One of the reasons I know I have no future as a stage actor is the size of my ever-growing list of theatre companies that I won't bother with. I was thinking about an audition I went to recently (the one before "Macbeth"), and I realized two things. First, this was not a race issue, as a nice change of pace. Second, this company really screwed me over during the audition. So, *poof*, they joined this list too, bringing the number up to five!
In my list, only one company is there simply because I never seem to get parts with them. I've auditioned there three times, but I can't point to anything they did "wrong" or "bad". I was very disappointed the last time I auditioned for them: the director seemed very impressed with me, and even remarked as such in her rejection e-mail to me. The problem was that the rejection came a whole 3 1/2 hours after I left the audition. In other words, there was no "he's good . . . is there anyway we can fit him in?" deliberation. In other words, they decided against me the moment I walked through the door.
The other companies . . . well . . .
There was a Shakespeare focused company. The audition started with optional monologues. Most of the people there didn't come with a monologue, which appeared to be fine. We were called up to do small scenes from "As You Like It". Everyone in the room was called more than once . . . except me. I was called up only once. Being called only once meant that they had already decided they didn't want me, but they were still going to go through the motions. A few days later, I received a phonecall giving me the rejection (a rarety), where the woman said it was because I hadn't memorized my monologue and I was reading from a piece of paper. That is a valid complaint, but the monologue was optional and most people didn't do one. And was that experience so horrifying to them that they decided on the spot that they didn't want me? Because the fact that I was called up only once means that they had already decided.
Then, came "Noises Off". When I didn't get a part here, I assumed it was because I sucked. I can live with that. I gave them another try for "Enchanted April". Well . . . there were several women there and only two men, myself included. Two people there remarked that the other man was terrible. His reading was flat, and he didn't seem even aware of what he was reading. I was, according to them, far better than him. He did have one thing in his favor: he is white. So, guess who got the part, and guess who didn't even get a callback. Not only that, consider: they had only one man from the auditions, but they needed four for the play. After turning me away, they went out and recruited to get the other three. So, "even though we don't have enough men and we don't know if we can get enough men, we know we don't want YOU!" Thanks, buddies, but I can take a hint. Sad thing is that I have a friend who sometimes directs for them, but I won't go to one of his auditions. I won't give this group another chance.
Then, "Deathtrap". I arrived early because of a conflict. One other person was going to be auditioning with me. We came in. The director took one look at us -- he hadn't even looked at our acting resumes -- and said he wanted the other person (who, by the way, is white) to read for the lead and he wanted me to read for a bit-part. This play doesn't state that the lead is white and it doesn't affect the play at all if he isn't . . . but that is what the director wanted, and he decided accordingly. Another director said to me that I should have come out and said "hey, I want to read for the lead." But, I felt, why bother? The director already determined he didn't see me at all in that role (remember, it wouldn't have been a big deal to have us both read for the part: he didn't want to even bother to see me read for the part). Maybe I suck, maybe I'm good, but even if I'm good I'm not so good as to get him to change his mind. This group is a very prestigious community theatre in the area, and I won't even give them a second look after that.
Finally, I went to a combined audition for two plays. I was handed sides for "Farragut North", one of the two plays. They said I was too old for one of the two characters, so they wanted me to read for the other character. They gave me time to prepare for that one character. I did. I went in to the audition, and they told me to read for the other character, the one they told me I was too old to play! I went along, but when I think back at that . . . that was really, really scummy! A week later, they asked me if I would be interested in a small non-speaking part in the other play for which they were auditioning. I said "no thank you". I haven't heard anything about "Farragut North", but I fully expect I didn't get a part.
There are three "general" theatre companies that have my interest (by "general", I mean "not a Gilbert & Sullivan group": I've worked with two companies that specialize in G&S, and they've always treated me well). Viviana, Barnstormers, and Hedgerow. These companies have my loyalty. Keep in mind that this isn't based on "getting roles". Viviana gives anyone a part, but note that they did not give me the part I wanted for "42nd Street". I have been in two plays at Barnstormers, but I did get turned away from one (they tried to find a way to fit me, however . . . and in the end, the play never went on) and I will probably be turned away from "Macbeth". Hedgerow? I've only been in two of their shows, and they haven't called me in to be in any others . . . but I've taken a bunch of classes there and I've learned a lot from them. As I shift from being an actor to concentrating on playwriting, these three companies get "dibs" for my work.
My ambition, however, is to write something that everyone really, really wants to do . . . I would like to be approached by the company that turned me away from "Enchanted April" or from "Deathtrap". I want to say to them "sure, you can do my play . . . but I want minorities in the lead . . . I won't approve of this if you have an all-white cast." That's my dream.
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