Letter/Rant
This is an email I sent to Potts and Finn.... I then realized it was more of a rant and I may want to hang onto it for my own purposes as well, so, voila:
Hey guys!
Just an update from Victoria and, well, a bit of a rant session, if I'm being perfectly honest!
The semester, work-wise, has started out not too bad, I suppose. Finally started working with my scene partner on the "Fool For Love" scene, going okay, but you know me, I always feel like I'm missing something. Had a meeting with my acting prof, Ned... two, actually, one before we presented what we had for our scene, and one after. The first one went pretty good. He says that he figures I have a decent shot at second year; he says he's shortlisted me as one of the top 10-12 girls in first year. The downside of this is that of those 10-12, only half (or less) will actually get into second year, and it's totally up in the air. Second meeting was mostly about the scene, and James (my scene partner) was in there with me for most of that. Actually, it started out just me and Ned, and he started saying that the main thing with our scene was that James needed to get more into it, and take more risks, etc etc.... but then James knocked on the door and joined our little meeting. I ended up feeling a little neglected because the only comment for me was that I was a bit stiff and needed to work on the physical side of the character more.
Scene work aside, I auditioned for the Studio Series... which is a series of one-act plays written by students in the writing program, and directed by fourth-year directing students. I didn't know this at the time, but apparently first years don't get cast in these because a) second to fourth year students need the acting credits and b) it's pretty much as "presitious" as the mainstages. Here's the kicker, though. I was cast. I was one of two first years who was cast (the other one got a smaller role in the same show, and isn't even an acting major), but when the director took her cast list to the department, they shot it down. Told her she couldn't use me or Barb because they needed to give it to higher-level students. On the bright side, though, this means that I can come home for reading break, and at the same time my name has been mentioned to the department. Brian (head of the theatre department) was apparently asking around about me, which is kinda cool. He never did find me, though. Oh well.
Later auditioned for the third-year directing students one-acts. Apparently I got into one, but the cast lists aren't posted yet, so I don't know which one. But my "inside sources" think it could be the director that, well, to be frank, no one really wants to work with. She's really sweet, but her work is kinda iffy. Oh well, I'm just thankful to actually be cast in one at all this semester. Especially since most of them this semester were pre-cast, and there were very few spaces by the time I went in for my audition.
Anyway, things are starting to get competative out here. You can feel it in the air, there's just such a negative aura surrounding the first years. It's kinda scary, actually. Nothing needs to be said, but a lot of them are just giving off a really bad vibe. Very intimidating. I have my two close friends that I like to spend time with, because there's none of the animosity there. We're all rooting for each other, and we just don't want to deal with the "are you my competition?" bullshit right now. I figure I'm gonna re-audition for UofC's second year program this year in case Vic doesn't work out. Do either of you have any info on when those auditions would be? I've gotta figure out if I'm even gonna be able to make it out there for auditions. Truth be told, there's no where else I want to go. If I'm not here, I'd rather just be at home. The program may not be as good, and sure there's the rumor that the program is "shutting down" (any truth to that?) but it's acting, and it's home. That's good enough for me.
Well, that was my rant! I just really needed to get that off my chest! It's starting to stress me out, and I've just been feeling kinda depressed the past little while with all the negative energy going around. How are things back in Calgary? How's Twelfth Night going? When does that go up? I don't have any finals this semester, and my classes end April 7th... so if you're going up mid-April like you did last year, I may be able to make it! I'd like to, anyway. If it's earlier than that, maybe I could stop in for a rehearsal when I'm home over reading break? It's Feb 17-26... let me know if that would be okay?
Hope to hear from you guys soon! Miss you both terribly.
--Sarah
Hey guys!
Just an update from Victoria and, well, a bit of a rant session, if I'm being perfectly honest!
The semester, work-wise, has started out not too bad, I suppose. Finally started working with my scene partner on the "Fool For Love" scene, going okay, but you know me, I always feel like I'm missing something. Had a meeting with my acting prof, Ned... two, actually, one before we presented what we had for our scene, and one after. The first one went pretty good. He says that he figures I have a decent shot at second year; he says he's shortlisted me as one of the top 10-12 girls in first year. The downside of this is that of those 10-12, only half (or less) will actually get into second year, and it's totally up in the air. Second meeting was mostly about the scene, and James (my scene partner) was in there with me for most of that. Actually, it started out just me and Ned, and he started saying that the main thing with our scene was that James needed to get more into it, and take more risks, etc etc.... but then James knocked on the door and joined our little meeting. I ended up feeling a little neglected because the only comment for me was that I was a bit stiff and needed to work on the physical side of the character more.
Scene work aside, I auditioned for the Studio Series... which is a series of one-act plays written by students in the writing program, and directed by fourth-year directing students. I didn't know this at the time, but apparently first years don't get cast in these because a) second to fourth year students need the acting credits and b) it's pretty much as "presitious" as the mainstages. Here's the kicker, though. I was cast. I was one of two first years who was cast (the other one got a smaller role in the same show, and isn't even an acting major), but when the director took her cast list to the department, they shot it down. Told her she couldn't use me or Barb because they needed to give it to higher-level students. On the bright side, though, this means that I can come home for reading break, and at the same time my name has been mentioned to the department. Brian (head of the theatre department) was apparently asking around about me, which is kinda cool. He never did find me, though. Oh well.
Later auditioned for the third-year directing students one-acts. Apparently I got into one, but the cast lists aren't posted yet, so I don't know which one. But my "inside sources" think it could be the director that, well, to be frank, no one really wants to work with. She's really sweet, but her work is kinda iffy. Oh well, I'm just thankful to actually be cast in one at all this semester. Especially since most of them this semester were pre-cast, and there were very few spaces by the time I went in for my audition.
Anyway, things are starting to get competative out here. You can feel it in the air, there's just such a negative aura surrounding the first years. It's kinda scary, actually. Nothing needs to be said, but a lot of them are just giving off a really bad vibe. Very intimidating. I have my two close friends that I like to spend time with, because there's none of the animosity there. We're all rooting for each other, and we just don't want to deal with the "are you my competition?" bullshit right now. I figure I'm gonna re-audition for UofC's second year program this year in case Vic doesn't work out. Do either of you have any info on when those auditions would be? I've gotta figure out if I'm even gonna be able to make it out there for auditions. Truth be told, there's no where else I want to go. If I'm not here, I'd rather just be at home. The program may not be as good, and sure there's the rumor that the program is "shutting down" (any truth to that?) but it's acting, and it's home. That's good enough for me.
Well, that was my rant! I just really needed to get that off my chest! It's starting to stress me out, and I've just been feeling kinda depressed the past little while with all the negative energy going around. How are things back in Calgary? How's Twelfth Night going? When does that go up? I don't have any finals this semester, and my classes end April 7th... so if you're going up mid-April like you did last year, I may be able to make it! I'd like to, anyway. If it's earlier than that, maybe I could stop in for a rehearsal when I'm home over reading break? It's Feb 17-26... let me know if that would be okay?
Hope to hear from you guys soon! Miss you both terribly.
--Sarah