monologue audition

so i went down to denver last night and did a monologue for the producers and director of gene kato's '18 holes,' a new play that won best play last year at the rocky mountain theatre association. this is a world premiere, and right on the heels of the premiere of 'the harvey project,' it would be pretty cool to be cast.

i did a monologue i have done several times before, one i am really comfortable with, from howard korder's play 'boy's life.' it's a monologue featuring phil, who is described as a 'nervous self-dramatizer,' and it has him telling the story of how a woman he was dating for two weeks broke it off after he told her he loved her. naturally, it was her fault. :)

at any rate, it is a funny piece, and one i can relate to on several levels, and its a character i can wrap myself around pretty smoothly, i think. so i should have no problems, right? i walked into the audition space, and there was no one waiting to read, just one guy at the sign-in table, and the auditors on their way out for a smoke break. i'm bullshitting with them, and i'm very relaxed, joking, confident, etc. then i get into the the room where i'm doing the piece, and BAM! i start into the monologue and i feel myself talking too fast, i feel my breathing choke up into the upper parts of my lungs, i feel my heart rate soar--wtf? i've done this many many times. i mean, i guess it's been a while since i've done an audition that wasn't for a bunch of people i know really well--openstage/bas bleu in fort collins--but still! it was weird.

not that i'm such a seasoned pro that it should be easy. i guess i am heartened by the tales of very famous, very good actors who never conquered stage fright. they say that right up until his death, every time henry fonda would perform on stage, he threw up in the wings just before going out.

thank god it's not that bad. :)

at any rate, i must have done something right--i just got the call to attend call-backs. wish me luck!

peace,
k