Eek!

I saw an audition notice in the paper for Vermont Stage Company. Since the audition appointments are taking place during Saturday's Urinetown rehearsal, there wasn't any way I could attend.

But, wait! As much as it would be emotionally easier to say I couldn't do it, that does not fit in with my new philosophy of aggressively pursuing what I want. So I sent an e-mail asking whether there would be any other audition times. The director e-mailed back and said I should call him to set up another time. This is the point where I get all weirdly nervous until I pluck up the courage to call. (Why did I need courage? I'd already made the initial contact, and he'd already indicated his willingness to schedule a different time.)

So, then it turns out that in addition to Inspecting Carol, for which they'll have sides to be read from, they're casting King Lear. He requested a monologue and to give me time to prepare something, I have an audition scheduled for 10 a.m. Wednesday, which I have taken off of work because it's Urinetown's opening night.

Eek! I have to prepare a (short, 1-minute) Shakespearean monologue in just a few days! Amidst all the Urinetown rehearsals! And auditions for Cat on a Hot Tin Roof! ... And have I mentioned that I'm pretty damn inexperienced in Shakespeare, having done only Conrade in Much Ado About Nothing? Eek! Well, it's a good thing that I'm a quick study and good at memorizing lines!

It's daunting, but I need to remind myself that I have nothing to lose. That's why I've decided to go through with auditioning, even though it's scary.

Roaaarrr! Go me!

Several months ago, when I was at a really low point, I went out to Chinese food. (That, in itself, is unusual because I almost never eat Chinese food.) When the fortune cookies came out, I just knew that my fortune was somehow going to be very appropriate. And the fortune turned out to be "If you can't accept losing, you can't win." Wow.

That's kind of guided my actions recently, and I think it was my aggressive pursuit of whatever opportunities I could grasp at that got me Urinetown. Of course, philosophies are delightful things when they work out in our favor. The challenge for me will be to keep that attitude when Urinetown ends and I'm facing more auditions and more rejections.