BY EMILY HARRISON / KALAMALAMA STAFF WRITER
Now I’ve been in plays and musicals before, all for middle school or high school, so it is safe to say it’s been a couple years. But that’s not the point.
I auditioned for the same person every year, my choir teacher, and our director. I always got the feeling she didn’t like me. Maybe it was because I was a chatty 8th grader, maybe it was because I’m not confident enough to audition for every solo. Maybe it’s even because I’m not a part of that small town like I should be. I don’t know what it is. I never did.
But, as those years of reflection fall upon me thinking about auditions, how I was never looked in the eye and I was grazed over so quickly it didn’t even matter I auditioned… I need to let that go, because no everyone is like that. Not every director has that perception of me.
So, I pushed my pride away and I auditioned for HPUs fall play” women.”
Now, the play is a parody off of little women, and it’s absolutely hilarious. I highly recommend watching it.
I auditioned with a group at first. We all took turns reading a scene. Switching character, and simply having fun with it. I only knew one of the girls in my group, and even then, I didn’t relay now her. I share a class with her for my minor, and I don’t see her after class much ever. But she was kind enough to let me in and encourage me, and invite me to her friend circle, where they all were lovely people.
I ended up signing up for theatre club with those girls.
They were quite encouraging and so fun. They had fun becoming the characters, something I never saw or learned to do in my high school. Professor Stapleton, who asks we call her Emily, was one of the nicest people there. She introduced herself, gave us a breakdown of auditions and allowed us to express any concerned we may have had. Our auditions took place in the old “beach house” at ATM.
This is also where our play will be held.
I haven’t auditioned for many years, after all I am a 4th year in college. But luckily for me, I was asked for call backs.
Call backs were quite fun. I love theater people. We were all making jokes about us being weird, or that we are the stereotypical dorks of theatre. Uh, yes. Yes, we are. And I love it. Where else can you find a good group of people who love to be dramatic, without causing drama? Or where else can you find people who don’t judge who you are, what you look like, what you sound like, or what your experiences in life are? Theatre kids simply want to have fun and embrace the work they’re preparing for. They support you throughout the roles you get in life, and the play. Thy are great people. They may be dorks and weirdos, but they’re the best kind.
And I am proudly claiming myself as one of those people.
And like I said, callbacks went quite well. We all had fun trading parts, trying out accents, playing different ages and different genders. It’s amazing how many of us can summon our inner frat boy.
I had a great two and half hours at call backs. Not once was I thinking about my assignments, or how hard life is. I was simply in the moment, enjoying life.
After our final scene was read, we were sent back home, waiting for the email that would decide our fates in this year’s play, Women.
And I can announce I did not get a part.
Ha.
I’m okay though. At first, like most people who work hard for auditions, I was quite upset. Just a little disappointed in myself. But it’s okay. Professor Stapleton was kind enough to tell me she thought I was a good actress; I just didn’t fit her vision of the play.
At first, I was confused on what that meant, but after going to see the play, I knew exactly what that meant.
Women is supposed to be funny. It supposed to be taken lightheartedly and is supposed to be a comedy. I didn’t do that. I wasn’t completely aware of the vision, but I was definitely more dramatic, and probably a little more devastating, than she was looking for.
And I truly do think she made a wonderful choice casting everyone.
The play was so funny. I laughed an almost every scene, and the whole thing was a wonderfully bizarre experience. From the deep emotional family who seemed not to care of their dying sister, to the random dancing and singing scenes, this whole experience was truly comical.
The actresses and actors all did a wonderful job portraying their parts. They were emotional, and perfectly emotionless. And now that they no longer have shows, I truly feel sorry for those of you who did not get to witness this wonderful play.
A brief overview:
We start off with our beloved family of women reading a letter from their father caught up in the aftermath of war. And immediately upon dismissal of their mother, the girls start on about how awful it is that their father has categorized them as little women.
From there we branch off, learning more and more about the individuals of each of the sisters. We learn their part in life, their dreams in life, and ultimately their role in the family.
Although an ailment does cause the death of one of the beloved sisters, that in no way stops the sisters from living the lives they all thought they dreamed of.
The eldest sister, Meg, finds herself portraying a classic housewife, and a mother of twins, to a husband that truly, deeply, loves her. Ann becomes and artist, world renowned, and she too finds herself in love and settled down.
The last of the sisters finds herself stepping into a career she always dreamed of, and she finds herself growing and maturing and realizing that she does care about her family.
Although the sisters all come back for one another, each other them finds themselves stepping out of their girlhood, and taking the first milestone into becoming, women.
