Theater students prep for new season

While many students were waiting in line for textbooks on Aug. 19, theater majors across campus were busy waiting too; not for books, but to find out if their names were on the callback list.

That callback list would determine what their life would be like for the rest of the semester: either they would shine in the spotlight or work behind the scenes.

For more photos, view the gallery here.

Students sang, danced and acted their way into their prospective directors' hearts and hoped of being cast in one of the six productions the theater program would be putting on this fall, as well as one extra production to kick off the spring semester.

Students of all majors were invited to audition, leading to nearly 300 students trying to land one of the 50 roles available.

The anticipation was building as students waited in the hall, but they weren't the only ones excited.

"We have a lot of talent," said Kate Ingram, associate professor and director of Savage in Limbo. "This is one of the largest callback lists I have ever posted."

But with only so many roles available, some students may not be in the production; but, that does not mean they won't be involved in the show. Theater students are required to do participatory credits, meaning they must either be in a show or part of the production in another way, whether it be staying after the show each night to wash the costumes or even help build the set.

But Heather Gibson, marketing director of the UCF School of Performing Arts, said being behind the scenes is just as important.

"Behind the scenes is its own little place. It is its own little world," she said.

For John DeLisa, a recent transfer student from Florida State University, being behind the scenes is not why he got into theater.

After being in the chorus and longing for more attention, DeLisa auditioned to be in Grease at a dinner theater while he was in middle school. He landed the lead singer role of Johnny Casino and the Gamblers, the group that sings Hand Jive in the big dance contest in the 1978 blockbuster hit.

Now, nearly 10 years after his first big break, the junior musical theater major still gets nervous.

"I am a little nauseous, but I think it is because I ate some bad eggs, though," DeLisa said with a laugh. "This will determine what you are going to do for the rest of the semester. This is the main season."

After about an hour, callback lists were posted and DeLisa was on the callback list for two different productions. He was happy but calm as he immediately searched for more information on the characters from his smartphone.

Freshman musical theater major Abby Jaros was also on a callback list. Her excitement was thoroughly visible as she was called back for the same role she played in The Pajama Game as a freshman in high school.

"I'm so excited," Jaros said. "I need to call my mom!"

Auditions feel authentic

Christopher Niess, theater department chair and director of Nice People Dancing to Good Country Music, said the general audition process is very similar to the professional business.

At UCF, students prepare their own material and cater it to the roles they want and directors typecast people into specific roles, regardless of their major or year, something Niess said makes this "a true experience to how it really will be in professional auditions."

Students are then called back and told to read from the script or dance, and the directors whittle the group down even further before gathering as a faculty and casting all of the shows at once.

"These are authentic auditions. The professional process would be very similar," Niess said. "In some programs, they save roles for specific students. Here, it is open competition. As long as you're a student, you can audition."

The entire process takes about a week; in a professional production, it can take several months. Niess thinks this is also beneficial to students.

"This condensed fashion is important because in the professional world they are going from audition to audition," he said. "The average rate of people being hired in the professional world is about 20-1, so you go to 20 auditions before being cast in one role."

New faces successful

After a nail-biting wait for callback lists and a grueling second audition with dozens of other students vying for few roles, DeLisa and Jaros each managed to secure understudy roles. While not the ideal position, each understands their role and is prepared to work.

DeLisa was cast in The Pajama Game as the understudy for the character "Prez." He likened himself to being the backup quarterback on a football team.