Student Blog: The Ups And Downs Of Auditioning

At my university, one of the performing arts clubs, Dramatic PAWS, is producing Puffs, or Seven Increasingly Eventful Years at a Certain School of Magic and Magic. For those unaware, the play tells the story of Hogwarts during Harry Potter's years from the perspective of the Hufflepuffs. I’m an avid Harry Potter fan, so naturally, I felt compelled to audition. Here’s a breakdown of how it went.

I recently auditioned a few weeks ago. Before the audition, I had to prepare two monologues: one comedic monologue of my choosing, and another from the provided list of monologues from the show. Out of the provided list, I chose Megan Jones’s monologue. I resonated with her character the most: she’s dark and angsty but softens over time. The second monologue I selected was from the movie Easy A. Although I have never seen the film, the monologue I chose had the perfect amount of comedy. It involves the character confessing her sins at a church, only to realize that nobody is listening on the other side.

The creative team who ran the auditions was very kind and friendly, which made me more relaxed. By making those connections, I felt more confident while reading my monologues. I thought that I performed well: of course, improvements can always be made, but I left the audition room on a positive note. 

However, I received an email the next day that stated I was not cast in the show. At first, I was disappointed, but I focused on the positives: I had successfully auditioned, which can be daunting, but I did it. I also focused on the fact that I still had the opportunity to participate in crew if I wanted to, which could potentially be a fun experience. 

Overall, despite not receiving the outcome I desired, I am excited to see the cast in their performance. If you’ve been on the fence about auditioning for a production, this is your sign to go for it regardless of the outcome. You can learn a lot about yourself and gain new skills in the process.