I tried out for my first play in several years. In prior years, I told myself I was too busy to take on another show, and let audition opportunities pass me by. To this day, that is my biggest regret of high school: not auditioning for everything.
I forgot how nice it felt just to do acting warm ups and start to learn sides immediately. I forgot about how much less pressure there is for me when auditioning for plays, because singing and dancing are not components of the audition. Don't get me wrong, I love musicals and musical theatre in general, and love the spontaneous outbreak in song and dance, but straight plays delve down to the core of an actor, taking away the glitter and glam of an average musical.
I soaked in every second of my audition process. The stress of seeing a big chunk of monologue in a side with many big words you don't understand, or auditioning for a show that may or may not be using an accent of some sorts. I got to remember all of the things I had been taught in several acting classes, and research online and use my peers to learn those big words. I got to experience trying one side with a certain character and scene partner, and then receiving a completely new character, scene and partner.
I got to remember how much fun I have had in past experiences with straight plays. I remember all of my theatre families from my cast mates and crew members of straight plays. I forgot about my love for straight plays.
Does this mean I'm never going to do musical theatre again? No. Musical theatre is my passion. But, the root word of musical theatre is theatre, and having an appreciation for straight plays shows your versatility and appreciation for other artists as a performer.
So read more straight plays if all you do is listen to musicals. And maybe listen to musicals if all you do is straight plays. Theatre is one family, and trying to create specific divisions creates unnecessary tensions that could splinter relationships.
All in all, support your fellow actors, singers, dancers and crew mates. They all fell in love with something about theatre too. Ask them their story of why theatre? Why a specific passion? You could discover more about your art, them, and possibly yourself.
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