Powerful Beyond Measure

Nothing makes me feel more alive and in control of my destiny than a Monday morning commute to Pearl Studios. Bumping my “BOOK IT” playlist, I tap into my power on the A train! As the music in my headphones propel me up the steps of the subway, I’m wondering if my “work wife” Brian made it to the R.Evolución Latina Beyond Workshop audition before me…

The only thing I love more than the community of auditionees, is bringing a buddy to an audition! I begged Brian to submit with me; he was born in Venezuela and grew up in Argentina, and I’m a first-generation Ecuadorian-American and Native New Yorker. We both come from totally different backgrounds, but are identical in our love for performing. He hasn’t been to as many in-person auditions as I have and he was a bit nervous to sing in front of others. I assured him we would probably be singing 16-bars in a private room for folks behind a table and he could even sing Happy Birthday just to keep it easy. I forgot the number one rule of auditioning: expect the unexpected.

The day started with an introduction from Luis Salgado, an exceptionally kind and talented artist that I’d heard nothing but great things about from my theatre friends. He explained (bilingually!!) that the audition would also serve as a workshop in and of itself. I breathed a sigh of relief knowing that I was in a room with kind-hearted professionals. It’s so easy to get caught up in the cutthroat nature of show business and overlook all the wonderful people who want to uplift their community. They are real. It just takes putting yourself out there and having the courage to go looking for them.

I was shocked by how quickly I picked up the dance combo! Luis assigned a sound or an intention to each dance move and gave each little movement a name. He drilled sections of the combo and called out each move by name as we built muscle memory. This tip alone was already SO helpful for my dance process and I felt like I learned something valuable in just the first hour of the audition. I usually find myself struggling to keep up because I can’t remember the steps, so to be able to dance in the front row and feel empowered was an incredible feeling!

Luis then gave us all 10 minutes to run through the combo with our peers before it’s filmed, noting that he wants us to bring more of a sense of community and collaboration into future audition rooms. I talked Brian through the steps as we made new friends quickly. In my opinion, the trap of friendship-building in the Room is getting so distracted that you lose control of your discipline. It’s so easy to get caught up in the new connections you’re making with your fellow artists, that you don’t hear when the director is calling you back to attention. I did my best to implement a healthy balance of having fun and locking in when it came time to work again.

Next, the RL Team had us pick groups to build an acting performance from a scene that could be interpreted many ways. Working with artists who have differing levels of language and experience was a fun challenge. Our group decided to speak in Spanish exclusively since there were a majority of First- Lanuage Spanish-Speakers. I thought it was so awesome to be working on an acting piece with folks from Mexico, Spain, Colombia, and others; we heard so many different perspectives and to hear everyone collaborating in differing Spanish slang and intonation was a beautiful thing.

The representation in the room was so vast, our combined knowledge felt that much more powerful. I got to perform in a piece where I could let go, listen to the actors around me, and react truthfully in the moment. It takes a lot for me to feel truly free like that and I’m grateful I could build that trust with my team.

Brian looked at me with wide eyes when we were told that we’d be learning harmonies on the spot and singing in front of everyone. The music director was so lovely and collaborative; he taught us all our vocal parts and we began singing the choral arrangement. Luis took the exercise deeper by asking us to send out our voices to all the immigrants in the world traveling and risking their lives to venture into the unknown. I felt like we were doing more than just singing for the sake of singing: we were a gospel choir singing for the purpose of healing.

I’ve become a lot more in touch with my spirituality in the last few years after losing some important people in my family. It’s put my artistry into a whole new perspective and I began asking myself: Why do I create art? Why am I putting myself in such a vulnerable position in this industry? What am I striving towards and what is the end goal?

Luis reminded me of the answer to all of these questions when he recited my absolute favorite quote by Marianne Williamson at the end of the day—“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. […] You are a child of God. […] We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. As we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

I’m sharing my art with the world to liberate myself and those around me. Our ancestors fought and died for this privilege and I honor them by Daring To Go Beyond!!! Both Brian and I were accepted and cannot wait to get started.