My Slate
“Hey y’all. My name is Riley Howell. I am 5’5” and from Nashville, Tennessee. Today I will be performing a piece called the Theatre Major Spotlight.” That’s just a small sample of what it means to “slate” before your audition piece. You might be wondering why this is important, because it seems like a normal introduction with a few extra details. I’m glad you asked. A slate is an actor’s way of showing the director their natural personality when not in character. Right after slating, I take a few moments to gather my thoughts and enter into the character and my monologue selection. It is a rather daunting process and I have to admit, freshman year Riley hated auditioning with monologues and much preferred singing a song instead. But now, I’ve come to enjoy the process of telling that one to two-minute story I’ve labored over.
A Warning
The theatre is not for the faint of heart. Failure and success are ultimately subjective, and rejection from the casting process is inevitable. Sounds like a blast, right? But people like me keep coming back to the theatre even after many sleepless nights and tears. There’s something different about live performance. As an audience member, you’re making connections to the characters and plot and relating that to your life in real time. As an actor, you’re fueled by the energy of the audience as you remind them to feel deeply and find the little things in life beautiful. Plays are carefully crafted with themes for the audience to take away from their experience — even if that theme is simply to not follow down a dark path of a character. Christians in the theatre have made a pledge to share truth to the world even when/especially when that truth is hard. There aren’t many jobs that can say the same. There are some theatre productions I don’t find to be honest or edifying, but a large number of shows are definitely worth your time.
Reflecting on My Cedarville Experience
During my time at Cedarville, I have performed in five mainstage productions, and my own capstone project. I’ve worked various crew and stage management positions in 10 shows (both mainstages and senior productions). Needless to say, I’ve been busy. As a cast member, rehearsals take up 12 hours of my week. However, that number increases to 25 hours a week around tech implementation, dress rehearsals, and show time. As you can imagine, burnout is a constant struggle as a theatre major who likes to be involved in an abundance of activities (Shoutout to Inversions A Capella and my Chapel Band!!)
My time management skills have progressed throughout the past few years along with my proficiency in using Google Calendar. I label my commitments with different colors on my calendar so I can see how much time I’m spending with people, by myself, on schoolwork, etc. I also take intentional time to pray and journal when I’m feeling stressed. I’ve had days where I simply want to quit because of the physical and mental demands of a show. But I have the responsibility to move on with my responsibilities joyfully to serve my cast and crew well.
Studying Art
Being graded on a performance is odd. If you’re an engineering student completing a math problem, you either get that problem wrong or right. Most academic studies are black and white. Mine is not. Any piece of art, including performance, is either good or bad. The only problem with this scale is that it’s entirely subjective upon how the audience determines what the artist is seeking to communicate. However, I think that’s also the beauty of the challenge. As an artist, you have to know the people you’re speaking to. Speaking directly to the general public is a hefty task that I don’t take lightly. What I portray onstage could impact an audience member for the rest of their lives! That does sound dramatic, but isn’t it true that the things we listen to and watch affect our thoughts? Just something to think about.
Success in the theatre can’t exactly be measured. Sure, there are critics, and reviews. But the truth is, a show could always be done better. I think true success lies in whether or not I present truth with beauty and honesty. And living with the result of my efforts can only be done with much prayer and encouragement.
Major & Year: Theatre Performance, class of 2023
Favorite Bible Verse: Psalm 40:3
A Piece of Advice: “You won’t iron your clothes as much as you think you will. On a more serious note, Be okay with being alone. Find out what energizes you in your alone time and do that. Don’t waste the precious recharge time.”
Tags: #advice, #majorspotlight, #theatre
Posted in: College Life, Education