Tomorrow my daughter (e.) is auditioning for her school play. She is very nervous - and with good reason. She's going for the lead. Last year, she was interested in a relatively major role, and was WAY under-qualified. Last year's school play was her first performance EVER (we had not yet gotten involved with the community theater that they've done recently), and the boy who was chosen for the part she had wanted was amazing and had been acting for years and years.

She has since been in 3 other plays, and I think she is pretty good. She's a bit of a ham - but she really throws herself into her roles, and has a LOT of fun. She's never been a lead part, however.

Before she started with the community theater - she sang horribly. She just did weird thing with words. R's came out "ah" at the end of words, and she just ... I don't know. Since being involved, however, she's much improved. I really don't have a musical ear, and I could NOT tell you if she was on or off key - I couldn't even say what constitutes a "key." So I'm really not able to say. But she sounds better to me than she used to.

I do not know, however, if she is qualified for the lead role. I was saying no - back in August when she first declared her desire for it. And she didn't declare her desire just to me. She was writing for her newspaper still, then, and started to write a story in installments for the paper - which was about this fictional girl who wanted the lead role in the same play ... it was quite transparent. So the whole SCHOOL knows that she wants this part. I am now thinking maybe she can do it?

I have been trying so desperately to prepare her for NOT getting the part, while still encouraging her to do all she can to prepare so that she DOES get the part. She got the audition script yesterday, and she and j. read through it for us. I think she did well, and I think her natural persona does sort of match this character. [I'm hesitant to say the name of the play for google-onymous and fear-of-stalker purposes.] She had a hard time deciding what song to sing, but I think she settled on a good one from the last play she was in.

The unfortunate reality is that the play is for 2nd - 6th grades, and it seems that for the most part, 6th graders get the lead parts (e. is in 5th). Last year, however, one of e.'s friends (who was in 4th grade at the time) got one of the lead roles (and was fantastic). That same girl? She wants the same role that e. wants this go-round. So even if they DO give it to a 5th grader ... the competition is stiff.

I'll tell you one thing she has that our auditorium and many kids NEED -- VOLUME. She's a loud girl. One thing she does NOT have -- dancing ability. If they're going to require a lot of dancing for this role ... e. is not the girl.

I remember last year I kept telling her, "maybe next year, after you are in the community theater, you'll be able to get a better part" when she was disappointed with her smaller one. And now she has been. And those who run the Community Theater LOVE her, and they are also the people who are running this play ....

I am hopeful for her. It would be great fun, and I know if she GETS the part, she'll work hard, and she'll do well. She is more nervous than she's ever been in relation to an acting thing - b/c she SO wants this, and it's the first time that she really wanted a specific role like this.

I can't wait until Monday, when they release the role assignments.

Labels: kids

posted by Zuska @ 9:50 AM

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