RCS Result!

A week after my Royal Conservatoire of Scotland audition, I received this email. The conditional offer was based on me sending in a transcript from my university so they could confirm that I'm eligible for the MA. So, basically...I got in!

George Washington ACA (February 9, 2014)

The last audition.

I can't even explain how burnt out I was at this point, and the prospect of waking up at around 7am on a Saturday was not a happy one. But, I was so close to being done... As long as I kept reminding myself of the celebration my friends had planned for later in the evening, I could muster up enough strength to get through this final audition.

The audition was at the Goodman, and the mandatory group warm-up started at 9:30am. I knew a couple of people auditioning, so it was nice to have friendly faces waiting for me when I arrived, making the audition more of a fun outing than a chore.

We had a really nice, long warm-up with Gary Logan, the director of the program, and Ellen O'Brien, head of voice and text. They were both really warm and lovely, and the audition room felt very relaxed and welcoming, including all of the other auditioners. The warm-up actually really helped, especially considering it was Saturday morning, and considering the week I (and most of the other people there) had. We returned to the lobby and were called in one by one for the initial audition. Because their program is specifically focused on classical acting, it required two Shakespeare monologues.

After the initial audition, we all waited around for the end of the day callback list to be posted. Luckily, all of my friends and I were on it, so there was no awkward goodbyes. I was really pleased to get called back; I had wanted to end the week strong, and it was especially nice to get some validation after my mental struggles with my LAMDA audition. Despite the program's reputation for wanting older actors, we were surprised to find that most of the people called back were pretty young. We waited in a different room for our turns, and in the meantime chatted a bit amongst ourselves. For the callbacks, they request that you have prepared a modern piece, as well as a couple extra Shakespeare. When I went in, they had me do my contemporary speech and then had me re-do one of my Shakespeare's from my original audition. I was then given some direction that was incredibly confusing to me in the moment, although looking back on it I think he was just trying to get me to say my Shakespeare piece in a more natural, contemporary tone (I have been accused in the past of "singing" Shakespeare). However, I think due to my split-second confusion, it made my re-do of the Shakespeare piece incredibly strange and muddled. I walked out feeling that, while it was no one's fault, I just hadn't jived with that piece of direction and probably didn't leave a very strong impression. When I talked to my other friends, none of our callback experiences were the same.

While I was slightly disappointed that I hadn't delivered my best, I was so pleased to have gotten a callback on my last audition and also that IT WAS MY LAST AUDITION!! That night, I celebrated with my lovely, supportive friends, first by going to the Carriage House (where we all stuffed ourselves on Southern comfort food) and then drinking and dancing. And then, of course, passing out in my bed without setting an alarm -- a nearly forgotten luxury.

LAMDA Audition (February 7, 2014)

(It's a slow day at work, so I may as well keep updating...)

I had Thursday off from auditioning, although I ended up spending that Thursday FREAKING OUT about my LAMDA audition. This is my third year auditioning for them, which is a little pathetic. I auditioned for them first when I was a senior in college, and I ended up getting wait-listed for their one year international program, but never got in. The second time was last year, when I got a flat out rejection, while my roommate and best friend got in (no hard feelings, Zoe!).

So, let's just say that I was feeling a lot of mixed emotions about having another shot.

Their auditions in Chicago are at the Chicago Dramatists building. I only got there about fifteen minutes early for my 9am audition, as the El during rush hour is the most frustrating, inconsistent public transportation system I've ever dealt with in my life. I curse it daily. I changed into my audition outfit (as it was too cold to wear it outside) and then did a few warmups and drank some water while I waited for someone to come out and get me. Soon after 9am, an ex-student brought me into the audition room, which is actually a small theatre (like, no pressure or anything...). You audition in front of Rodney Cottier, who is the head of the drama school. He is very nice but a bit reserved. He asks you what pieces you're doing, and then sits in the back with the ex-student as you do your pieces one after another -- one Shakespeare, one modern, one song. He then asked me for a third Shakespeare. He said thank you, asked me to come sit down, and then briefly interviewed me. I had auditioned for both the one year and the two year, so he asked which one I preferred. Unlike past years, I was able to confidently say I was mostly just interested in the two year program. He then asked about funding, and I was honest -- I'm not only blessed with incredibly generous parents, but I am also willing to take out loans, work during the summer, etc. etc. And...that was about it. LAMDA auditions an insane amount of places in the US/Canada, so he warned me that I wouldn't be hearing anything until at least mid-March.

To be honest, I left the audition incredibly disappointed. The interview portion is always strangely casual and business-like, so you don't really get a chance to talk about why you love acting, why you want to go to school, why you want to go to their school in particular... And, I knew that last year when my roommate auditioned, she had been asked for THREE extra pieces, so I assumed the worst and just pushed LAMDA into a dusty corner of my brain, and just reminded myself that I had Guildhall in May, and one more audition still to do...

Rodney Cottier 

Rodney Cottier 

Old Globe Audition (February 5, 2014)

After my jam-packed Tuesday experience, only having one audition sounded like a breeze! I only experience slight nerves on my way to the Hyatt Regency for my audition for the Old Globe program at 10:15am. (The nerves escalated slightly as I ONCE AGAIN got lost.)

They were running a bit behind, so I ended up waiting outside the room for about fifteen minutes. When I was called in, it went by in the blink of an eye. The two men inside the room were incredibly friendly and put me at ease. I introduced myself, did my two pieces and then we briefly chatted about them and about my resume, mostly just the fact that I played viola. And that was all.

It seems even unnecessary to blog about it, but for consistency's sake...

I did not have high hopes for the audition anyway, as Old Globe is notoriously selective (even MORE selective than all the other insanely selective programs for which I was auditioning). They also have no callback process -- it all rests on those initial ten minutes. I didn't feel bad about my audition, but I was realistic about my chances. I hopped on a bus and went back to work. They don't let you know if you got in until around the end of March, but I wasn't holding my breath.

ACT, TISCH, Yale & Royal Conservatoire of Scotland Auditions (February 4, 2014)

In the Grad School Auditioning Week from Hell, this was the Grad School Auditioning Day From Hell. With four auditions in a row, I knew things would be bumpy. The day started off uneventfully enough with my audition for ACT at 10am. They were running slightly behind but the wait wasn't too long. You are auditioned by two people, Melissa Smith (the conservatory director) and Jeffrey Crockett (head of voice). I went in, introduced myself, did my two pieces and then was interviewed briefly (I believe the only question they asked was, what kind of theatre interests you? A broad question which I used to talk about the touring production of Prudencia Hart I saw last year, which has really stuck with me. Luckily, Melissa had also seen it!). They post their list for end of the day callbacks after the morning session and after the afternoon session, so I only had to wait until about 1pm to find out.

Next was my TISCH audition, right down the hall, at 11am. We had a short orientation session in the hallway after filling out some paperwork, and then got split into two groups for two different auditioners (we all know my feelings about that set up). I went in, did my two pieces, and then the woman who was auditioning me (too much of a blur to remember who she is...) asked me a few questions about my Shakespeare and then had me re-do the end of it. I walked out, waited until the end of the hour to hear the callback list, which I was not on.

LUNCH BREAK! In which I awkwardly ran into Jeffrey Crockett. Knowing that probably he was at lunch with Melissa deciding who from the morning session they wanted to call back for the end of the day. Luckily, as I found out after lunch, it was MEEEE! (And other people...) Unfortunately, their callback time was at 3pm, right smack dab in the middle of my Yale and RCS auditions. I had to wait around until I caught Jeffrey and asked him what I should do. He said just come after, as soon as I could, so I could jump in with the group. The thought of this kind of loosey goosey arrangement panicked me a bit.

The panic continued as my Yale audition was scheduled for 2pm, and yet they had not shown up! (Horrible weather was causing flight delays -- great timing, Mother Nature!). They had to completely reschedule their morning auditions, but luckily showed up a bit before 2pm and started setting up. Although, this still meant my audition was delayed, and my stomach churned faster and faster the farther behind they got, as I had my audition for RCS in a DIFFERENT HOTEL at 3:30pm. I finally got in and did my two monologues and was thanked and told to check the callback list at the end of the hour. I waited around until the last possible second, waiting for the end of the hour callbacks (which were actually going to be held at 8 or 9pm that night, thanks to all the rescheduling and delays) before I gave up and ran to a bus, trying to get to my next audition in time.

I showed up at my RCS audition, which was at The Westin, about ten minutes late, for which I apologized profusely. It all seemed very casual, however, so it was no big deal, although meant I didn't actually get in for my audition until around 4pm (thus complicating my ACT end of the day callback situation, but I just took a deep breath and tried to focus on being present at RCS). The audition took place in a HUGE room, in front of Mark Saunders, the head of the MA program. After chit chatting a bit about my resume, I did my two pieces and song, after which he stopped me. We worked both of them -- freeing up my movement in the Shakespeare piece, and then containing my emotion for my modern. It was a pretty solid workshop, and he really took the time to talk to me about my opinions and also gave me very solid, strong direction. Then, we sat down and he interviewed me (for quite a long time, I will say). He explained the program a bit while I asked more specific questions, as well as asking me why I chose the pieces I chose, why I want to go back to grad school, what I felt my weaknesses were...it was really the most rigorous interview that I had. But it felt really, really good. Yes, it is terrifying to have such an involved audition, but it is so wonderful to know that you're getting a good chance to show them what you can do. Your whole possible future at the school doesn't hang on ten minutes that are over before you know it.

So, I left RCS feeling proud and happy, feelings which mostly dissipated as I immediately freaked out about making it to the ACT end of day callback. After missing the bus, I decided upon a peculiar running/walking/hopping combination to get me back to the Hyatt Regency and, hopefully, to my end of day callback! I was there outrageously late, and sweaty. After sitting outside the closed room, I managed to talk to Jeffrey and Melissa. Yes, the callbacks were over. Should I come back tomorrow? No, that seems too complicated. So, instead, I had my end of the day callback alone with them. It involved a vocal/breath warmup with Jeffrey (one-on-one), and then a cold read of some dialogue from a play with Melissa (one-on-one). We ran through it a few times and also discussed what was going on in the scene. Then, I did a third piece for them (I chose one of my other Shakespeare pieces) and that was that.

I checked the Yale end of day callback list to see if I had made it through, and no such luck. I have to say, I was a little grateful that I wasn't going to have to stick around until 8pm to do a callback. I dragged my weary bones back to my home, where I promptly collapsed in front of the TV. Hell day, over.

Juilliard Audition (February 3, 2014)

Monday, February 3rd (a week after my Bristol Old Vic audition and two weeks after Guildhall) began my Grad School Auditioning Week from Hell. The story of how Claire had eight auditions in six days. Surprisingly, I ran into so many people who had applied to even MORE schools than I had, and were even squeezing in random walk-in auditions. God bless (/help) them.

The Hyatt Regency is a HUGE place, and even though this was my second go around at auditioning for schools there, I still managed to get lost most every day. The immense adrenaline pumping through your veins (and, seemingly, pumping through the very concrete foundation of the building) slight impedes directional ability. If anyone is reading this, I ADVISE GETTING THERE EARLY. Just so early. Preposterously early. I guarantee you, you will get a little lost, and, if you somehow don't get lost, you'll still have the pleasure of sitting outside your audition room smugly, imagining how much smarter and together you are than me.

Juilliard's audition on this day was in a particularly maze-like dungeon portion of the hotel. I was met by an incredibly friendly woman and told to wait in the holding cell room. I was surprised by how many high school seniors were there (surprised, and, I admit, slightly annoyed as only a curmudgeonly twenty-three year old can be). I am one of those, you may exchange friendly chit chat with me for a few minutes, but I do not want to spend the next hour of this audition process sharing with you my hopes and dreams (or, in this case, my "dream role") people.

We were given a pep talk by Richard Feldman and Becky Guy. It was very sweet, albeit a little long, all about the Juilliard community and also about how they just want us to relax and have fun today, show them our normal selves, etc. etc. We then did a quick physical warm-up that was incredibly chill (so chill that there was no mistake that this was just for us, not some way for them to secretly assess us without our knowledge). (But also so chill that it wasn't incredibly helpful, but oh well.) Then we returned to the holding cell waiting room. We were split into two groups -- half would audition for Richard Feldman and half for Becky Guy.

I know it probably doesn't matter, and I'm just fruitlessly raging over some made-up injustice, but I really don't like it when they structure auditions like that. I get that it saves time (although most other schools manage to do just fine without it) but I find it a little upsetting that they even FURTHER randomize your chances. There is no way, in a process that is really very subjective, that both of the auditioners are of the same mind. Perhaps one of them would call you back, but the other wouldn't. (When you hear the result of my audition, you're just going to brush this off as me being a sore loser.) But really. Don't make it MORE subjective, please.

Anyway, after going slightly insane cooped up in a room of high school "theatre kids", I auditioned for Becky Guy. She looked at my resume, asked me to say hi to Jeffrey Carlson (one of my acting teachers who went to Juilliard) and had me introduce my two monologues. I did them, and then she gave me a small direction on my Shakespeare and I did it again. And that was all.

After waiting for everyone else to be finished, they posted the callback list. My name was not scribbled there. I felt a sharp pain, gathered my coats and left (to return back to work, oh joy). Honestly, I was still riding high from my Guildhall success, so this result didn't phase me too much, which is lucky.

Overall, they were lovely, friendly people and the whole audition had a very relaxed, welcoming vibe that I appreciated. As far as an audition goes, particularly an audition without a callback, it was surprisingly pleasant and pain free. I knew that the rest of the week could not go that smoothly.

Bristol Old Vic Audition (January 28, 2014)

My second audition for graduate school happened to be a week later than my Guildhall audition, also in New York City, which meant I got to spend money on TWO plane tickets to NYC. How lovely.

My preparation for this audition was a little less perfect than Guildhall. I had to leave my hotel room at 11 a.m., which meant I then had to waste about two and a half hours before my audition. I walked to Central Park, where it was bleak, snowy and cold, and then walked to a Starbucks close to my audition and awkwardly stood in a corner, cradling a latte and attempting to do some more last minute research on Bristol Old Vic's international student program on my phone. Once again, I emphasis how great it is to scope out the audition location ahead of time. This one was tucked away on a weird side street on the seventh floor in an unmarked building surrounded by scaffolding (the most obnoxious obstacle to finding places you've never been before).

After lugging my three bags and various layers of coats, tights and scarves into a tiny bathroom to get changed, I shivered in the waiting area, having gotten there about 20 minutes early. Quickly after, a woman (an ex-student) came out and introduced herself to me. They were running early, and she said I could come in any time I wanted, so I drank some more water, warmed up my body a bit and then walked through a slight maze of hallways to the audition room, which was a pretty bare, small space. I could already tell this was going to be a casual audition, as I dumped everything in a corner of the room and pulled up a chair. I met Kim Durham, who is the head of the International Acting Course, and the only other person who was in the audition room. We chitchatted about my resume, and then I did my pieces -- one contemporary, one classical -- and sang briefly. He then coached me on both pieces. For the Shakespeare, he encouraged me to use them more as the audience, because the character I'm playing is on stage alone in true soliloquy style. I worked with that idea, with some side coaching all the way. I really appreciated his coaching, and definitely made some new discoveries in the moment that I felt really strong about. We also worked on my contemporary piece, although the direction on that one was a little more result based and therefore felt a little odd in practice. He had me sit down, and asked that I be more contained, play it closer to the vest, until the end where the character slips a bit. He also asked me more general questions about the play and the scene.

We then talked a bit more about the program, and there was room for me to ask some questions. He then explained the rest of the process to me -- they keep auditioning people through April, so I would be told in a few weeks whether I was on the shortlist, which would mean that I was still in consideration as they finished their auditions, or if I was not being considered for the program. I left the audition feeling pretty positive, although not on the high I was after my Guildhall audition. I promptly bought myself coffee and a cupcake to celebrate.

On February 14th, I received an email saying I was on the shortlist, which means in the beginning of May I will be told if I got in, am on the waitlist, or was unsuccessful.