Any actors out there?, Describe theatre experience

I have acted in the following non-musical plays:
The Emperor's New Clothes/The Invisible Dragon, Tom Sawyer, The Lion The Witch and the Wardrobe, Song of Survival, The Man Who Came to Dinner, Our Town, and The Sting.

I have acted in the following musicals:
The King and I, Godspell, Annie Get Your Gun (somehow I managed solo-ish things in all three)

So... describe any and all acting experience you've had!

All the acting I've done had been within school...

I've been in five musicals (Jesus Christ Superstar, West Side Story, Fame, Godspell and of course Les Miserables) at high school, which were fun (except for Fame which flopped like a dead balloon).

Also a pantomime that the directors thought up, about reindeer and Santa for the little kiddies to enjoy. (Now, that was fun!)

Also in the Greek play Antigone by Sophocles (spelling???), I was in the chorus and had a few speaking solo lines which was cool.

I've been in church plays...

Great!
My director, though, was biased against me. Until I showed up for the King and I auditions with the prepared reading memorized. After that, he was more willing to give me a try with big roles (before I'd just been a townsperson).

I have acted in the following plays (along with my age and role)

One play which title I forgot dor an acting camp,I played Queen Lea, age 7(musical)
Cinderella, I played young girl and ballroom dancer, age 8(musical)

Oklahoma!,Ado Annie (oohhh, interesting expiereince..tell later on post), age 9 (musical)
Oliver!, I played The Artful Dodger (also known as Jack Dawkins in one line), age 10 (best role I have ever played!! And it was for school.Now my community theater is doing it in Febuary, and I am so trying out...)
Alice in Wonderland, Knave and flower, age 11 (not fun. Rehersals were way too unorganized! Ugh...)


I don't remember the ones I acted in when I was 7 and 8. But when I was 9, I played Ado Annie in Oklahoma!, which was my first lead role. For those of you not familliar with the play, I played the ditzy girl who fell in love with every guy she met. (Yeah! And this was in the fourth grade! Heavy play for elementary school...)There was one guy who I was going to marry, but I fell in love with some other guy, too. My sub plot was choosing the guy. Well, the more annoying guy who I really couldn't stand, had to kiss me on the cheek. Twice! When the performing time rolled around, my mom would try to get a picture of it, but she always missed. So for an hour after the last performance, my mom had us kiss over and over again on the stage. Sadly, one person in my class (who I found out had a crush on me later in the year, heh) walked into the cafeteria (where the stage is) and saw what was going on. So, no matter how fun it was to have a lead, it was pretty akward during some scenes for me.

In Oliver!, (elementary school, 5th grade) I played Dodger. Oh so fun. Just thinking about it makes me want to cry that it's over. Dodger was Oliver's best friend. The girl who playd Oliver really was my best friend, too! Not to mention my other friends had leads, too. Every single one. So rehearsals were a lot of fun, and the last performance, I almost cried. Cool thing is, my community theater is doing Oliver! in Febuary. I'm trying out for Dodger (suprise, suprise!) I'm going to wear my smashed top hat which I wore on stage, and I'm singing the long version of "Little People". (Dodger was the insperation for Gavroche, after all...)

This year, my school is doing Calamity Jane. Tryouts are in January.

Now THIS is something I can sink my teeth into. I love talking with other actors!

I did an off-broadway production of I Never Saw Another Butterfly YEARS ago when I was a kid, but since then I've mostly stuck to community theatre (life gets in the way!).

In more recent years, I've done:
The Miracle Worker
The Music Man- In which I learned that I cannot, for the life of me, do an effective Irish accent.
Big!
The Learned Ladies- Voted Best Costume for my cape, eyeliner moustache, and hat.
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum- Hilarious musical.
Anything Goes- Can't go wrong with Cole Porter.
Romeo and Juliet
West Side Story
Man of la Mancha- Some interesting music, I'm still unsure if I actually like it or not. Especially Dulcinea's solos, but our Dulcinea was... suspect...
The Tempest
The Skin of Our Teeth- My largest role to date, in possibly the most obscure play ever.

Playfest is also something we have at my high school, in which each grade writes, directs, and performs their own show for judges for prizes. I've acted in three so far, two of which I wrote (I am not a good writer, however, and wisely turned those duties over to some more capable folk). However, those aren't on my resume as I'm not sure if they count as valid theatre.

I've also done some minor readings with my school.
The Crucible
Romeo and Juliet (this was performed at Hofstra's Shakespeare festival)
W;T
Our Town

Here's some questions to get discussion rolling!

1. Have you ever felt that you were typecast?
2. How much research do you typically do before auditions? Before callbacks? Do you feel it pays off?
3. What about after you've been cast? Do you find yourself researching the play/your part? How much of a role does research play in your opening night performance?
4. What character has had the most influence on you as a performer, if any?
5. How long does it take you to get in character?
6. Any special warm-ups?

I'll go first...
1. I'm a fattycakes, so I tend to be typecast as the matronly type. But then, I've been working with the same director for almost four years, and he tends to prefer skinny girls, and typecast like a mofo, so I don't take it personally.
2. I tend to go into auditions and callbacks pretty much cold, and I've never had any trouble with it, but I know some prefer a familiarity with the material.
3. AFTER I'm cast, however, I research like nobody's business. If I'm playing a significant character, I keep a file of notes on my computer of things I've found. A lot of time, I look up critics' responses to the shows. That's what usually sticks with me on opening night.
4. Maggie Antrobus, from Skin of Our Teeth, just because she was my biggest, and I really had to work on her for a while. Shame it's not such a well-known play, because there are some really poignant moments.
5. I'm one of those types that goes straight from a backstage conversation to the stage, though at least one of my friends needs to pace backstage and not speak to anyone for a full five minutes before he goes on.
6. Traditionally, our company does Whether the Weather, Pulse, Dirty Lil, and an Ode to Dionysis before we go on.

1: I haven't done much, since I'm only 12, so no, not really.
2: Before auditions: I like to be familliar with the songs if any and the roles so I can pick a monologue and song that subtly hints at the character that I want.
3: After I've been cast, I look ALL OVER THE PLACE for stuff about my character. Then, I make my own interpretation that's different enough to be interesting but the same enough (shut up, I was up 24 hours yesterday, with 8 hours of sleep last night/this morning) to not seem was "out there". And I memorize what I'm doing in rehearsals so it's not TOO different, unless I think up a witty ad-lib.
4: None, really. I haven't done enough.
5: 30 seconds. I just have to think of my character's name and what's happening to me in the scene. But I don't usually break character offstage. It really weirds my friends out.
6: In all the productions I have been in , we don't have cast warm-ups, so I have to do it at home a capella.I usually warm up by singing scales on different vowels and words. I so the tonic that way, too. I sing through all the songs in the production whether (My spellcheck is dumb, and I can't fix it...) I'm in it or not, and I go through scales with half steps. I also try to sing really hard phrases to work on my diction

With My School
-Martha in the Secret Garden
-Chava in Fiddler on the Roof
-Laura in the Glass Menagerie
-ensemble in the Wizard of Oz
-a princess in the King and I
-Badger in Crow and Weasel (don't ask...)

Locally
-Whether Woman/Merchant in the Phantom Tollbooth

1. I haven't done enough to be typecast. I do have problems getting cast in local productions because I'm tiny (5'4" and 109 pounds) and read as really young onstage. But at 17 I'm too old for youth productions.
2. Usually I just focus on the material I need to prepare and try not to think about it or I'd freak myself out.
3. The hardest part of Martha was the Yorkshire accent. The director gave me some dialect tapes and a book to learn it. I haven't really done roles that require much research.
4. Laura Wingfield. I really relate to her and it's so inspiring the way she comes into her own at the end.
5. I usually need 10 to 15 minutes of quiet time before I go on more for nerves than anything else. With Martha I was going around talking to myself to "turn the accent on." Getting in costume really is what brings the character together for me. That's when I feel like a different person.
6. No. If I'm in a musical at my school the cast does vocal warm-ups together before the show. (Our director likes to give a speech and cry on opening night.) Other than that I pace backstage...a lot.

Any bloopers to share?

The Wizard of Oz was blooper-ridden
-Miss Gulch almost rode her bike into the orchestra pit. The actress had to learn to ride one for the show.
-The Witch (same actress) entered from the back of house for her appearance after the Tinman scene. This little kid in the audience saw her and said "I don't like you. You're mean to Dorothy."
-Someone in the orchestra pit farted during the scarecrow scene. Loudly.
-During dress rehearsal we were running a scene where the Witch was complaining to the Winkies about the Yo-ee-o Yo-o chant being annoying. The lines are:

Witch: What does it mean anyway?
Winkie Captain: It's an old winkie marching song meaning roughly Yo-ee-o Yo-o etc.
(They all start chanting again and exit.)

My friend, who was playing the Winkie captain decided to be a smart-ass and say "It's an old Ricky Martin song meaning roughly Yo-ee-o..." The Witch burst out laughing but the rest of the Winkies finished the scene completely straight faced. The director, however, was not pleased.

My credits:
(something in Swahilian can't remember the name)- the Owl
Really Rosie- Mrs. DeZoots (a.k.a. one of the moms, we got to pick the names ourselves)
Alice in Wonderland- Pat the Pigeon (DON'T ASK!)
Jonah and the Whale- Angel #6
Godspell- (Don't remember the name o9f character)
Demeter's Apples (a play I wrote for a project)- Director/ Producer/ Casting Director/ Demeter
Little Mis- Javert (acting class, I do comedy improvs)
Christmas Pagent- Drummer Girl #1
The Beauty Contest- Demeter
North Park- Kylie/Erica
South Park: The Stupid Version- Kyle/ Philip/ Mrs. Cartman

Coming soon (or most likely):
Law and Order- Victim?
Les Miserables- Young Cosette/Eponine or Gavroche
Annie- Annie

I'm only 12 so I still got a long way to go and I still have to overcome the fact I have palette expander in my mouth

Buahaha. I'm haven't been in much...My old school didn't put on musicals or plays Plus, the school I've been going to since we moved doesn't do theatre either. Anyways, I found a youth theatre where I live now (thanks to my friend. Her mom is the program director.) and I just finished up my second musical with them. Yay. Plus the school I'm going to this year is really well known for their shows. They're putting on Les Mis this year!

Anyways, this is what I've been in:

Hansel and Gretel - Chorus - age 10 - old school in old town (it was required for everyone in the grade to be in it, so I don't really count this...)
Annie - Duffy - age 12 - new youth theatre
Seussical the Musical - Wickersham - age 13 - new youth theatre

And I have upcoming auditions for:

Little Women, the Adventures of Tom Sawyer, and in the far off future, Les Mis!

NEW CREDIT:

Cabaret Camp Show thingy:
Les Mis Medley- Beggar, Worker, Student, Fantine?
Hairspray"Mama I'm a Big Girl Now"- Penny or Amber? Possibly Tracy
Comedy Tonight- A person (it's a group number)
Dancin' Fool- Same as Above
We Go Together- Frenchie

Okay.. not to relive a long gone topic.. but

I just turned 13, so I have not done to much. Here is my resume.. LOL

Theater/School/Casting/

Les Miserables- Young Cosette 2001
Les Miserables- Young Cosette 2002
Les Miserables- Young Cosette/Gavroche 2003
Finding Nemo- Extra Voices 2003
Les Miserables- Young Cosette/Gavroche 2004
The Incredibles- Misc Voices 2004
Les Miserables-Young Cosette/ Gavroche 2005
Mary Poppins, School Version- Jane 2005
Samantha, and American Girl Holiday- Orphan at cold rock 2005
Annie, School Version- Pepper 2005
Aidia, for kids- Chorus 2006
Les Miserables- Young Cosette 2006
Joseph and the Amazing Tech. Colour Dream Coat- Exta 2007
Willy Wonka-Chorus 2007
Prince Caspian(Narnia)- Lucy Pevensie 2007
Les Miserables- Fantine (Eponine Stand in) 2007

I think thats all.. But I want to do more (And I convinced my mum to let me at least audition for one proadway production... which is very soon))

You. Are. Amazing.

More additions:
Nose Competition~ Thomas Muddledome (DO NOT INQUIRE!)

LOL, thank you... It just cause I was introduced at a young age..... and Les Mis helped a lot.... and as for the Disney/Pixar things, you just have to be in the right place at the right time.


And Congrats misspascal101!