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My name is Irene, I am nineteen years old, and I live in New York City. From the time I was a toddler, I’ve always loved performing on stage, a creative outlet that has now morphed into a fondness writing and running my site, Theater4Teens.com, where I share advice and interview Broadway stars.
In middle school, I was living in Orlando, Florida and I took a road trip down to Miami to go to an audition for a television show on Nickelodeon with some friends. Me and eight of my friends waited in line together with several thousand other people. Everyone was dressed in his or her casual best but it was clear that everyone was trying to imitate what they were seeing on television—bright colors and perfect hair, each person a slightly different version of the next, borne from the same cookie cutter.
I and each of my eight friends performed our respective auditions and no one got a call back. I was pretty upset—furious that I didn't show them the true “me” and worried that I came across like a total robot.
My mom, who was one of the chaparones on our trip to Miami, asked me and one of my friends, "What happens if you go back in line again?" We had come all this way and I knew that I could do better than my first try. The line was miles long and without telling the rest of the group, my mom took me and my friend to the back of the line and we joined in again. By this time it was 11:30 a.m. and the line completely covered the entire parking lot in a snake pattern. I looked at my mother with a blank stare and asked, “Really?” It seemed absurd to line up again, but she answered, “Why not? We will get as far as possible until someone says something and if they ask, we will not lie.”
After about another four hours in that line, we got to a point where they gave out stickers with numbers which guaranteed that we would be seen for an audition that day. The lady giving the numbers out asked her colleague, "Weren't those two girls here this morning?" My friend and I turned around quickly so we would not have to answer because we knew we couldn’t lie. My mom didn’t hear the question so we let her deal with the stickers. After that, my mom sent us to change our clothes into something less Disney Channel that displayed much more of our normal personality.
Once we looked like ourselves again, we relaxed and practiced our auditions the entire day, and felt much more confident in the work we were doing. At about 8 p.m. we got close to the front of the line again and had to fill out a form with a few questions including "special skills." I had another big decision. I thought, “What in the world could I do that might stand out and be really memorable?”
Then it hit me. In middle school, I thought I could beat box so I wrote that down. In reality, I could barely do it. But I had nothing to lose so I scribbled “beat boxing” into the box that said “special skills” and left my fate up to the audition gods.
My friend and I finally got in the audition room at 10 p.m. that night. We were among the very last people to be seen. My second try was completely different than the first one earlier that morning. I walked into that room totally relaxed, confident, and just me. The lady behind the table commented on how she loved my dress and said they had just bought the same style for one of the shows they were doing. After that, I started reciting and acting out my lines. At the end, the character was supposed to say a line like a prisoner and instead of delivering the line like a robot speaking and making the same choice everyone else did, I got a little physical and put myself in this imaginary cell. They totally laughed. Then they surprised me and said, “Now do it beat boxing.” Without thinking, I did the line like a rap This second time around, I was having fun and so was the casting crew. We had all had a long day, but we were all just normal people wanting to have fun at work.
This time (wow), I got a call back to come in the next day to do more scene work, plus sing and dance. I stayed up all night studying the side and practicing the song I was going to do. The next day I went in wearing the same outfit I wore the day before. I wanted to make sure they remembered me. They put me on tape and I made everyone in the room laugh again and I belted out my song with no fear at all.
Once I was completely myself and never held back or second-guessed myself, I rocked it! Everyone finally took notice of me and I was no longer just another kid auditioning.
From then on, I knew that in order to really make it in this business, I had to be true to myself and never let others tell me how to act for the audition or how dress for the big day. Be fun and be natural and it will always set you apart. I got called back several other times but didn't get that coveted role on a Nickelodeon television show. But now that same casting director who auditioned me has become a great friend. It just goes to show you that sometimes you win even when you don’t get the part.
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Why is this "The i’Mpossible Project?"
Inspired by Josh Rivedal's book and one-man show The Gospel According to Josh: A 28-Year Gentile Bar Mitzvah. Gospel (non-religious) means "Good News" and Josh's good news is that he's alive, and thriving, able to tell his story and help other people.
On his international tour with his one-man show, he found incredible people who felt voiceless or worthless yet who were outstanding people with important personal stories waiting to be told. These personal stories changed his life and the life of the storyteller for the better.
Josh's one-man show continues through 2015 and beyond and he is looking for people in all walks of life, online and offline, to help give them a voice and share their stories with the world.
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