May 15, 2009
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What Actors Love to Hate
It’s auditions. They’re crucial, excruciating, painstaking, anxiety provoking, nauseating, sweat filled, angst ridden and tedious. On the other hand, they’re a drag. Nevertheless, how else can we strut our stuff? How else to show casting directors and producers they just cannot do without us? And if, after compulsively checking our email and phone messages, we find that we have been called back or (gasp) cast, all is worth it. Of course, when directors deign not to tell actors that they have NOT been cast, one might wait in vain for weeks.Today I auditioned for Lantern Theater’s season, in particular Henry IV, pt1. The theater is at 10th and Ludlow. Because I am attentionally disordered and quickly scanned the appointment email, I thought it said “17th and Ludlow.” I was so thinking that the Gods were with me when I found on-street parking right near 17th and Ludlow. Of course, there’s no theater there. So, I checked the address and lo, it was 7 blocks away. Well, being city born and bred, I could not give up such a good parking space and so I high tailed it down Chestnut St. to 10th. I arrived with not a minute to spare, winded and sweaty. Of course they were ready for me and so I needed to go right on. I did a scene from Julius Caesar between Cassius and Brutus Act I, Scene 2…”The fault dear Brutus lies not in our stars, but in ourselves that we are underlings.” I’ve been doing this monologue since my high school days during the Punic Wars. I think I acquitted myself well, but who knows. It’s been three hours and I haven’t heard a thing yet. Kudos though to the Lantern for giving me a firm appointment for their EPA’s. It sure beats hanging around.
In other news there are friends and fellow actor “friends” in several shows…
Jim Ludovici is in Odd Couple, the premier show at the new Devon Theater in Philadelphia http://www.devontheater.org
Jackie Halloway and Ken Sandberg are involved with Magic Time at Collingswood Community Center.
Carol Schwab, among others is doing Midsummer Night’s Dream at http://www.collingswoodshakespeare.org/
Steve Lobis is in Wait Until Dark at Off Broad Street http://off-broadstreet.com/index.html And I suppose listing these shows is a pretty sneaky way to get people to read my blog.
