How my William audition went

I suppose you'd want to know how my William auditions went. I was not able to walk to PETA from home because of the weather. I planned to drop by DM's so we can go together, but when I texted he said he was still in the shower so I went on ahead.

When I got to PETA none of my BA classmates were there yet. I arrived around a quarter past three. I listed in, was number "9," and asked to take a seat in the waiting area. There was already a lot of people and some had the same idea I had: come in high school uniform.

I didn't wear my St. John's Academy uniform, no! Good luck if that would still fit even if I were able to find one that survived time. I approximated my uniform. I wore a sando and a white polo with a simple print design. I wore khaki slacks. I decided, because of the weather, not to wear my leather shoes. I used my rubber shoes. I was gunning for the Erwin Castro (matamlay at mahiyain, di katangi-tangi) role, so I thought rubber shoes will make me look plain and ordinary (not that I need help in that area).

I played Gloc 9's Walang Natira over and over again. I'd alternate between my rap piece and my monologue. I felt more comfortable and ready with my Shylock piece, so I focused on my rap. I still tripped over my lines. Soon, Dene Gomez came. He wore a long-sleeved white polo with a fashionable slim tie, black formal pants, and pointed leather shoes. He also carried a guitar. "Did you go to IS in high school?" I quipped. He admitted that was the look he was aiming for. Soon, Avery Salaya came, too.

There were so many people who auditioned that someone said that this was the biggest turnout that PETA has had for an audition yet. And I was called to go up at 6:30pm. Yep, 3 hours of being very nervous! Good thing because Veck and I were set to watch Care Divas that night at 8pm and I didn't want to miss that!

Avery was fooling around with me and singing Stupid Luv by Salbakuta and whenever I hear him sing it I forget the rhythm and tone of Walang Natira and would've to play it back again using my music phone. I use my wife's Samsung earphones and somehow the way they're built allows me to hear my own voice when I hum or sing along to a song I'm playing, so at least I know when I'm off-key. Melo Uy came to give us her support.

I also want to note that I was nervous, but not helplessly so. I was praying and praying and I didn't care anymore if people saw me with head bowed. I bumped into someone I met in PUP (I'm sorry I forget his name), and coincidentally he was doing the Shylock speech, too. (Dene was doing the same speech, too.) My acquaintance from PUP said he's not memorized his monologue yet so I lent him my codigo. He didn't return it though, but it was okay because at that time I didn't need it anymore.

Another boy in pink-striped longsleeves came up to me and said he was doing the same speech I was doing. When I asked him from what play, he said he wasn't sure. I asked, what role? He said he wasn't sure. I said recite some lines and when he said, "If you prick us, do we not bleed," I said, "Oh, yeah, you're doing Shylock from Merchant of Venice." Talk about coming prepared for an audition!

Soon I was called into Studio A for my turn. I was about ready to die. I wanted nothing else but to make a dash for the restroom and take a dump. Instead push open the studio doors and see Ron Capinding, the playwright, grinning like a happy camper. The director, Maribel Legarda, was among the panel and she was very nice and patient. I didn't recognize the rest of the panel, though.

I said, "Good evening, po."

Maribel said, "Oh, you're from Melvin's class! You're the lion! I enjoyed your showcase."

You can imagine how good I felt when she said that.

I decided to do my monologue first: make a good "first impression." I did my Shylock making sure I do it as far away from Al Pacino's interpretation as possible. I didn't want to be a copycat, and who knows? Maybe this would be the only opportunity in my whole lifetime that I get to be Shylock, even for just a few minutes.

Then came the rap part. I am not a singer but I am willing to learn. (What you just read is a disclaimer.) I am not comfortable with my singing. So when I opened my mouth, my voice shook. I tried to just "face the music" and go on with it and do my choreography alongside the rap, but I tripped, as expected, over the fast Tagalog words. Maribel said I can hold my lyrics, it's okay. I did, and I just went through the song as fast as I could.

Oh, they were all laughing all throughout. Yeah, I am that amusing when I try to sing. Like Shengka Mangahas said, "It's fun to make a fool of yourself." Well, fun for those who watch, I guess.

Then they made me sing the National Anthem, which I totally didn't expect. I only got through the first two stanzas and they laughed through it as well. (You would, too, if you were there.) Then they said amongst themselves, "Okay, he's a baritone."

Wow. I'm a baritone? Baritones are singers. If I'm a baritone and baritones are singers, therefore... yeah, I didn't do well in Logic 101.

So they asked me to stay and read TJ Domingo (makisig, atleta, mahina sa akademiko, siga), who is the polar opposite of Rico del Rosario when he was in third year high school, but hey, it's "acting." They handed me a script and told me to study scene 2. After a short while, they got enough auditionees to fill up all the roles in scene 2, which are the teacher, Miss Lutgarda Martinez, and the whole gang of students. I secretly envied the guy reading Erwin Castro, but TJ's a lot of fun, too. His lines are very funny and I made sure I hit my punchlines during our scene. (Who knows if this is the first and last time I get to do TJ or do a scene in William?) It felt good because I heard some people from the panel laugh. I tried to conjure in my memory how the biggest bully in my high school life behaved. His name is Betong de Guzman. He would threaten me with his fist if I didn't show him my test answers. One time I decided not to let him copy and it felt good. I wonder how he is now.

All in all we had fun, all six of us who did the scene together. Then I thanked the panel profusely, headed out and met Veck who was shopping for milk at a grocery store nearby. We ate at KFC and spotted Manila's theatre critic Gibbs Cadiz. We saw him later in the audience at Care Divas.

Well, about 11:06am the next day I woke up to my phone was ringing and the caller identified himself as Aaron from PETA and he was informing me that I'm due for a callback on June 28! Yay! I literally was jumping up and down after the phone call. Dene Gomez and Avery Salaya are in the callbacks, too. Also Neomi Gonzales, J-mee Katanyag, and Eji Carreon. Woot! Break a leg, guys!

My question is, what does one do to prepare for a callback? I certainly don't know. In the meantime, kee kaa kee kaa kee...

And do send us lots of good vibes so we make it through the callbacks! Thanks!