. I have a better facility with the language than most of the folks I auditioned with, a by-product of simply having done more Shakespeare, so that gave me a bit of a leg up. I'll know in a couple of days whether or not I got the role I want, but it felt pretty good just to get up there with people I'd never worked with before and act again.

I hadn't realized that I missed it.

If I get the part, this will turn into my rehearsal journal. That will at least give me the excuse to post here regularly.