Audition and Pre-rehearsal Musings from the Cast

A bit about the audition process... I've always acted on impulse when it comes to auditions. I've noticed a divide between actors who audition for anything, some just for the sake of it... they may be WAY off... but it's the experience, the flow, the networking? I'm not terribly sure, as I am far from that eager to put myself out there.

I'm selective, precise, though far from discriminatory. I pick and chose my battles, and for some odd reason, I look upon auditions as a necessary battle to plow through and succeed, even if I'm not cast, it's more a matter of feeling confident that I gave it a natural, honest 'best'.

I had it in my head going into this particular audition that I was joining late in the game, which was, indeed, the case I'd learn. Okay... maybe not late, but further into it than the rest of the cast.

To cut to it, I found myself elated, emotional, by the offer to participate in this process. The Vagina Monologues has always served as a template of wisdom, humor, beauty, and fragility in the human spirit, not just women alike, but we as human beings - there is a sense of relation in each of these monologues that make it so universal, so profound - which is why men, woman, genderqueers, 'z''s and everything far in between flock to see the latest staging.

Be it that we are actively associated with any number of the pieces, or that we are so far away from them, their impact is harrowing, there's emotion involved from every last person who allows themselves in. I may be jumbling my words up here... and going on a bit too much... but, this is how passionate I am about this piece of art, and have been since I first came upon it some eight years ago.

For me, the honor to perform it... it goes beyond being a transgender woman, a sense of acceptance, or as an actor.. a performer who reads well, delivers monologues with proper, or witty, or smartly placed inflection... it resonates in my soul, my daily emotions. And I am so thankful, grateful, in love with that honor.

--Aiden Karamanyan, Cast Member

The Audition:
Looks like I was lucky to get a spot - several friends said they'd wanted to audition for Stone Soup this season, but all the audition slots had filled up. There are several shows in the season that I'd love to have a chance to do, especially Durang7 (Christopher Durang is always trenchant and funny). I decided to do the monologue from the new show I did in May, Christopher Bailey's Man Defeats Nature - at least no one will have heard it 10 times already today! To my surprise, after my monologue (which is very heavy dramatic stuff), Maureen Hawkins (no relation, but there's certainly a resemblance) asked me if I had anything short and comedic, a joke or a funny story.

I did the "Mamet play" bit from Neil Simon's London Suite, which I was in last year, and the auditors were very receptive, laughing at all the right places. Feeling pretty good about how I did, although it seems like a pretty long shot (the stage manager told me there were over 250 people scheduled to audition).

The Callback:
Callback for Vagina Monologues turned out to be the hottest day on record EVER for Seattle. Inside the theatre, it had to be 120 degrees.

Thankfully, it was maybe 5 or 10 degrees cooler downstairs where we were waiting for our chances to read. A dozen or more women, all drinking water by the gallon. The callback itself was unusual - the director, Tyrone Brown, asked us to pick a piece we'd like to try reading, and he just went around and listened to each of us read, then asked questions about why we'd picked that particular piece, how it resonated, etc. I opted for My Angry Vagina - I love that piece. As I told Tyrone, I picked it because the way it's written is the way I talk myself.

Upstairs into the oven of the theatre to dance as a group and simulate orgasm. Yup, simulate orgasm. Tyrone broke the ice by demonstrating that himself first. Yowza, and I thought it was hot in there before!

And a roomful of sweaty women, dancing and moaning and sighing...eat your heart out, Meg Ryan, you've got competition. Then a brief one-on-one interview with him, asking why we were interested in this show. I explained that I'd only seen it on HBO, never a live performance. I had a chance to do it a couple years back, but was unable to, and was very disappointed to miss that opportunity. Then back out into the still-hot night, and a gorgeous drive home. There were an awful lot of women there, but I did my best. We'll see.

--Geni Hawkins, cast member