Play Bi-Play

Now that my mock trial season is over, I figured I'd need something to do for the next four weeks. Enter "Play by Play," the annual Tufts production featuring 10-minute plays written, directed, and performed by Tufts students. Last fall I watched the show, and couldn't help wishing I was in it. This year, unable to audition again for the all-freshman play, I resolved to feed my acting habit this fall with PBP. Turns out, I was in for a surprise.

The Balch Arena Theater at Tufts University

Sure, auditions seemed to go well. A panel of student directors took turns asking me to perform bits of dialogue and monologue from their scripts. In one case, I was requested to take a look at a play with three parts...and perform them. All of them. All three. Simultaneously. In another segment, I portrayed a crazy old street vendor agonizing over visions; I particularly enjoyed the exchange: "Someone's aura has been summoned!" "Someone's aura?" "Has been summoned!" Of course, the non-me parts were simply read by the directors. That is, when I wasn't playing all of them.

So auditions seemed to go well, as mentioned. So I was just a bit surprised when they sent out the decisions that evening; they didn't cast me in a single play.

They cast me in two. Granted, I had the opportunity to opt into or out of that possibility while filling out my audition form, but the occurrence was surprising nonetheless. Now, this is not to say that the situation is unique; two other actors were double-cast in the group. In fact, I get to work with each of them, separately. But the ordeal should make rehearsal-scheduling all the more interesting. A few days ago, my evenings were finally free; now they'll have to balance practices for "I-95 and Mass Pike" with those for "A Case Study of Caligula." Short-lived vacation.

The good news is, rehearsals won't start until after Thanksgiving. So that gives me about a week to see family, hang out with friends, and further ignore my ever-growing pile of yet-incomplete reading assignments before my schedule starts filling up. And then I can jump back into the fray, dual-wielding academics and theater.

Or, perhaps, just dual-wielding theater. We are talking about two plays, after all. As long as they don't make me play both roles at the same time, I should be fine. I'll just take things play by play.