It's Like Christmas!

That's what Professor R proclaimed when handing out our Shakespeare scenes which, admittedly, I was excited to get. I'm playing Hamlet, and I have some lines to memorize tonight! It looks like it will be a really fun scene.

So, I meant to update before today, but there was so much going on. Last week went by in a flash. I had my first monologue to perform in our monologue class. Professor B told us all that we need to remember that saying a monologue 'honestly' will not set us apart from the 300 people auditioning for the same role. Anyone can do an honest line reading. We need to be unique. We need to tag (end with an action) it. She told us the only rules in an audition are the ones we make for ourselves. I thought that was great advice. Who really says you can't use a prop or a chair? Don't start in neutral, stand in a way that makes someone pay attention to you, and that gives you the option to move. If you stand straight on with your hands at your sides, the only place you can go is to step forward or wander aimlessly to the side, or to bring your hands up in a physically unappealing gesture.

We need to learn to engage our bodies, and the first step is giving yourself the opportunity to move. We need to pick pieces that showcase our abilities and set us apart from the crowd.

All of this is easier said than done. Nonetheless, it will be my goal of the year to come up with audition pieces that do all these things for me.

We had meetings with Professor D pertaining to our resumes. I only had minor critiques, such as including the names of my directors on my resume, because I never know when someone will know someone I've worked with, and that makes all the difference.

This weekend we had auditions for All my Sons. Saturday went great and I received a callback. Sunday's callback was a lot of fun. I thought, for once, that I might have been called back for the ingenue Ann. However, I was called back for Sue, which is the next door neighbor who has a really interesting part. I had a great time at the callback. Director L told us exactly what she was looking for and we tried our best to give her what she wanted. I didn't get any corrections, and we only ran the scene once. My friends all had great callbacks too, and the competition was especially fierce for only 4 female roles. We should be finding out Wednesday or Thursday, so we'll see how it goes!

I have another film audition this week, for an off-campus film this time. I'll be doing that on Thursday, and if nothing else it's great experience. It was an interesting weekend in the film department of my life. The trailer for some of my friends' movie has come out:

http://www.stltoday.com/entertainment/movies/joe-williams/youtube_1e5b35f4-be21-11df-b689-0017a4a78c22.html

It's called A Horrible Way to Die . This movie is making it's debut at a couple different high end film festivals, and it's an amazing accomplishment for all the students involved. This is one I auditioned for but was not lucky enough to be cast in.

Along with this, my friend Melissa was cast in a film last year called A Face Fixed. It had it's premiere at The Ragtag Cinema this weekend, and I went with Melissa. Not only was it amazing to watch her on screen in a legitimate film (not a student film) in an actual theatre, but she was asked afterwards by someone involved in the movie if they could represent her as her agent! Talk about an awesome opportunity. She's got a bright future ahead of her.

So beyond all the amazing film related things that have been happening in my life as of late, I was asked by Professor R to meet an alumnae: Joy Haynes for lunch today. She graduated from here in 1993 (with an amazing group of girls, might I add) and has since gone on to get her law degree as well. So she's a part time practicing lawyer, and the other part of her time is spent acting and producing films in Washington D.C. She was incredibly easy to talk to and told me a lot of great stories about her time at my college as well as what it's like to do what she does.

She says D.C. is the best kept film secret. All of the voice overs in election campaigns, and airport recordings are done in D.C., along with many other opportunities that look great when building a resume. She also said that there is more film in D.C. than in Chicago. However, it is cheaper to live in L.A. (even with the driving) than it is to live in D.C., but she worked more acting gigs in 1 year in D.C. than she did in 4 years in L.A. Crazy right?

She was great to talk to, and I'll be going out to dinner with her tonight along with the Dean of the Theatre Department and the President of our college. What a fun evening I have ahead of me. I can't wait to talk to her more!

On the downside, I still have a ton of homework to accomplish. But I did finish printing the Warehouse Posters for distribution! Whoot!