Auditions are defined as “A trial hearing given to a singer, actor, or other performer to test suitability for employment, professional training or competition, etc.” However, to students it means so much more: from an opportunity to grow to symbolizing what they truly love to do.

The reason why people attend auditions is almost as important as what they mean to them. According to James Monreal he attends “Not only for the experience but to do what I love doing the most.”

Students like Brandy Giordano auditioned for the experience “To prove to myself that I can, and to show myself why I love this crazy thing I do.”

Monreal and Giordano were two of 34 students who auditioned for the fall play Sparks in the Park. Auditioning can be a nerve-racking experience for many different reasons. For some it’s the thought of being in front judges, for others it’s the possibility of rejection. For Jessica Messer, it’s “The split second before you begin your monologue when you think you might choke.”

What is the point of putting yourself through all that if there isn’t something positive that comes out of it?  Some felt it was the experience and confidence gained that was the best. For Giordano, it was “The feeling of being truly proud of yourself after you leave an audition, even if you don’t know what the outcome of it will be.” For Monreal, it was the result.

“Every time you audition, you learn something different, something new that you never knew before,” Monreal said.

Drama students will perform Sparks in the Park in the RHS auditorium Oct. 14 and 16 at 7 p.m.