The Audition

It was 6:00 when the alarm rang shrilly in my left ear. I groaned and looking groggily around the room. Then as

I started to wake I suddenly remembered why I had set my alarm so early. I was about to audition for a part on Broadway. I had waited for this day since my first year of high school when it was evident that I had the potential to be a big star on broadway. I was given every part that I had auditioned for and always stole the show.

I was currently a student at a major acting school in Manhattan when I was approached by my theater arts teacher, Clyde Fanell. He looked at me with a grin on his face, handed me a script and said "go for it". "I just got you into an audition for "The Pink Slippers" at 9:00 tomorrow morning."

I slipped out from under my warm covers, took a quick shower and turned on the highest power of light I could get and applied just the right amount of foundation for my already peachy skin, Next I chose the right colored shadow which drew out the blueness of my eyes. Once I was satisfied with that, I applied a light dab of rouge to my cheeks. I looked critically at myself in the bright light of the mirror and than knew I looked the part I was going for.

The dress I chose for the audition was a lemon light colored dress, which was adorned with a white embroidered collar that came to a v-neck slope. I loved this dress because it hid all the bumps and curves of my natural body. I chose a pair of black pumps that I always wore when I had to stand for long periods of time.

I was finished by 8:30, just in time to go downstairs and meet the Uber driver who would bring me over to the studio. I had gave the driver the address that I was given, and I got to the studio in no time at all. The building was a tall modern edifice, not like any I pictured for a studio. To get into the building you entered a double sided glass door into a well lit lobby.

There was a middle aged woman, dressed in a red business suit. She looked up from her desk and greeted me with a welcoming smile, asked me my name and handed me a badge with my name already imprinted, followed by a bold number 35 below. She pointed me towards a beautiful oak table in the middle of the lobby and asked me to take a seat and wait for someone to call my name.

As I sat at the table waiting, I noticed a large gold colored album on the table to my left. I went over and glanced at the photos noting pictures of well known actors and actresses, and others that I did not recognize at all.

I waited for about 45 minutes before my name was called, when a young man approached me and asked me my name. I showed him my badge and then he asked me to follow him. We walked through a winding hallway that was adorned with Broadway playbills in silver frames on the walls, and lush pink carpets on the floor. We finally stopped at another door, and as he opened the door he ushered me into a large waiting room with about fifty or so other men and women waiting for their time to be called.

I looked across the room and saw a buffet table with a melee of light snacks, from the over stuffed bread baskets, to blueberry muffins, and a platter of fresh fruit. Ceramic plates and shiny silverware were set out on the other side of the food tables. I had not had any breakfast that morning so I decided I would partake of some of the food. I went up and chose a plate, a fork and a small blueberry muffin. I added some fresh fruit on my plate and grabbed a cup of black coffee.

As I glanced around the room I spied a young girl who looked to be around my age, sitting at a table by herself. She looked as nervous as I felt. I went over to her and asked if I could sit down with her and she pointed to the empty seat next to her. 

I sat down with my food and noticed the badge around her neck. Her name was Naomi Geilgood, and is it turned out she was auditioning for the dance troupe.

"I am a professional dancer. I have been dancing since I was three years old. My parents had a notion that I would grow up and be a prima ballerina. Since I didnt want to disappoint my parents, I danced in competitions, winning some and losing others. My talents began to grow, and before I realized I made it to the top. One of my teachers was able to get me this audition today."

When Naomi was finished telling me her story, I told her mine. I explained that I had not had any ambition or desire to be on the stage until I was in high school when I was cast for the lead role in Oklahoma. I actually wanted to be a teacher, to satisfy my parents dream for me.

We sat in that waiting room for hours while we shared our stories with each other. As it turned out we were alot alike. We liked the same foods, the same type of movies and we both came from a large family. (Naomi had three older siblings and I had three siblings, but I was the middle child).

It was noon before we realized it, and only a handful of people had been called in for their auditions. At this point I was getting even more nervous and asked Naomi if she would listen to the part I had practiced.

"Sure she said." I took the script out of my bag and handed it to her. She listened while I spoke the part from memory, When I finished reciting my part she looked at me with amazement, "How did you memorize that part so quickly. You only got the script yesterday"?.

I laughed aloud and told her I had a photographic memory.

All of the sudden the door to the waiting room opened and a group of us were called into the next room for our auditions.  

Naomi and I both got parts in the show, and as it turned out we became best friends.

I will never forget the day that I met Naomi in that studio waiting room.