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The Audition Home Page Essays Memoirs Fiction Plays Poetry References
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“Well, now to you, young lady. What are you doing as your first monologue?” “Viola from Twelfth Night.” Normi quickly slipped out of her heels, and put on a pair of boys’ shoes, which she extracted from her satchel. She then started, walking with a boy’s gait and with a boy’s voice said: “I left no ring with her.” When she had finished she knew she had done fairly well, because she realized that she was not afraid anymore, but exhilarated, by being able to bring Viola to life. “Yes”, said Mr. Goode. “And what about a modern monologue” “Well, I have a piece from one of the scene books, but the guy who wrote it is not famous. I liked it, because it reminded me of my dog, Zeus, who was killed before we left Austria. But I can also do something more traditional if you’d rather.” No, go ahead with the dog story.” It was a story about a young woman who had lost her husband in the war. She had loved him with all the fervor of a first love and now, three years later, she still did. She had a little boy, two years old, already a spitting image of her husband. After her husband’s death she had gotten a German shepherd from her parents, a watchdog, to protect her and the child. The dog had become part of the family, but now he was failing. An exam proved that he had cancer. After getting two opinions assuring herself that the dog had only pain ahead, she had the vet put him away. She had taken him to the doctor and stroked his head while the needle went in. He licked her face one moment, the next moment he was dead. She had never been able to express her mourning for her husband but now, when she came home, she cried for the losses in her life. Her neighbor, a nice elderly lady, who had watched her son, while she was gone, sat next to her and hugged her. Finally the younger woman says:”I’m sorry, I don’t want people to be sorry for me and look what a mess I made! Normi cried after hugging the imaginary neighbor. She had cried her heart out and was limp.
“Alright, young lady.” “I’m sorry, Mr. Goode, I guess I lost control and
I know an actor should never do that. It made me Think of Zeus, whom I’d lived
with for 10 years and then those bastards, the Nazis, shot him dead for target
practice. We were walking in the
Stadtpark, Zeus and I, and they tried to pick me up, but I pretended that I did
not hear them and started running with Zeus and they shot him!
“Well, I liked everything you did so far-but I have something in mind
for you, Let’s do an improv.
I’ll be a gent who picks you up in Central Park-you’ll be the proverbial
hooker with a heart of gold. But please-no sob story about a sick mother or
anything else soppy. Otherwise do
as you please.”
Normi had no experience with the ladies of the night, but of course she had seen
them. Lately she has also watched
the movie La Ronde. She immediately
adjusted her blouse to show off her décolleté, then sauntered on the path
where she saw Mr. Goode. “Hallo,
good looking, want some company?’ “Yes, I could do with someone young and
cheerful.” “Well, you found someone!” “Now tell me, why would a pretty
girl like you become a girl for hire?” “Well,
what do you think? Why do we do it?” Then, perfectly imitating Mr. Goode she
said: “Now I want no fake sob story, want the real reason." "Alright; if you can’t figure it out, I’ll be happy to tell you. For MONEY-MONEY! And that gets me to my leading question: How much will you pay for my company?” “ $ 50.00” Fifty Dollars! Normi’s eyes had grown huge. And in that second she lost it. From a lady of the night she changed to Normi. “So much?” Normi asked. Mr. Goode was laughing. “Enough! I’m not going to let you embrace that profession and I’ll be honest with you-I simply don’t know the going rate. You did well, Normi. I want you to join my summer theatre. How are you set for money?” “I have none”. “How about your parents? “Well, yes, they’ve got it, but they won’t give it to me for anything connected with acting. They want me to get married. I’m hungry, would you mind if I had an apple? Would you like to try some of my mother’s Vanilli Kipferln?” They sat, companiably eating, when from under the desk a huge dog emerged. “Aha, here is Odysseus; he smells food and he comes out of hiding.” “Oh, he’s beautiful!” She offered Odysseus a Vanilli Kipferl, which he took daintily. “I have an idea”, said Mr. Goode. “Are you willing to do some grocery shopping and cooking? And taking Odysseus for walks? “Of course, Mr. Goode.” “I’ll give you some good parts, but you’ll also have to play small ones when I need you.” “Of course, Mr. Goode.” “In Exchange you’ll get food and lodging. It’s good.. The kids pay $l.500.00 for it. Do we have a deal?” “You sure do, Mr. Goode.” Odysseus sat, picked up his right paw, grabbed Normi’s hand and shook it. “Oh,” said Normi, "Odysseus has a deal with me too!” |