Plays and Projects
I went to see a show that a guy I went to college with was in. The main reason I went, though, was because I had been called in with a handful of other girls to audition for one of the two female roles. I wasn't cast and I was interested to see the girl who was and see why she was chosen over me. Different look, better performance, etc. I went with my friend Lee Ann and briefed her on the situation as well. Good to have an objective person.
The play overall was good and we both enjoyed it. My college friend did really well. The girl who was cast instead of me however, was ... emotionally bland, in my opinion. Physically we were much the same type, although she looked a bit older. Just a bit. So I was expected to be blown away. I wasn't. I tried to keep an open mind in the first act. Lee Ann said that she wasn't doing much for her and I said, "Well, she hasn't had much to do yet. I'm interested to see how she performs in the big scene in the second act, which is what was used for auditions." She didn't. I ... I don't know. It blew my mind. The only thing I could see that this girl had that I didn't have was that she has worked with bigger theatres. Perhaps she knew someone. I considered the fact that perhaps they didn't WANT someone to show the emotion that I had shown when I auditioned, but the direction I was given after my first read was, "I like the emotion that you are accessing and I like where you are accessing it so keep that..." I don't get it. I really don't. I guess maybe this is all about politics and less about talent.
It's not that I haven't experienced this before. Witnessing the performance of someone who was chosen over a role that I was up for. But always previously there was a clear reason. She looks completely different. She READS completely different. Oh, they wanted me to go further with that and I didn't. Et cetera ad nauseum. This is the first time that I really honestly felt, "I would have been better."
The play overall was good and we both enjoyed it. My college friend did really well. The girl who was cast instead of me however, was ... emotionally bland, in my opinion. Physically we were much the same type, although she looked a bit older. Just a bit. So I was expected to be blown away. I wasn't. I tried to keep an open mind in the first act. Lee Ann said that she wasn't doing much for her and I said, "Well, she hasn't had much to do yet. I'm interested to see how she performs in the big scene in the second act, which is what was used for auditions." She didn't. I ... I don't know. It blew my mind. The only thing I could see that this girl had that I didn't have was that she has worked with bigger theatres. Perhaps she knew someone. I considered the fact that perhaps they didn't WANT someone to show the emotion that I had shown when I auditioned, but the direction I was given after my first read was, "I like the emotion that you are accessing and I like where you are accessing it so keep that..." I don't get it. I really don't. I guess maybe this is all about politics and less about talent.
It's not that I haven't experienced this before. Witnessing the performance of someone who was chosen over a role that I was up for. But always previously there was a clear reason. She looks completely different. She READS completely different. Oh, they wanted me to go further with that and I didn't. Et cetera ad nauseum. This is the first time that I really honestly felt, "I would have been better."