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| Behind the scenes of BHCT "Alice in Wonderland" |
However, I on the other hand was needing something more. Not that my life wasn't great I have a great husband, great job (as an in home daycare provider), but since I graduated from college in 2010, I seem to always need another hobby or outlet of sorts. My mind was missing that challenge that schoolwork gave me. I started to read more, I always loved scrapbooking so I dabbled in that some more, photography, cross stitch, home improvement... nothing really seemed to trip my trigger. I've always loved to sing, mostly in the car or the occasional kareoke stage.
After hooking up with a local acting group in my small town of Parkersburg, Iowa I gradually starting falling BACK in love with performing that I had in high school. After my husband, Joe, encouraged me to attend an acting workshop I got the bug to audition for other productions. While visiting the websites of the two local theaters, I saw the theater in Waterloo (24 miles from Parkersburg) was holding auditions for their production of Alice in Wonderland. Since it was part of the Children's Theater I thought it would be great to have my oldest daughter audition especially after I looked at the ages...
On the website they listed ages for the roles. For instance; Alice was listed as a girl 14 and older, Mad Hatter a boy 8 and older, Queen of Hearts a girl 16 and older...16 was the oldest age listed as in NOT ME!! Anna and I worked together to get her ready for the audition. We had missed the previous auditions so the Saturday we were going in was the LAST day for auditions....
As we were getting ready to go I decided that I would audition as well for the Queen of Hearts role. I figured that it would help Anna with her nervousness if she saw that I was auditioning too. I gave her a pep-talk on the way in telling her this would be a great experience and we probably wouldn't get it but we would try again, etc.
We went through the cattle call of kids and their parents, filled out all the necessary paperwork and filed into the room with 55 other hopefuls. I was feeling INCREDIBLY self-conscious of being the oldest one there especially since I busted out in my knee high spiked heel Anna and I sat in the back behind a group of teenagers/young adults that knew each other. I felt like a fish out of water. I had practiced the lines for the Queen of Hearts and felt fairly prepared in my ability to read for that role. Except when they starting calling people up to read it was for a completely different scene!!! One that I was not prepared to read for. I did the best that I could and completely let all of my inhibitions go. I felt so bad for Anna because she just froze, she was so nervous she couldn't get any of the words out.
After everyone had their chance to read they released the majority of the children and kept people to read again. I was shocked to be one of them. I read another scene...that I was not prepared for. This time they released some adults and the rest of the kids. Again I was floored they wanted me to read again! This time I read for the Mad Hatter scene in Alice in Wonderland. It didn't take long, but after we were finished some of the teens from the group turned to me and told me "Good job" one guy (who was brilliantly good) said to me "You were positively mad!" which I took as an amazing compliment. We were told callbacks would be the following Wednesday but honestly I didn't expect a call.
The next day I got a call back! The director, Anita Ross, said she wasn't calling Anna back but she honestly wasn't calling back any of the younger kids. So the day of the call back, I put on my lucky charm bracelet did my hair and off I went. I was even MORE terrified. This time they had us read for the parts we were auditioning for, there were three other women who wanted the role and there was one women in particular who was really good. So I did my audition and went home thinking it was a great experience and I would audition again.
Throughout the rest of week I tried not to think about the audition. I convinced myself that I wasn't going to get a call. But then Friday afternoon the phone rang and it was the director, Anita, from the Black Hawk Children's Theater offering me the part of the Queen of Hearts!! I couldn't stop telling her "I was expecting this call!" Even though Anna kind of bombed her audition, Anita was going to give her a non-speaking role in the Queen's court. Way to go Anna!
Alice in Wonderland turned out to be an amazing experience where I met a great number of friends. So amazing in fact three weeks later, I auditioned for Wizard of Oz and got the role of "Auntie Em/Glinda the Good Witch" (where I had to sing on stage! In front of my mom who I never sing in front of) Anna was cast as a munchin after an AMAZING audition. Allie had auditioned for Wizard too but got too nervous like Anna did the first time and wasn't cast
After Wizard it was only a couple weeks and I auditioned and got the lead (Suzanne) in "'Till Beth Do Us Part"
While Beth was closing. Anna, Allie and I auditioned for Christmas Crackers. Both of my girls did AMAZING and Allie was offered the part of Millie Mae one of the main kids! I took a smaller role as the reporter and a kicklineing grandma!! It was a whirl wind of a year, on after Wizard closed and while waiting to start up for Til Beth I did a local show here in Parkersburg.
Though I have taken a break from theater, I am planning on auditioning after the first of the year 2014. I had a great, WILD ride being in so many productions in 2012. I met some amazing life long friends, my children got to be around people that they could relate to and I was bitten by the performing bug once again!
The moral of my story is that you are never told old to try something new. Though I am not that old (29 for the..6th time) never count yourself out. Always keep challenging yourself to learn new things, try new experiences...you never know what amazing things you could end up doing.
After everyone had their chance to read they released the majority of the children and kept people to read again. I was shocked to be one of them. I read another scene...that I was not prepared for. This time they released some adults and the rest of the kids. Again I was floored they wanted me to read again! This time I read for the Mad Hatter scene in Alice in Wonderland. It didn't take long, but after we were finished some of the teens from the group turned to me and told me "Good job" one guy (who was brilliantly good) said to me "You were positively mad!" which I took as an amazing compliment. We were told callbacks would be the following Wednesday but honestly I didn't expect a call.
The next day I got a call back! The director, Anita Ross, said she wasn't calling Anna back but she honestly wasn't calling back any of the younger kids. So the day of the call back, I put on my lucky charm bracelet did my hair and off I went. I was even MORE terrified. This time they had us read for the parts we were auditioning for, there were three other women who wanted the role and there was one women in particular who was really good. So I did my audition and went home thinking it was a great experience and I would audition again.
Throughout the rest of week I tried not to think about the audition. I convinced myself that I wasn't going to get a call. But then Friday afternoon the phone rang and it was the director, Anita, from the Black Hawk Children's Theater offering me the part of the Queen of Hearts!! I couldn't stop telling her "I was expecting this call!" Even though Anna kind of bombed her audition, Anita was going to give her a non-speaking role in the Queen's court. Way to go Anna!
Alice in Wonderland turned out to be an amazing experience where I met a great number of friends. So amazing in fact three weeks later, I auditioned for Wizard of Oz and got the role of "Auntie Em/Glinda the Good Witch" (where I had to sing on stage! In front of my mom who I never sing in front of) Anna was cast as a munchin after an AMAZING audition. Allie had auditioned for Wizard too but got too nervous like Anna did the first time and wasn't cast
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| Me as Auntie Em, Carlos Ortiz as Uncle Henry and Rosemary Gast as Ms. Gulch |
After Wizard it was only a couple weeks and I auditioned and got the lead (Suzanne) in "'Till Beth Do Us Part"
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| Me as the crazy haired kicklining grannie |
Though I have taken a break from theater, I am planning on auditioning after the first of the year 2014. I had a great, WILD ride being in so many productions in 2012. I met some amazing life long friends, my children got to be around people that they could relate to and I was bitten by the performing bug once again!
The moral of my story is that you are never told old to try something new. Though I am not that old (29 for the..6th time) never count yourself out. Always keep challenging yourself to learn new things, try new experiences...you never know what amazing things you could end up doing.
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