The Comfy Corner

I feel like it is finally time to 'fess up and tell you all the story of how I got the job that I currently have. I love my job and am having a blast, but I'm gonna be real for a sec - my audition to get this job was a big strug mess! I'm talking Elise Taff level strug (she's the struggiest friend I have, check her blog out here!) I submitted for an appointment and got one late in the day the day before the audition. They very kindly said, "We will need you to be there at noon tomorrow." I, however, was not in the city. So I responded, "I'm not in the city currently so I might be a little bit late because my bus is coming in around that time." To which she responded, "Well, the dance call starts at noon, so good luck!" Now, this is where the chaos ensued. My bus was scheduled to arrive in the city at 11am. But, I knew MegaBus and how much of a strug it was about being on time anywhere. So, I crossed my fingers and hoped for the best.

The next morning, I arrived in NYC at exactly 12:15pm. Thanks MegaBus! I ran like the wind to Chelsea Studios, my rolly suitcase giving me so much grief at every curb doing that whole bouncy-bouncy-twisty-topple-overy thing that rolly suitcases like to do when you are in a hurry. I get to the audition room and the monitor says to me, "You're really late, we started teaching the combo a little early because everyone was here." Defeated, I ask if they mind if I just change clothes right there in the hallway in front of them because there is no time to find a bathroom. They obviously didn't mind. Actors are always getting naked in front of each other, am I right? It is around this time that I fully realize a couple very real, very scary truths: I didn't bring dance clothes, I didn't have my book if they needed me to sing something, I didn't have a headshot or resumes, and to top it all, I wasn't feeling super on top of my game, I hadn't showered in a while, I hadn't slept, and I had just got off of a five-hour bus ride. I laugh to myself as I throw on my pajamas to do the dance call. Many of you are probably thinking, "Why did you even attempt to go to the audition?" But I walked into the room.

I get into the room just as they are doing a final run of the audition dance. I follow along in the back as best as I can and learn it on the fly (luckily, it isn't too hard and Steph Heroux taught me right). Then, they call out everyone's name to put people in groups. Marcia Milgrom Dodge (Dir. of Ragtime on Broadway) is running the audition. She calls everyone's name, but mine... because she doesn't have my headshot... because I didn't bring one. I raise my hand and say, "You forgot me." They find my name on the list and say, "Do you have a headshot?" To which I respond, "They didn't quite make it to the audition with me." One of the girls runs upstairs to print out the email version I sent them and we continue on with the audition. Luckily, they don't make me sing anything from my book (that I didn't bring) they just give us songs from the show (which I already knew). But she encouraged us to remain in our dance clothes when we sing so she could remember us. So I kept on my pajamas, but I threw on my boots so I wasn't auditioning barefoot. And then I auditioned for a Broadway director. That night, I got the call.

So what can I learn from this experience? NEVER DO THAT AGAIN! Yeah, I got the job but that was because after all I had been through I had developed this whole "Fuck it, things can't get much worse" attitude which probably read as confidence. I am the type of person that needs to have more control of my life, so I would prefer to not audition like that again. What I need to do next time is find that confidence without being an absolute mess. And I advise no one else to audition like this either.

Stay comfy y'all!