Natalie Scarlett holds auditions for 'Six Characters'
Betsy Woodruff
Issue date: 2/19/09 Section: Arts
Scarlett says this approach tests students' creativity and ability to take direction.
Stone, Scribner and Thomas eagerly jump into their roles, quickly creating clearly defined characters.
Then it's time for the monologues. Stone has memorized (only the day before) an emotionally charged piece from Anton Chekhov's "The Seagull." About 20 seconds into her recitation, she interrupts herself.
"Oh fudge. Fudge on a stick."
She has completely forgotten her lines.
Scarlett seems unbothered by the memory slip. She quickly directs Thomas to jump into the scene so Stone can recite the monologue again, directing her lines to him.
After the audition is over, Stone gives a frustrated laugh about the mistake.
"She said she wanted it short, so I kept it short!" she says. "I could have done a lot better, but that's just the way it is. You have good days and bad days. It was still fun."
Freshman Eric Elefson, who plans to major in theatre, auditioned an hour before Stone.
"It's hard not to get nervous," he said a few days before the audition. "I try to channel that in a way that's beneficial."
He and two other freshmen performed the same Chekhovian scene, inventing characters on the fly to show off their acting talents.
"Eric, could you be more sure of yourself?" Scarlett asks. "I like what you're doing, but put it up a notch or two."
They perform the scene again, but Natalie still isn't quite satisfied. She thinks Elefson's nerves are getting the better of him.
"Do the same thing, Eric, just bigger, suaver, more sure of yourself - but the reason for that is that you're scared," she says.
Afterward, he doesn't seem quite satisfied with his performance.
"I think I was too nervous," he says. The Chekhov scenes surprised him.
"I was thinking there were at least going to be characters," says Elefson.
"It went decent. I've done better, but on the whole it wasn't that bad. Considering I memorized it in two days, I think it went pretty well," said sophomore theatre Cory Drewry.
Stone, Scribner and Thomas eagerly jump into their roles, quickly creating clearly defined characters.
Then it's time for the monologues. Stone has memorized (only the day before) an emotionally charged piece from Anton Chekhov's "The Seagull." About 20 seconds into her recitation, she interrupts herself.
"Oh fudge. Fudge on a stick."
She has completely forgotten her lines.
Scarlett seems unbothered by the memory slip. She quickly directs Thomas to jump into the scene so Stone can recite the monologue again, directing her lines to him.
After the audition is over, Stone gives a frustrated laugh about the mistake.
"She said she wanted it short, so I kept it short!" she says. "I could have done a lot better, but that's just the way it is. You have good days and bad days. It was still fun."
Freshman Eric Elefson, who plans to major in theatre, auditioned an hour before Stone.
"It's hard not to get nervous," he said a few days before the audition. "I try to channel that in a way that's beneficial."
He and two other freshmen performed the same Chekhovian scene, inventing characters on the fly to show off their acting talents.
"Eric, could you be more sure of yourself?" Scarlett asks. "I like what you're doing, but put it up a notch or two."
They perform the scene again, but Natalie still isn't quite satisfied. She thinks Elefson's nerves are getting the better of him.
"Do the same thing, Eric, just bigger, suaver, more sure of yourself - but the reason for that is that you're scared," she says.
Afterward, he doesn't seem quite satisfied with his performance.
"I think I was too nervous," he says. The Chekhov scenes surprised him.
"I was thinking there were at least going to be characters," says Elefson.
"It went decent. I've done better, but on the whole it wasn't that bad. Considering I memorized it in two days, I think it went pretty well," said sophomore theatre Cory Drewry.
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