Muskingum hosts Ohio Theatre Alliance North Central Regional Auditions

  The Ohio Theatre Alliance North Central Regional Auditions, held at Muskingum University on Saturday, Jan. 21, 2012 ,boasted participation from 330 students, 40 technicians, and 30 different companies. interviewing students for summer and/or year-round positions.

   Jerry Martin, Professor of Communication, Media and Theatre, and also the president of the Ohio Theatre Alliance, explained that the North Central Regional Auditions are the big event sponsored by the Ohio Theatre Alliance each year.

  "For the last seven years we have held them here at Muskingum because our facility is the ideal size," said Martin.

  Auditions started at 8 a.m. on Saturday in Caldwell Hall. Each student auditioning had 90 intense seconds, consisting of an excerpt of a song and a monologue, to prove to the different companies what they could do and why they should be chosen by them.

  "I think that the hardest thing is definitely the preparations that go preceding the audition," said Ashley Greer, a senior from Adrian College in Michigan. "It's the preparations of deciding what I should sing, what monologue I should do, and money is also unfortunately a big thing, but it's worth every penny."

  It's not just the preparations for the auditions but some people travel a long way for these auditions. Angelia Golden from Albany, New York auditioned to hopefully get a job after she graduates.

 "I think the hardest part is traveling and beating your nerves and insecurities," said Golden. "You just got to get over them."

 The technicians were interviewed in Walter Hall.

  "I think the hardest part for the technical interviews is actually adjusting to what they're looking for and trying to give them the right answers that they want to know," said Kristy Priest, a junior at North Michigan University, who interviewed for a technical theatre position for the summer. "The quickest answers with the most information I think are the best."

  After each round of auditions, callbacks would be posted from the different companies under the time of the audition. If a student's number was on one of the callbacks they would go to the back of the bulletin board to see what the company's instructions were for the callback.

   "Most of the time, these are people who are looking for singers, dancers, and actors for summer musical theatre or for year round touring companies," said Martin, regarding the companies themselves.

  Martin also said that in the past, the audition process could last until midnight on Saturday.