Steeling My Nerves
It seems that every big fair includes a sword fight in their Queen’s show. Last year, Play Faire Productions decided to change things up a bit, and put a girl in their sword fight: Grace O’Malley, an Irish Pirate Captain. The Lord Mayor fought against her as the Queen’s Champion. This year, since the plot line didn’t necessarily require the Lord Mayor to fight, they decided to hold auditions for her opponent, a male swordsman.
I had heard they were having trouble finding a fighter and I knew that a dear friend of mine was choreographing the fight. Sunday, I told him that if I’d had any sword training, I’d audition for it, to help him out. He said I should audition anyway.
Auditioning against friends is a little weird. I’ve never tried for a theme character, or any other acting position. When I joined the Town Criers, it was because I knew the guild master, and he said he needed the help. When I became guild master, it was because no one else wanted to do it. This was my very first audition ever. I was up against two friends, and I knew that each of them had years of sword training on me.
I got it anyway. The choreographer said that while the others had lots of training, he liked the way I moved. Believability was the most important. Whether the techniques were difficult or not, the fight would only look good if both fighters looked like they were actually in battle. Based on that, he said I was the best man for the job. When I walked through the first phrase of the combat with the actress playing Grace, we looked like we were fighting. So, from September 10 through October 16, I will be sword fighting on stage every weekend.
After the audition, while we were waiting through lunch to find out who was chosen, I felt a lot of anxiety, though I hope I hid it well. Really, I didn't need the role, but the result would still feel like a judgement on my character. Now that I have the role, I still feel strange. I know that my friend, the choreographer would never play favorites. He is the most honorable individual I know, and I know I'm not the only one that looks up to him for that. But I have no training, so why did I get the role? And what will the rest of the people think? I guess I need to just believe what he said and leave it at that. As I said, this is the first time I've ever been part of an audition process. Is it always like this? No wonder all my actor buddies are so stressed during auditions.
I’m really excited and a little nervous. I know that I have a lot of exercise and training ahead of me in the next 3 weeks. I would probably jump in from of a train for the choreographer, and I have a great relationship with the actress playing Grace O’Malley. This should be fun. I need to stop worrying about it and get to work. Wish me luck!