BWW Blog: Something Next to Normal - Auditioning During a Pandemic

Trying to find normalcy during this pandemic has been quite the struggle. Nothing really feels "normal" anymore. Wearing a mask has become a vital part of my wardrobe, I spend days indoors, my classes are all online, and theatre has moved into a fancy new platform that I am sure we all are familiar with...Zoom.

Since being at home this semester and taking my classes online, I was worried I would not have an opportunity to be involved in Niagara's theatre department all too much. However, when I was told I would still be allowed to audition for the Fall 2020 season my mood changed immensely. Due to the nature of this world we now live in, all of the shows will be online in some format or another. The four shows Niagara University is producing this semester, Zoom/online style, are Shakespeare's Kings and Queens, She Kills Monsters, Good Kids, and The Laramie Project.

For my audition specifically, I had to do a self-tape. I put it off for a while simply because I was super nervous. The spring semester was really the first time I had experienced the beauty of self-taping. Now, even having that experience underneath my belt, I still wasn't too sure how everything would turn out. However, I put my best foot forward and met this new challenge with peace. Learning new things is how we grow, and boy, am I anxious to continue growing.

To my surprise, filming my audition was actually a piece of cake! I found a quiet spot in my house, attempted to have the best lighting I could, and boom! Audition = Done! Once I watched it a few times, and edited in my slate, I sent it in. And there was my Fall 2020 audition!

A few days later, after the rest of the in-person auditions happened, callback lists came out. I was fortunate and thankful that I received two callbacks! Seeing my name on a callback list again was kind of weird. That excitement of checking a list and waiting for a list to be posted had been a fading feeling. I forgot how much fun auditioning and going to callbacks truly was.

For these callbacks, they happened in a very different forum. Zoom, our dear friend, had her moment in the spotlight once more.

The callbacks were split into two days. Two shows the one day, and two shows the next day. The directors of the shows emailed us our Zoom link and more information on when to specifically enter the Zoom meeting. We were given times, and we had to come at that time and would be let in according to how the schedule went. For both shows I was called back for, the situation was the same. I had a time, I waited, and then had the callback. The callback itself was very strange, but very exciting. Learning to have fun with the text given while in front of a camera was interesting. I tried my best with each of them and I am proud of the work I did!

Having the chance to experience this new way of auditioning for shows was great. I am happy to feel this excitement of an opportunity to perform again! It has been such a long time since I have felt that, and it made my heart soar to feel it again. I am hopeful for the future.

I do not know what lies ahead, but whatever we have now is something next to normal, and that is okay.

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