NEW YORK ROCKS and so did my AUDITION
So, I Love New York more than anyone or anything EVER.
As most of you know, I'm up here to audition for the directing program at the Tisch School of the Arts at NYU, which is very competitive. and expensive.
I left after school on Wednesday and of course, my flight was delayed (from Pensacola). My flight from Atlanta wad delayed an hour because of the weather, but I finally got into NYC at about 9pm eastern. My aunts picked me up, and took me home to Queens and made me an amazing Dominican meal.
The next morning I went to see my grandmother and the 3 billion cousins that I have. Then I went back to where I was staying, babysat my little cousin, and finished working on my directing portfolio (while watching Rent). My aunt made my prom dress smaller (though it's still not form fitting) and then I went to the Lemon Ice King of Corona, where they make the best Italian Ices in the world (It's featured at the end of the opening credits of "The King of Queens")
Now comes yesterday; the day of my audition. I woke up at 5:45 to start getting ready. I had to be at Chelsea Studios where the audition was taking place (not in NYU, a building with rehearsal rooms available for rent by whoever on ....28th and 7th? was it? something like that..on fashion avenue) by 9:45 am, and the subway commute from Queens to Manhattan takes about 45 minutes during the rush. I got everything ready, made myself up to look very professional, and then I waited on the couch, rehearsing my monologue until my aunt was ready to go.
We got to Studio 2, where the sign-in and orientation was to take place, at 9 am...and then we waited for 45 minutes until everything was explained to us. There were 3 judges; one each for musical theatre, directing, and acting. You would go into another studio and audition one on one with your judge, and then follow it up with a quick interview. There were only 4 people signed up for directing auditions (though there was 1 other audition date for Regular decision applicants, and a few dates for Regional auditions, so I'm sure more than 4 total have signed up) , so the directing judge took on a musical theatre applicant and an acting applicant to lighten the others' loads. I was the third of the six to go in to see my judge, and he was so nice that I lost all signs of nervousness. Until he called me into the room, and I sat down.
At the beginning of my monologue, I started to completely blank out on my lines. Luckily, my character was supposed to look distressed, so i was able to play off any blank moments. By the middle of the monologue, had picked it all up again and finished strongly. I think I may have shocked the judge though, by using "fuck" by the third line in my monolgue and "shit" by the 10th. But since the material wasn't trying to be controversial, and was an actual meaningful piece, by the end I think he probably appreciated that I didn't choose something peachy clean or safe. Hopefully that will work in my favor. by the end of my monologue, I/the character had become so intense that I was quite happy with it.
Next, the judge and I sat and talked about my portfolio, about theatre, and about myself. the conversation geuinely turned friendly and I think I made a good impression. I'm quite proud that I had an amazing audition, but I realize the competitive nature of Tisch (you can't get into Tisch and not NYU or vice versa; you apply specifically for the program and if you don't get in, you don't get in) and so if I don't get in, I'll be ok. I am dying to get in though.
I spent the rest of the day hanging out with family, but then that night, I talked to Lauren Peterson and she told me that Taylor White's Improv group would be performing later, and invited me to go watch with her and Jessica. I invited my cousin Kilsy, and 2 hours later I was back in Manhattan eating pizza at Luigi's and then going into the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre. Taylor wasn't performing here, but he was there with us and we watched his teacher (in a group called "The Stepfathers")perform some of the most hilarious improv I've ever seen. I hadn't laughed that hard in years. Next, it was off to another Improv theatre called "The People's Improv Theatre". Guess who was performing there. DAVID CROSS. Unlucky for us though, there were too many people inside the building, so we had to wait until 11 to get in (the first show started at 9:30) We didn't get to see David, but a little after 11, we were watching amateur improv teams perform. Taylor's group went up, and the room completely lit up. there had been some slow groups, so Taylor's was definetly worth waiting for. By the end of the night, they had become "Champions" of Improdome (which was such an amazing experience to watch), and they'll be back next week to defend their title. We left that theatre at 1:30 in the morning, and then my cousin and I waited for subways...which are very hard to come by at that time...to take us home. Those subways are so hard to come by that early in the morning, that we didn't get home til 3:30. Then we slept. It was AMAZING and I can't wait to do it again.
so here i am, on my last day in New york. Queens is pretty fun too. My cousin and I thought about going to see a broadway show tonight, but we decided against it. I'm gonna spend the rest of the day with family, new york pizza, dominican empanadas, and no english. :-D
As most of you know, I'm up here to audition for the directing program at the Tisch School of the Arts at NYU, which is very competitive. and expensive.
I left after school on Wednesday and of course, my flight was delayed (from Pensacola). My flight from Atlanta wad delayed an hour because of the weather, but I finally got into NYC at about 9pm eastern. My aunts picked me up, and took me home to Queens and made me an amazing Dominican meal.
The next morning I went to see my grandmother and the 3 billion cousins that I have. Then I went back to where I was staying, babysat my little cousin, and finished working on my directing portfolio (while watching Rent). My aunt made my prom dress smaller (though it's still not form fitting) and then I went to the Lemon Ice King of Corona, where they make the best Italian Ices in the world (It's featured at the end of the opening credits of "The King of Queens")
Now comes yesterday; the day of my audition. I woke up at 5:45 to start getting ready. I had to be at Chelsea Studios where the audition was taking place (not in NYU, a building with rehearsal rooms available for rent by whoever on ....28th and 7th? was it? something like that..on fashion avenue) by 9:45 am, and the subway commute from Queens to Manhattan takes about 45 minutes during the rush. I got everything ready, made myself up to look very professional, and then I waited on the couch, rehearsing my monologue until my aunt was ready to go.
We got to Studio 2, where the sign-in and orientation was to take place, at 9 am...and then we waited for 45 minutes until everything was explained to us. There were 3 judges; one each for musical theatre, directing, and acting. You would go into another studio and audition one on one with your judge, and then follow it up with a quick interview. There were only 4 people signed up for directing auditions (though there was 1 other audition date for Regular decision applicants, and a few dates for Regional auditions, so I'm sure more than 4 total have signed up) , so the directing judge took on a musical theatre applicant and an acting applicant to lighten the others' loads. I was the third of the six to go in to see my judge, and he was so nice that I lost all signs of nervousness. Until he called me into the room, and I sat down.
At the beginning of my monologue, I started to completely blank out on my lines. Luckily, my character was supposed to look distressed, so i was able to play off any blank moments. By the middle of the monologue, had picked it all up again and finished strongly. I think I may have shocked the judge though, by using "fuck" by the third line in my monolgue and "shit" by the 10th. But since the material wasn't trying to be controversial, and was an actual meaningful piece, by the end I think he probably appreciated that I didn't choose something peachy clean or safe. Hopefully that will work in my favor. by the end of my monologue, I/the character had become so intense that I was quite happy with it.
Next, the judge and I sat and talked about my portfolio, about theatre, and about myself. the conversation geuinely turned friendly and I think I made a good impression. I'm quite proud that I had an amazing audition, but I realize the competitive nature of Tisch (you can't get into Tisch and not NYU or vice versa; you apply specifically for the program and if you don't get in, you don't get in) and so if I don't get in, I'll be ok. I am dying to get in though.
I spent the rest of the day hanging out with family, but then that night, I talked to Lauren Peterson and she told me that Taylor White's Improv group would be performing later, and invited me to go watch with her and Jessica. I invited my cousin Kilsy, and 2 hours later I was back in Manhattan eating pizza at Luigi's and then going into the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre. Taylor wasn't performing here, but he was there with us and we watched his teacher (in a group called "The Stepfathers")perform some of the most hilarious improv I've ever seen. I hadn't laughed that hard in years. Next, it was off to another Improv theatre called "The People's Improv Theatre". Guess who was performing there. DAVID CROSS. Unlucky for us though, there were too many people inside the building, so we had to wait until 11 to get in (the first show started at 9:30) We didn't get to see David, but a little after 11, we were watching amateur improv teams perform. Taylor's group went up, and the room completely lit up. there had been some slow groups, so Taylor's was definetly worth waiting for. By the end of the night, they had become "Champions" of Improdome (which was such an amazing experience to watch), and they'll be back next week to defend their title. We left that theatre at 1:30 in the morning, and then my cousin and I waited for subways...which are very hard to come by at that time...to take us home. Those subways are so hard to come by that early in the morning, that we didn't get home til 3:30. Then we slept. It was AMAZING and I can't wait to do it again.
so here i am, on my last day in New york. Queens is pretty fun too. My cousin and I thought about going to see a broadway show tonight, but we decided against it. I'm gonna spend the rest of the day with family, new york pizza, dominican empanadas, and no english. :-D