Dead Man' Cell Phone - The Auditions

After almost a year, I am finally getting back on stage!!!  That's the longest I've gone play-less for over 15 years.  I knew it was really going to happen (me back on stage) when I met Justin to pass off the baby.  He was coming from a 6 o'clock audition elsewhere.  We met 1/2 way between the venues for the hand-off.  I kissed them both good evening and sped off to the first round of auditions for Dead Man's Cell Phone, one of the most brilliant plays I've ever read.  On that short drive back to Stage West, I could feel the excitement beginning to course through my veins!

Auditions went quite well.  There were a lot of candidates who were so good that I felt like we were in a performance.  It was like eating the best dessert in the world, reading with them.  Most of the audition consisted of cold readings (not memorized) between myself (reading my character Jean) and another actor reading one of 3 roles.  Additionally, some actors were assigned monologues from the show to read.  Those actors were auditioning for "Gordan" or "Mrs. Gottleib." 

I learned a huge amount about the play during this process.  I learned what works and what doesn't.  I learned that it is imperative for the scenes to be REAL but that real doesn't at all mean ordinary.  I also was reminded how great the talent is in the North Central Texas area.  

One more thing: the majority of the people auditioning concluded their audition with a giddy statement to the effect of, "This is SUCH a grea play.....!!" ....and it is.