More Drama Drama

Sigh.....

I discovered that a local theater (excuse me, THEATRE) group was having auditions right in my little town for a one-act comedy festival. I love comedy, and one acts are a lot of fun, so I decided to audition, as did my husband. He went on the first night and they let him read about 7 times, kept him there for 3 hours, and told him he was great! He reported that he didn't seen any girls auditioning that were blowouts, so I felt good about going the next night.

So, I go, fill out my information, get my picture taken...all pretty standard audition stuff. Then, I read with 4 other people for a 5-person play where each character is a bug who has been trapped in a jar by a child. I played one of the lightening bugs. I did my best bug voice, and the directors who were casting laughed a lot at everything I did. So, I felt good. Then, the director swapped roles on everyone and we read again (this time for the other lightening bug.) I even changed it up a little. They laughed some more, and I felt even better.

Then I went back to the waiting room. And sat. And sat and sat. Folks all around me were being handed second scripts to read, and I wasn't. I just kept sitting there, making eye contact with the script-passer-outer-lady every time she walked by. She looked at me, at my number, and then kept walking. Then they come out and start telling some people they can go home. Sure that they weren't interested in me, I brace myself to hear my number in the list of those who can leave, but didn't. Hooray! Past the first round.

Then I sit. And sit. And sit. Again, everyone is reading for the second, third, or fourth time, and I still haven't been handed another script. I don't say anything because I'm sure that the next script is mine, and I don't want to bother them during their audition process. After another 40 minutes, and a few frantic text messages to Jon who assured me they were keeping me around for a reason, they announced more people who could leave. I was really worried that they were releasing me without hearing me read again, but again my number didn't come up. Confused, but relieved, I stuck around.

After a frantic call to Jon about why they were keeping me, but not letting me read, I settled in and waiting again. After 30 more minutes, they called out the numbers of those they wanted to stick around, and, sadly, my number was not in there.

I was really upset - not because they didn't like me, but because they kept me there, not letting me read but not letting me go, and I felt really foolish. It's like getting your hopes up for an hour and a half, only to find out that, more than likely due to a mistake, they didn't want you around after all.

The good news is that Jon was cast and had an email in his inbox immediately the next day, and while I'm bummed it's something that we don't get to do together, I'm not jealous, since we obviously weren't up for the same roles.

Oh well, maybe next time.