Audition

Standing there upon the stage,

a script you've never seen held in your hands,
no context given to explain the scene,
you're reading with a stranger or
other actors known quite well but
that was in another play, another role,
he has a face for comedy, the voice
is wrong and throws you off, or someone
else keeps getting called to read the
part you want and you're convinced
that you've been overlooked. Or
you may have just the look they want,
short blonde or tall brunette, or with that
husband, wife must be this age, or
accent's awful, or you may be perfect
for another play but not this one at all,
or you may be perfect for this part, please
come to read-through at my house next
Friday night at six. You might read well
but see you have a conflict of some kind
with the rehearsal schedule, or director may
have been distracted when you read with
brilliance but too bad, he missed it altogether,
remembering the line you flubbed with haunting
clarity, instead. You may compete with someone
who is reminiscent of the actor in the movie
version and despite the fact that you're the better
choice for this one (so you think) it's
always up to the director, what she wants
or has in mind, or what he sees artistically
when eyes are closed and you're
just reading there upon the stage again.
It's always good experience to read for
things you've never done before,
another age or someone from a far-off land,
a role to stretch you, make you work,
or work with new directors, learn from them.
It's fun, a lesson in humility, a time to catch
up with someone you only know from years
ago but thought quite pleasant and it seems
that you were right. Tonight you may be
cast or you may not, and either way will
bring a challenge of its own: the lines to learn,
a cast to blend together, feathers sometimes
ruffled and then smoothed with grace,
or lots more time to do the other things
that have a knack for showing up when
there's no show you're working on just now.


(c) Ellen Gillette, 2013