Turtle Lane Playhouse Presents WEST SIDE STORY

Starting this Friday night, Turtle Lane Playhouse will proudly present the classic love musical West Side Story. For those that don't know what this story is about, then you are an idiot! haha. just kidding. It is a story about 2 rivaling gangs during the 1950's in New York City's west side and the forbidden love between a person from one side and another from the other side. One gang is the Jets, who are the white kids, and the other gang is the Sharks, who are the Puerto Rican immigrants. The forbidden love between Tony and Maria would be the bond that breaks the hate, but no one from either side sees that. It is the classic William Shakespeare tale of Romeo and Juliet brought to life in the streets of New York, with a different twist. It is one of my favorite musicals of all time, and an experience that I am so thankful to be a part of.



Like I said, opening night is this Friday, March 9th at 8 p.m. in Auburndale, MA. The show will also be playing every Thursday through Sunday in the month of March. Sundays are matinees at 2 p.m. The tickets are going fast, and there aren't that many left. The last show date is April 1st. That's a Sunday, so it will be a 2 p.m. matinee. Please come see the show! The link for it is below:

http://turtlelane.org/showdetail.php?show=WestSide

Michael Barry      ActorMike51

LIGHTEN UP!

So, since I have graduated, and even before I graduated, I have been going to one shitload of auditions. I have traveled far distances, and have made several day trips to New York City and back. It is a very tiring job, but it is a lot of fun. Plus, they make for some great stories. They say that for every 100 auditions that an actor goes to, only 1 will be successful. This causes for some very nerve-racking times. 

One thing that I have noticed at all of these auditions is the clear difference between people who audition for straight shows and people who audition for musicals. A lot of times, when I go to straight show auditions, the other people seem very down to earth. They still have that nervousness, but they don't let it show. When I go to these auditions, everyone is talking with everyone else. Not only that, they generally aren't talking about theatre. They like to talk about everything else. When theatre is brought up in conversation, it is usually because they have found connections with people that they have in common. In my opinion, it is a very relaxed environment.

Musical theatre auditions are a completely different entity. When I go to musical auditions, which is mostly what I go to, everyone seems very judgmental. Whenever I try to start a conversation, I get a very limited response. Everyone seems extremely uptight. The only time that I see people talking to each other is when they know each other. That is also very awkward because everyone is talking to everyone else, but no one is talking to you. There is also a lot of name dropping. Everyone is trying to outshine the other people. It makes for a very uncomfortable experience.

Here's my advice: Everyone just needs to lighten up! I know that it is a very nervous time, and the butterflies in you stomach are flapping like crazy, but it shouldn't keep you from being a respectable human being. I feel that talking with people definitely helps the process. It is a good relaxer. When you have a group of people that are generally outgoing and nice, then it makes for a very pleasant time. And as far as being judgmental, what is the point? It really doesn't matter what the other people look like, or what shows they have done in the past, or any of that. You are both auditioning for the same show right now. Whether you like it or not, the person you are judging might be exactly what the director is looking for. You never know! So, why be so closed off? In this business, it is not only about talent. It is also about creating relationships. Who knows who you might be sitting next to at an audition. Maybe it is the person that could really make your dreams come true; maybe it is the connection that you're looking for; maybe it is the one true love of your life! Like I said, you never know. I guess what I am trying to say is everyone should just be nice to one another.

Even if you are not an actor and you are reading this, you should still take this advice. Again, this is only my opinion. You don't have to take my advice. You can be a dick for the rest of your life, and if that makes you happy, then good for you.

Michael Barry (facebook) ActorMike51 (twitter)