Industrial Action

This is the title for any posts relating to my acting career. In the sense of "action" in my "industry." Brilliant.

Anyway, I had an audition for a touring Theatre In Education (TIE) company last weekend (day of my house move conveniently enough). I had to prepare a monologue and a song. They said there would be a cold read but I didn't see anything.

It was at the Newtown Neighbourhood Centre - which hosts a variety of community events and has cheap spaces for hire. I rehearsed there once for a play when Sydney had a Fringe Festival.

Anyway I arrived, there were three people standing on the front steps waiting for people to arrive, and a sign stuck on the door saying "Auditions" with an arrow pointing inside. As I approached the both smiled at me very warmly, the woman said "Are you here for the..." gesturing inside, to which I replied "Yes, I'm here for the..."

She said "Wonderful, my name's Carol" The man introduced himself as well telling me to just go straight upstairs and grab a seat - there would be drinks provided. I thouight this was quite surprising and all very pleasant for an audition process. Anyway, up the stairs I went to the meeting hall. Sure enough there were seats arranged in rows, with a table at the back, biscuits, cordial, tea, coffee, and two big banners hung either side of a lectern with 12 big Steps proudly displayed. At this point I remembered that, yes, the audition instructions had said the GROUND floor. I went back downstairs and found a couple of girls waiting, filling out forms. This was the right place. I wasn't there for an AA meeting. At least not yet!

Although I half expected one of the people from the door to come in and ask me if I was lost, and if I was REALLY where I wanted to be...

A freind from a kids' show I did earlier this year arrived. We caught up briefly. Then, typically, we were asked to come in together - the instructions said nothing about a "group" audition so naturally I was nervous. The gentleman running it seemed nice - he suggested we take a minute to warm up in the space. We were all a little bit self-conscious as a) it was a very small room and b) we had all been expecting to come in and show off for the audition panel only, now we had to do it in front of three other people. Off putting. The whole thing had a bit of an amateur feel, but I knew that this company had been running many years, and could actually afford to pay Equity rates as well as fly their cast all over Australia.

Anyway, I did my piece first as I had to get home to start moving. Last of the Red Hot Lovers - one of my standard contgemporary pieces. Good emotional range, naturalistic character, bit of comedy.

Then he asked me to sing. Now I can sing - I'm not at musical theatre or opera standard but I can sing. He didn't give me much of a chance though and I felt very patronised when he stopped me after two lines and told me just to sing Happy Birthday. Then to sing up the scale. I got the sense that either singing wasn't overly important, or that it was important and this fancied himself an expert when he looked more like an enthusiast. Harsh and pretentious I know. Oh well. I got a callback so that's good. No instruction on what extra, if anything to prepare. So I'll just turn up.

Bumped into a friend from acting school outside - one of the ones I hardly ever see but love seeing every time I do. Brief catch up, then off to move.

Will update y'all on the callback after tomorrow.