National Institute of Dramatic Art...

    This time last week I was in the middle of my NIDA audition. I had performed my first monologue, from Stephen Sewell's 'Dreams in an Empty City', to Darren Gilshenan, and it had gone relatively well. Although I thought it perhaps could have gone a bit better, I was far from displeased with it. Darren gave me some direction and I performed it again to his direction and again it went really well. I had then had a break, sitting in the courtyard with the rest of the actors auditioning. After that break I performed my second monologue, Edmund's monologue from Shakespeare's 'King Lear', to Jennifer Hagan in a different room. I was extremely pleased with how I performed this monologue. I sat down after performing it, my work done, and watched the other actors perform their second monologues.

     This time last week I was sitting in the courtyard at NIDA, surrounded by around 30-40 other actors, nervously awaiting the news as to whether or not we were going to be asked back to perform our third monologue. The NIDA audition process runs like this: The day's group of actors meet in a rehearsal room and are taken through vocal and physical warm up exercises by two NIDA students (a first year and second year student). This large group is then split in two, half performing their first monologues to one panel member, the other half to another. There is a break, and then the groups swap rooms and panel members and perform their second monologue. Then the two panel members decide if they want to call anyone back to see their third monologue (usually about 5-10 people) and then out of those people, they decide who they want to call back to another day of auditions. This continues until about 3000 people Australia wide is culled down to 16.

     We wait for about an hour (although that is mainly because the other group is quite late coming out from performing their second monologues) and then finally Darren and Jennifer emerge from the rehearsal rooms, holding a pile of application files. We gather around, desperate to hear the news. It is an odd feeling. I feel like I'm witnessing the finals of Australian Idol or something. I'm not as nervous as I expected to be, probably because I had no expectations of getting a call back. NIDA hardly ever takes people straight from school because they like you to have at least one year of life experience. You have to be beyond mind blowing to be accepted straight from school, so I had no expectations of getting through and so very little need to be nervous. Jennifer read out the names of the people who they wanted to see again. My friend Jade got a call back, which was really exciting. The list of names continued. There were about 10 in total. The last name was read out. I was not one of them. I knew this would be the case already. About 30 of us start to gather our bags to leave - I didn't feel like I'd failed because I was really pleased with how I performed (unlike with Sydney Theatre School after which I felt awful) and I was really pleased and excited for Jade.

     Darren calls out, "Oh, and before the rest of you go, I'd also like to talk to..." I turned around. He said my name. My name and two other people. I was intrigued and suddenly excited that he had called out my name. Everyone else left as the three of us walked up to Darren. He said that he just wanted us to know that he was really really impressed with our audition and that the only reason we weren't getting a call back was because we were too young, but to please come back and audition again next year.

     I was thrilled, over the moon, ridiculously ecstatic!! I still am! My profile is being put on a list of people they definitely want to see again next year! It's the best possible outcome I could have hoped for, because I knew I wasn't going to get in this year because I'm straight out of school. Darren said that he had the exact same thing said to him when he first auditioned for NIDA straight out of school, and he came back and got in (and now he's on the audition panel!) To have someone who isn't a relative, friend or teach, but someone from NIDA notice me and be really impressed with my acting has pretty much validated my life thus far xD In short, my current level of happiness is ridiculously high.

    I've got a callback for NIDA! It just so happens that my callback is next year. And I couldn't be happier!