[Menvi-discuss] Thoughts and questions regarding auditioning forand Performing in community theatre?

[Leena Dawes]

I say go for it. I auditioned for community theatre several times.
While I never got parts, I was often asked to come back for other
auditions. Directors expressed interest and auditioned me for other
plays they were doing. In school, I played one of the old women in
Arsenic and Old Lace. We did the same thing Kaiti mentioned in that
she ended up being blind. David is right too though about making sure
you don't have conflicts with the performances.

On 4/15/13, David Goldstein - Resource Center
<info2 at blindmusicstudent.org> wrote:
> It sounds to me like you have the resourcefulness to fit rehearsals into the
> schedule.  What I'd want to be sure about is when the performances are going
> to take place and how many there will be.  Performances have a way of coming
> up at the same time as exams and papers, as I've discovered watching
> normally placid people go kind of crazy at those times.  I hope you can fit
> everything in, but as it is your first big semester, you want to make a good
> impression at school and the people won't know your past history enough to
> excuse what they haven't found out isn't consistent with the way you
> normally are.  It could also be that if you tell the theater you're a
> student, they might be able to excuse you from sitting in on rehearsals for
> portions that aren't connected with your role.
>
> You've been doing such a terrific job preparing for I'm so impressed with
> all the preparation work you've been doing all year for the coming fall!
>
> David
>   ----- Original Message -----
>   From: Miranda
>   To: This is for discussing music and braille literacy
>   Sent: Sunday, April 14, 2013 6:12 AM
>   Subject: [Menvi-discuss] Thoughts and questions regarding auditioning
> forand Performing in community theatre?
>
>
>   Hi everyone,
>
>   First, I want to apologize for this long message, but I need to think
> through this, and I'm sure you all will understand my thoughts.
>
>   Considering my school schedule for this fall, I may be very crazy to even
> be thinking of this, but alas I am. Our local community theatre is holding
> auditions in May for Les Miserables. I learned of this during chorus
> rehearsal at the local community college this past Thursday, and my first
> thought was, "No way! Not happening!"
>
>   Then, my brain wouldn't quit. LOL. Our director had encouraged us by
> saying, "Even if you don't get a call-back, the audition is worth the
> opportunity in itself." Um, thanks for helping me and my irrational
> thoughts. LOL.
>
>
>
>   Registration for the fall semester of classes at my university hasn't even
> opened yet, so I could very well base my courseload on whether or not my
> audition goes well. If necessary, I could go half-time or 3-quarter time.
> Half-time would mean either one course at a time or no classes during the
> first 8-week sub-term and two courses during the second 8-week sub-term.
> Three-quarter time would mean one class for the first 8-week sub-term and
> two classes for the second 8-week sub-term. I also plan to take piano and
> Spanish at the local community college, so I'm thinking about that as well.
> My main degree program is online, so that presents many advantages, one of
> which being that I can do homework any time of the day/night as long as I
> meet my assignment deadlines.
>
>
>
>   Rehearsals for Les Miserables are on Monday evenings, so that would
> essentially work as I would have piano, chorus, and Spanish on Tuesdays and
> Thursdays. I teach private voice lessons in my home, but I can set my limits
> of the number of enrolled students for each semester. My fall and spring
> semesters are usually low enrollment anyways, so that's not a major
> concern.
>
>
>
>   I then wondered about performing in community theatre as someone who is
> completely blind, and I knew I needed to come here for tips and advice. I
> did participate in community theatre in high school as one of the Birdie
> fanclub members in Bye-bye Birdie *cringes*, and that went extremely well.
> To be completely honest, the director originally wanted me to play one of
> the main characters, but I politely declined as I had never been in
> community theatre before. The information for Les Miserables auditions says,
> "All of us at the Civic are committed to the practices of flexible,
> imaginative casting. We encourage volunteers of all ethnicities and
> backgrounds to participate in our creative endeavors. Also, reasonable
> accommodations will be made for those requiring special needs."
>
>
>
>   If anyone has any thoughts regarding this opportunity, I would greatly
> appreciate them! Do you have any experience auditioning for or performing in
> community theatre? Any tips and advice would be very helpful as I think
> through this.
>
>   Thanks in advance, and have a wonderful weekend!
>
>
>
>   In Christ, Miranda
>
>
>
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