Cinderella Auditions, How'd they go?

Well, it’s official, Cinderella is in full swing here at Repertory. Students from all grades auditioned and I would like to applaud all those who were brave enough to put themselves out there. From singing in the staircases, to running the choreography until physically unable, you guys unapologetically showed off your enthusiasm. Mr. Morrow, Ms. Bance, and Ms. Wong all knew they would have their work cut out for them and it was amazing just knowing how much the Rep community recognizes and appreciates your hard work. Keep it up!

I reached out to multiple students who auditioned and asked them about their audition experience, specifically their biggest worries, what made the process better, and the advice they gave themselves, or would give to others with respect to auditioning and preparation.

Regardless of their time here at Rep, whether a freshman or a senior, there seemed to be some similarity in responses. For example, and not surprisingly, some students were just afraid they simply wouldn’t get cast. For senior Shayla Lee-Henry, she voiced how teachers can sometimes get students' hopes up, “There's a trend of rep students and teachers hyping up kids to audition and practice till they get it ‘perfect’ just to not get casted again. It happened last year when teachers said I already got cast for Chicago (looks left and right) where it at? I didn't want to be disappointed again”. Freshman Sofia Santos was scared she would have a lesser chance to get a cast due to her being a freshman. Junior Maggie Sproat was concerned her poor health would go against her, “at the same time auditions came around was the same time ‘rep-it is’ was going around … and I lost my voice. So, I think my biggest worry was not doing my best due to poor timing of sickness.”

Students surrounding the Call Board to read the names of those who got a call back.

So, what did students have to say about what made their audition process easier? They all unanimously lauded our amazing Rep community for coming together to help one another. Many students shared their gratitude for the teacher's input on their songs and dances, “Having Wong hear the song I was singing was a huge help to tweak some things about my performance.” (Ruby Rodriguez). They truly appreciated the workshops held before auditions, “Being able to go to workshops made me feel more confident going into my audition.” (Sofia Santos) They also shared how peers were willing to judge, provide helpful feedback, or simply give emotional support. “What made the process better was the collaboration and teamwork with the other people auditioning. There were a lot of mock auditions, feedback given amongst my peers and I, as well as group vocal warmups. Even just singing our songs to each other back and forth was helpful.” (Tia-Marie) Ona had a similar experience, “Everyone, even people I didn't know, were so welcoming to me as a freshman. I haven't done a musical audition at Rep, other than my audition for the school, so I was quite nervous. But all the people in line to audition helped me work through the nerves and encouraged me to keep going.”

Finally, when it comes to auditioning. Delilah, Sofia, Ruby, and Ona all said “PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE!” Tia-Marie said, “research what you’re auditioning for and DRILL IT! make sure you actually know what you’re auditioning for.” Other students advised to just go up there and do it! “You have to fake it until you make it.  In order to perform your best you have to ensure that you feel comfortable and confident. Sometimes you have to just jump into it to get ahead of your fears.” (senior Jelisa Alexander) There were also students that said being bold is a good thing, “Don't be afraid to make bold decisions when it comes to your audition” (junior Damaari Coombs) One piece of advice was different from the rest, Senior Seth Gunpot-Daniel stated to, “be engaged and be present when you’re in callbacks especially when you’re in acting scenes, always be present. Just because you’re not speaking doesn’t mean you’re not acting. How do they fidget? Do they play with their clothes?”

If there’s one thing that’s for sure, whether it’s your first audition or your seventeenth, the nerves are going to be there. The only thing we can do as performers is give it your all, “have confidence and have fun with the character.” (senior Journey Malik) And there you have it, as you can see for yourself, the Rep community has been, and will always be there for each other. It’s so nice to hear that the community you’ll spend four years of your life with has the heart to help others, even when they may not know your name. 

I would like to extend my congratulations to all those who got cast in Cinderella and wish the cast and crew the best of luck. Break a Leg!

Thank you to all those interviewed:

Shayla Lee-Henry

Sofia Santos

Delilah Gonzalez

Ruby Rodriguez

Tia-Marie Edwards

Maggie Sproat

Damaari Coombs

Journey Malik

Jelisa Alexander

Ona Richardson-Vejl

Seth Gunpot-Daniel