Upcoming Auditions: Now thru January 9, 2011

Happy Early Christmas!


Notes about audition postings: This is just a quick overview of info I've received on Bay Area auditions. For detailed information please subscribe to Theatre Bay Area or bayareatheatrebums. Please do not email me for more information.

Broadway West

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

Looking for an actor/actress to play "Warren." Call call 510-683-9218 immediately. Rehearsals start late January.

Chanticleers Theatre

Lend Me a Tenor

Auds 12/27 7p.  Cold read. Email Sue Ellen Nelsen sueellen.nelsen@comcast.net for appt.

Pacifica Sprindrift Players

Speech and Debate

Auds 1/3-4 7-9p. Cold read and monologue. Call David (650) 784-5303 or email david.acevedo68@yahoo.com for appt.

San Leandro Players

Mary Rose

Auds 1/3-4 7-9p. Cold read & prep 2-min monologue (accents required for some characters). No appt. necessary.

Palo Alto Players

Altar Boyz 

Auds 1/8 11a-4p. Prep 2 upbeat pop/rock songs. Email info@paplayers.org for appt.

The New Conservatory Theatre Center 
The Pride

Auds 1/8 1:30-4p. Prep mono from play (given when appt. confirmed). Send a H/S and resumé to Jovan Olague Jovan@nctcsf.org for appt.

Ray of Light Theatre

Assassins

Auds 1/9-10 6-9p. Prep 32 bars musical theatre song. Go to roltheatre.com for appt.

Currently Playing

There is a lot of great theatre here in the Bay Area. Please support your community and catch a show.

Center REPertory Company
She Loves Me
9/2-10/10 (closes tonight!)

Pacific Repertory Theatre
The Country Wife
9/2-10/17

Marin Theatre Company
In the Red and Brown Water 
9/9-10/10 (closes tonight!)

Ray of Light Theatre
Jerry Springer the Opera
9/10-10/16 (closes this week!)

Tri-Valley Repertory Theatre
My Way: A Musical Tribute to Frank Sinatra
9/17-10/10 (closes tonight!)

Altarena Playhouse
I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change
9/17-10/23

Berkeley Repertory Theatre
Compulsion
9/13-10/31

Broadway West
Dial M for Murder
9/17-10/16 (closes this week!)

Sierra Repertory Theatre
Red, White and Tuna
9/17-10/17

Ross Valley Players
November
9/17-10/17

American Conservatory Theatre
Scapin
9/17-10/23

New Conservatory Theatre Center
Anita Bryan Died for Your Sins
9/17-10/24

Subterranean Shakespeare
The Ben Johnson Series
9/20-10/18

California Shakespeare Theatre
Much Ado About Nothing
9/22-10/17

Sonoma County Repertory Theatre
Fat Pig
9/22-10/24

Solano College Theatre
Rent
9/23-10/10 (closes tonight!)

Pear Avenue Theatre
Angels in America & Our Town
9/24-10/17

City Lights
First Day of School
9/23-10/24

Custom Made Theatre Co.
The Last Days of Judas Iscariot
9/24-10/30

The Marsh
Loveland
9/24-11/13

Not Quite Opera Productions
Absolutely San Francisco
9/24-12/18

Brava! for Women in the Arts
Iph...
9/25-10/16 (closes this week!)

South Bay Musical Theatre
The Music Man
9/25-10/16 (closes this week!)

SF Playhouse
The Sunset Limited
9/28-11/6

San Jose Stage Company
reasons to be pretty
9/29-10/24

College of Marin Theatre Arts
Ma Rainey's Black Bottom
9/30-10/17

AlterTheatre Ensemble
Intimate Apparel
9/30-10/24

Stage Werx Theatre
Zombie Town
9/30-10/31

Town Hall Theatre Company
Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde
9/30-10/31

Santa Rosa Junior College Theatre Arts Dept.
Anon(ymous)
10/1-10/10 (closes tonight!)

Stage 1 Theatre
Cinderella
10/1-10/16 (closes this week!)

Pacific Repertory Theatre
Twelfth Night
10/1-10/17

6th Street Playhouse
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
10/1-10/24

We Players
Hamlet
10/2-11/21

New Conservatory Theatre
And Then They Came for Me
10/3-10/10 (closes tonight!)

42nd Street Moon
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
10/3-10/24

Willows Theatre Company
Sleuth
10/4-11/7

TheatreWorks
Superior Donuts
10/6-10/31

Shotgun Players
Mary Stuart
10/06-11/07

Northside Theatre Company
Scrambled Eggs
10/7-10/31

Exit Theatre
Obscura-a magic show
10/7-12/18

CatchyName Theatre Company
Mad Tom
10/8-10/31

RasaNova Theatre
Dancing on Glass
10/8-10/10 (closes tonight!)

San Jose State University
The Seagull
10/8-10/16 (closes this week!)

Mira Theatre Guild
The Diary of Anne Frank
10/8-10/17

6th Street Playhouse
Becoming Walt Whitman
10/8-10/24

The Jewish Theatre
Wrestling Jerusalem
10/9-10/10 (closes tonight!)

Lyric Theatre
Babes in Toyland & Cox and Box
10/9-10/17

Auditions for the Week of 10/10/10

Playwright's Center of San Francisco
General Auditions
Auds. 10/11 7-10p. Email your HS/Resume to sara@playwrightscentersf.org with “PCSF Fall 2010 General
Auditions” in the subject.


Tri-Valley Repertory Theatre
Bat Boy: The Musical
Auds 10/11-12 7:30p. Download aud form and & bring to aud with HS/Resume.

Pinole Community Players
The Full Monty
Auds 10/11-12 7:30p. Call (510) 233-3598 or email directingmeeks@sbcglobal.net for info.

Raven Players
Doubt: A Parable
Auds 10/12-13 7-9p; 10/16 10a-12p. Call (707) 431-7790 for appt/info.

Palo Alto Players
Shadowlands
Auds 10/16. Email info@paplayers.org for appointment.


Foothill College
Working
Auds 10/16-17 12p-5p. Call (650) 949-7268 for info.

Opening This Week 10/10/2010

Here's a rundown of shows opening this week. Go out and support your community theatre.

SF Playhouse
Seven Days
10/13-11/6

American Conservatory Theatre
The Three Sisters
10/13-10/23

Climate Theatre
Jawvox
10/14-10/30

Marin Theatre Company
9 Circles
10/14-11/7

Diablo Valley College Department of Drama
Cabaret
10/15-11/7

Youth Musical Theater Company
Anything Goes
10/15-10/30

Benicia Old Town Theatre Group
Fences
10/15-10/23

Sonoma State University
Urgent Fury
10/15-10/23

Independent Eye
Hands Up!
10/15-16

Central Works
Penelope's Odyssey
10/16-11/21

Auditions for Week of 10/03/10

Notes about audition postings: This is just a quick overview of info I've received on Bay Area auditions. For detailed information please subscribe to Theatre Bay Area  or bayareatheatrebums. Please do not email me for more information.

Hillbarn Theatre
Holes
Auds 10/3. Callbacks 10/4. Call (650) 349-6411 for appointment.

Diablo Theatre Company
The Drowsy Chaperone
10/8 6p-10p and 10/9 11a-6p. Call (925) 944-1565 or email daren@diablotheatre.org for appointment.

New Conservatory Theatre Center
Treefall
Auds 10/9 11a-1p. Callbacks 10/10 6p-8p. Email HS/Resume to Jovan Olague, jovan@nctcsf.org.

Broadway West
I Do, I Do
Auds 10/9 2p-5p. Callbacks 10/10 6p-9p. Call (510) 683-9218 for appointment.

Auditioning for Teatro Vision

So I'm going to start with an update on Foothill auditions: I did not get a callback. I'm a little uncertain as to why and am debating on emailing the director and politely asking for a critique on my audition.

Onwards! I attended South Bay Regional auditions back in June and was very lucky to get an email from Teatro Vision inviting me to audition for their production of Bless Me, Ultima. I quickly emailed them back and set up an appointment. They asked me to prep 2 contrasting monologues, preferably one in Spanish.

I do not have monologue prepped with Spanish in it and didn't give myself enough time to learn one. Instead I used a monologue from a play I did called Miriam's Flowers by Migdalia Cruz. I played Delfina and used one of her many monologues that had a Spanish/Latin feel to it. I also decided to do Goodnight Desdemona (again) because I really needed a contrasting piece.

This was one of those low-key auditions I'm beginning to enjoy. Auditions were held at Hoover Theatre and we had 15 minute time slots. I met with Dianne Vega and Elsa Alvarado to perform my monologues. They both went very smoothly and I felt relaxed for the first time in a long time. I attribute this to knowing my monologues really, really well.

Elsa, who will be directing Ultima, asked if I spoke Spanish. Unfortunately, no-or at least not that well. I took 3 and half years in high school and both my grandparents spoke fluently  but I am far from mediocre. I usually understand better than I speak it. But I remain hopeful. Once I translate what I'm saying I can get it down well, I think. She also asked if I had seen any of Teatro's productions. Much to my embarrassment, I told her no I hadn't. To be fair though, I have only recently made it a priority to catch more theatre.

Teatro's production doesn't go up until next Spring, so it may be awhile before I hear back from them. But it was good practice overall.

Auditioning for Foothill College

I auditioned for Foothill College today. They will be producing The Winter's Tale. I had not read Winter's Tale previously and the audition had asked for a Shakespearean monologue and cold readings from the play. For the monologue I opted to do Mariana from Measure for Measure. Actually, this is my only Shakespearean piece I have down. I'm hoping to get a new dramatic piece and a comedic piece at some point.

Since I pretty much had the entire day free I spent it in the student center reading The Winter's Tale. I read the wiki on it for a summary and then read all the parts that had women in them. I took a shortcut because it's honestly really hard for me to translate Shakespeare well in that short amount of time.

I arrived at the audition to learn that in addition to the monologue we might be asked to sing. This is not good for me. I'm not really a singer, and certainly don't prepare anything (which I need to start doing).

During the audition my monologue went very smoothly. I was quite proud actually. Marcia Frederick, the director, asked me if there was a particular part I had in mind and I immediately answered Paulina. (Although I would be happy with any part.) So she had me read Paulina's monologue from Act 3, scene 2. I was also, unfortunately, asked to sing. Since I had nothing prepped I struggled to think of something I actually knew the words of. Finally, I blurted out with "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star." Really, that was the best I had. I got through the first stanza ok and then struggled through the second. Luckily, Marcia cut me off.

Once I get my cold reading piece(s) I do my best to score them. I try to set a tone, objectives, character choices and substitutions. This is why it's important to read the play beforehand if you get a chance. It makes all this work go faster.

Since there were quite a few people at the audition and we were doing monologues plus cold readings, I spent more time than I should have socializing. But it was nice to chat with people on upcoming projects. I also spent some of my time talking to the Stage Manager about Foothill's conservatory. She was great and asnwered all of my questions.

When it was finally time for me to perform the cold reading I have to say I did the best to my ability, but I think I still screwed up. All the prep work I put into it while waiting didn't seem to show itself when it came down to it. The monologue read as quiet anger. Marcia thanked me when I was finished, double checked the information on my resume and then told me I was finished. I was pretty bummed. I wondered if I should have made a different choice, like maybe I should have been loud angry. And then I wondered why if I had been doing it wrong she didn't correct me? As in, ask me to read the monologue differently. I left the audition feeling confused and wondering if I would be called back.

Auditioning for Broadway West

I auditioned for Broadway West’s general auditions on Monday. This season they are presenting I Do, I Do; One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest; Hay Fever; StarSpangled Girl; and The Last Night of Ballyhoo. I was lucky to hear about the auditions in advance from the director of Cuckoo’s Nest, John. I worked with him at Shady this last season, again one of the perks to sometimes taking a tech job instead of acting job.

Since I knew I already wanted to work on Cuckoo’s Nest as Ratched, I spoke with my mentor and he helped me pick out the play Doubt by John Patrick Shanley and told me to look at the character Sister Aloysius. Once I bought the play I figured I could piece together a monologue from the dialogue between Sister Aloysius and Sister James. I am not very good at this sort of thing so I had a friend of mine, who is not only an English teacher but also teaches Drama, look over the play and give me hand. With his help I was able to pull a monologue out by cutting Sister James’ lines.

The audition called for a monologue and song. But since I’m not the musical theater person yet I practiced a second contrasting monologue in the hope I’d be able to perform it. I choose Good Night Desdemona since I had been able to find and work a new comedic piece.

To be honest, I really could have spent more time on these monologues. I had them memorized but my substitutions and objectives were still muddy by the time auditions arrived.

The Broadway West company is a great small, intimate space. And they were very lax on their audition process, in a good way. I arrived early and ran into people I knew who told me a bit about their experiences working with the company. Everyone had great things to say about the company. Also, they were very generous on time and introductions. I was introduced to all the directors and assistant directors; the time slots were about 15 minute increments; and they allowed me to do my two monologues.

And while Broadway West treated me well this is probably one of the worst conditions I’ve ever gone into an audition. To say I was a bundle of nerves is a massive understatement. I was nervous for a few reasons. I didn’t like auditioning for someone I know. In most cases this is beneficial. If you completely mess up your audition you can hope the director remembers some of your previous work and just thinks you had a bad night. However, John has never seen me perform and I very badly wanted to impress him, especially since I seriously want to be considered for his show. When I was being introduced to all the directors, I learned that in addition to John, Bryan was also there (he’ll be directing The Last Night of Ballyhoo). I had auditioned for Bryan previously during Shady auditions, but I’m not even sure if he remembers me from it. So there was yet another person to impress. While waiting to audition I spoke with my friend, Jim, who informed me that lots of women coming through auditions were interested in Cuckoo’s Nest. This bit of news also didn’t help my nerves.

 I really tried my best to calm my nerves. (I am thinking about enrolling in some meditation or Tai Chi classes to work on grounding techniques for situations like this.) But by the time I got onstage, I had already suffered from dizziness and nausea and just wasn’t feeling well. However, I was able to get through my monologues. I got all my lines right and didn’t drop or make up anything. I’m sure, despite my best effort, I was visibly nervous. What I was most disappointed in myself about is how I lost the nuance to my acting. I never got over my nerves. Usually, if I’m nervous at some point in the monologue I relax and start really getting into character. (Yes, I know I should be in character before I start my piece but my nerves don’t always let me.) I’m not really sure how I did overall. By the time I got to my car to leave I finally fell apart, crying. I was just so frustrated with myself. (And I felt stupid for getting myself worked up.)

About the only good news I’ve heard thus far is John saying my monologue was, I’m going to assume he meant the Doubt piece.

And now comes my least favorite part-waiting. With a general audition you wait until the show comes up and hope you get a callback. Which means it could be months before I hear from anyone.

Auditions for the week of 9/19

Notes about audition postings: This is just a quick overview of info I've received on Bay Area auditions. For detailed information please subscribe to Theatre Bay Area or bayareatheatrebums. Please do not email me for more information.


Woodside Community Theatre
The Drowsy Chaperone
Auds 9/19 6:30-9pm. Email: auditions@woodsidetheatre.com

StarStruck Theatre
Annie
Auds 9/19. Appt call (510) 659-1319 or sign up online.

Broadway West Theatre
General Auditions
Auds 9/19 1-4pm and 9/20 7-9pm. Appt: (510) 638-9218.

Lamplighters Music Theatre
The Yeomen of the Guard
Auds 9/19-9/21 7-10pm. Email auditions@lamplighters.org with 1st and 2nd choice times and phone number.

Berkeley Playhouse
Little Shop of Horrors
Auds 9/20 4-5:30pm. Register berkeleyplayhouse.org

Bay Area Children's Theatre
Little House on the Prairie
Auds 9/21-22. Email HS/Resume to nina@bactheatre.org

Foothill College Theatre Arts
The Winter's Tale
Auds 9/21-9/22 7pm. Callbacks 9/25. Call for info (650) 949-7268.

Stanford Savoyard
Princess Ida
Auds 9/23-9/25. Email stanfordsavoyards@gmail.com.

Mary Sano Studios
My Kanrin Maru (working title)
Auds 9/24 4-6pm. Email HS/Resume to nonoko@gmail.com.

Coastal Repertory Theatre
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
Auds 9/25 11am-3pm. Callbacks 9/26. Call for info Michael Lederman (650) 726-0268.

Pleasanton Civic Arts Stage Company
The Princess and the Pea
Auds 9/25-9/26 12pm-5pm. Appt rennals@sfshakes.org

Teatro Vision

Bless Me, Ultima
Auds 9/25 1pm-4:30pm and 9/27 6:00pm-9:00pm. Email dianne@teatrovision.org.

Shady Shakespeare

My last day working with Shady was today. It was quite a sad day; I actually cried. This whole summer has been an amazing experience for me.

I auditioned for the Shady 2010 season back in Spring. I was not surprised I didn't get cast. I was (as usual) ill-prepared and just always seem to bomb at call-backs. (By the way, are there any cold reading classes out there? I could use one.) But everyone cast was extremely talented and fit their roles perfectly.

A little background for the actor on Shady: typically they run two shows during the summer. Rehearsals run 8 weeks long and you are usually double cast. Shows run through Labor Day weekend from Thursday thru Sunday nights. No understudy roles are available. It pays a small stipend and is performed in an outdoor theatre in Sanborn Park. You are also expected to help build the set, participate in set up during the run, and take down the set. It's certainly a lot of work, but I think it's a great experience as to what it's like to run a small theatre company. Everyone, actors included, work together to create the experience.

In speaking with Shady's artistic director, Larry Barrott, suggested I could ASM for both the Shady shows this past summer. Typically each show has a separate SM and ASM. I knew it would be a daunting task and I honestly had very limited ASM experience. But I figured my responsibility, the SMs, and my theatre knowledge would keep me afloat. And did.

Rehearsal started in late May and I jumped in sometime in early June after I quit my "day job." Early rehearsals were conducted at Independence High School, which has an amazing theatre space. Late June we moved into Sanborn and spent the rest of the summer there.

We had a record breaking year as far as attendance, which bodes well for next year.

Since I was not performing with them I used this time to brush up on my technical knowledge, start my  networking, get some great advice, and pick up some great acting tips from professionals.

There is a slight con that comes with an actor working in a technical profession, which I'll save for a later blog.  Otherwise it has been an amazing summer.

One last thing, Shady also offers a range of classes from children's theatre performance to combat training.

www.shadyshakes.org
Shady Shakespeare Facebook

Obligatory first post

I was born and raised in the Bay Area of California and have been interested in theatre all my life. While I chose to study Psychology in college, I did earn a minor in Theatre Arts performance and have been acting since I was in high school. In 2005 I took a break from acting because I didn't believe I was good enough to earn a living from it (a decision I deeply regret). Recently, through encouragement from friends and family I have begun my journey to try and "make it." Unfortunately the institutions I've studied at thus far have left me ill-prepared for becoming an acting professional. Wondering if there were others like me I've decided to blog on my journey as well as throwing in theatre happenings in the Bay Area, and reviews on theatre related books and shows. Hope that this journey proves fruitful. I cannot even guess how this will turn out.

~Jess