Scene opens on the African Plains...

I had a hilarious audition today, for a commercial, in which I had to stand on a box with two other actors and encourage/cheer on/react to a man getting chased by ravenous, wild animals (a coffee cup kindly stood in for the running man). It was ridiculous amounts of fun! Commercials can be so silly sometimes, and it's SO MUCH FUN to get to go play at those auditions!! I love love LOVE it!!! I had a great time in the room, and I felt good about what I did, so we shall see!! It may come down to a look thing, since they are casting a bunch of people.

While waiting for the audition, which was at 200 S. La Brea, I was treated with an interesting chance to people-watch other actors. The place was absolutely packed--and it's a large facility. It was actually physically hot in the main room. Hot and humid. Because of how many people were there. I've never seen it so busy!! There were multiple castings for the same product, by two different casting offices, and TONS of children, which seemed to double (if not triple) the number of bodies in the room, because of their parents and siblings. I also happened to arrive just after 4pm, which is when the ticketing/towing starts on La Brea. When announcements were made that the last of the cars was being towed, and what car it was, some poor guy freaked and ran outside--when he came back, he told everyone he'd saved the car from being towed, but had to pay $209 to get them to release it. It was just a crazy sort of situation to observe, lots of intense energy.

I stood pretty close to the door for my audition, partly because there were so few areas left to sit (all of the bench things were filled or blocked). Since I was standing so close to the sign in sheet, I was asked questions here and there by incoming actors. I was also afforded the opportunity to watch a woman crash the audition.

She was there with her two daughters, who were both auditioning for something AND had callbacks for something else, so she figured she'd just crash the one audition she thought she fit, since she was already there. Unbeknownst to her, the session assistant was checking the sign in sheet with the registration list that came directly from the casting director. Which meant that the crasher got busted.

I was standing right next to her when the assistant asked her what her name was, checked the list, and said she wasn't on there. The woman mumbled some excuse, gave her agency name, then got "distracted" looking for her children. The assistant pressed her on it, and finally got her to admit she was crashing. It was SO awkward. The assistant let her audition, but it was so beyond mortifying to watch--and a number of the actors in the area were watching, I just happened to be the one closest to it...which also meant that the crasher looked at me while it was going on and was 'commiserating', for lack of a better description, with me. After it was over, she was super friendly with me, in a "bonding" sort of way--i.e. touching my hand, etc. It was hilarious. And awkward.

I don't really care that she crashed, because people do it all the time (although, I never have, mostly because I'm scared I'll be busted and reamed out for it--that's the good little Catholic girl upbringing at play). I just thought it was funny that she wanted to bond with me afterward. :)

Anyway, it was really, really interesting to watch the whole thing go down. Afterward, we got our instructions from the session runner, then waited our turn to go into the room, in groups. I stood just inside the hallway that separates the main waiting floor from the casting rooms, where it was cooler/quieter, and chatted with a guy in my group and the session assistant. It's always nice to chat with other friendly folks before a session--I think it gets me out of my head a little more.

I had a lot of fun today and was so excited to be back at it, auditioning for a new commercial. So, fingers crossed that I get a callback! I had a lot of fun and felt good about it! Also, am sending out a thank you card tomorrow, to the CD (per my usual routine). So yay!!!