the cry of the actor

[Howard Beye]

dear friends,
    I would like to have the list members examine the process of
audition and would like to have feedback from all quarters. Both sides
of the table as it were. I personally find auditioning from the actors
perspective an anxiety ridden and unpleasant  for the most part
experience. It only lasts for fifteen minutes tops and you spend the
better part of many days focussing on it and then on the day its all you
can think about. I find that it is not a learning experience when all is
said and done because you never get any feedback on how well you did or
didn't. Essentially you get a dear john letter or at university your
name is either on the cast list or it's not.
    I want to contrast that with my audition at the Royal Tyrrell Museum
of Palaeontology for their summer interpreter's job. Scott Mair at the
museum is pioneering a more performance based interpretation style. At
any rate 22 of us auditioned for about five ours and it was like a
workshop. The permanent staff were the presenters and they gave us
various challenges most of which revolved around creating improv from
given situations. They gave us background on what they do at the museum.
Talked about how people learn and that interpretation needed to take
this into account....etc. My thought after this experience was that even
if I didn't get the job I had a very interesting fun and educational
day.
    Theatre is a very collaborative art why do we search for the actors
in a very competitive isolationist manner.
yours howard