Last Midnight

Photo by Jamie Schartz

The final step to the audition process is the posting of the cast list. This is the make-or-break moment for an actor. It's everything you've been waiting for and dreaming of.

If your name is on the list, it's the most exciting feeling.

If your name is not on the list, your heart drops into your butt, your stomach drops into your knees, and all you can wonder is "Why hasn't anybody told me I suck? Do I suck? Maybe the director sucks."

It's a beautiful and horrifying experience. Either way, there's usually screaming and gibberish talk. Some people cry, out of joy or pain. Some people are so accustomed to the outcome that they just walk away.

If you are cast, you gear up for the rehearsal process, which lasts anywhere from a few days to a few weeks, depending on the show and the theatre presenting it. Some theaters are constantly mounting new shows, so one show is rehearsing during the day while the current show is being shown at night.


Sadly, I did not get cast. It was a difficult pill for me to swallow, for a number of reasons. First of all, almost all of my friends were cast, which means once again, I will be left out of all the fun. Another reason is that I have not been cast in anything since my first show at Washburn,
"The Language Archive," despite auditioning for every other show that has been put on.

It took me awhile to post this because it took me a few days to be able to work myself up to talking about it. I avoided all my friends who were cast, out of jealousy mostly.