Alice in La La Land Read Online Free
Author: Sophie Lee
shifting his weight impatiently from one foot to the other, and flicked his head from side to side. Alice got the feeling he did not think she was adorable.
'Wanna come on through?' he beckoned, taking her fact sheet and walking ahead.
'You're from Australia?' he asked, looking back over his shoulder.
'Yes, that's right,' she replied, trotting to keep up. 'I've only been here a week but I'm really loving it, everyone has been so . . .'
'Okay, so let me introduce you to everyone here.' He swung open the door to a room on his right. It was the size of an average bathroom, yet it contained at least fifteen people. Was it possible that they all needed to agree which actress was best for the role? Couldn't at least seven of them watch it on tape at a later time? Alice had performed community theatre to smaller audiences than this.
Everyone looked up at once and scrutinised her. She felt her right eyelid begin to twitch. An imposing man in his late forties got up from his chair to greet her. She noticed Brad, the director, was seated behind him, and was drinking from a Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf cup.
'Hello Alice, I'm Joel, how are you?' said the man, sitting back down and picking up her CV. 'You met Brad and Mandy this morning.'
'Hi Alice,' they chorused.
'Soooo, you're an Ossie. And you've been here how long?' he asked, looking down at the CV. Alice couldn't tell whether he was impressed by it or not. She cleared her throat.
'I've been here a week. I did a tiny bit of promotion for Cornucopia which opened the Venice Film Festival last September and now . . .'
'Uh-huh,' said Joel, putting her CV to one side, 'Great. So Alice, why don't we take a look at the scenes.'
'Okay, sure.' Alice opened her satchel and plucked out the pages, which, although she'd thoroughly memorised the dialogue, suddenly felt the need to hold.
Brad remained curiously silent throughout this encounter. He was sitting beside Barbara, his assistant, who regarded her blankly. Alice wondered why Brad wasn't helming this casting session. She stood up to begin the audition.
'No, it won't be ready by deadline,' she began, and Joel stopped her immediately.
'Alice. It's too big, I really need you to do less with it,' he said firmly. He obviously had no time to waste. The camera continued to run.
'Absolutely, no problem,' agreed Alice. 'You know, I do a lot of theatre work back home and I sometimes have to remind myself that I don't need to hit the back row with my delivery when I'm working in front of a camera.'
'Omigod, that's . . . interesting,' said Joel looking round at the audience, 'right?' Mandy Weinstein, Brad the director, Barbara his assistant and Jonah all agreed. These were the audience members whom Alice could identify; the ones she was yet to meet also agreed with Joel that it was indeed an interesting observation.
'But we need you to just do way, way less, okay Alice?' he reiterated, bringing the subject of theatre to a rapid close.
'Got it,' Alice nodded, and took another breath to centre herself. Why had she said that? Her mouth felt parched and she gulped at the air.
'I'm sorry, may I have a glass of water?' she asked. Jonah flapped to the water cooler and returned with a small plastic cup.
'Just be a sec,' said Alice, taking a sip. The fifteen people assembled watched her drink. Jonah in particular seemed the most irritated and she wondered what he had against her. She hoped her hand wasn't shaking.
'Ready?' prompted Joel with his version of a comforting smile. He had a large nose and when he smiled he resembled a cartoon shark.
'Absolutely,' smiled Alice and set the cup down beside her satchel.
She took in her reader for the first time. The reader in an audition scenario is the actor paid a small wage to come in for the duration of the session to read opposite the competing performers. It had the effect of eliciting a better performance than if, say, a casting agent was doing the same job. Casting agents often had one eye on
'Wanna come on through?' he beckoned, taking her fact sheet and walking ahead.
'You're from Australia?' he asked, looking back over his shoulder.
'Yes, that's right,' she replied, trotting to keep up. 'I've only been here a week but I'm really loving it, everyone has been so . . .'
'Okay, so let me introduce you to everyone here.' He swung open the door to a room on his right. It was the size of an average bathroom, yet it contained at least fifteen people. Was it possible that they all needed to agree which actress was best for the role? Couldn't at least seven of them watch it on tape at a later time? Alice had performed community theatre to smaller audiences than this.
Everyone looked up at once and scrutinised her. She felt her right eyelid begin to twitch. An imposing man in his late forties got up from his chair to greet her. She noticed Brad, the director, was seated behind him, and was drinking from a Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf cup.
'Hello Alice, I'm Joel, how are you?' said the man, sitting back down and picking up her CV. 'You met Brad and Mandy this morning.'
'Hi Alice,' they chorused.
'Soooo, you're an Ossie. And you've been here how long?' he asked, looking down at the CV. Alice couldn't tell whether he was impressed by it or not. She cleared her throat.
'I've been here a week. I did a tiny bit of promotion for Cornucopia which opened the Venice Film Festival last September and now . . .'
'Uh-huh,' said Joel, putting her CV to one side, 'Great. So Alice, why don't we take a look at the scenes.'
'Okay, sure.' Alice opened her satchel and plucked out the pages, which, although she'd thoroughly memorised the dialogue, suddenly felt the need to hold.
Brad remained curiously silent throughout this encounter. He was sitting beside Barbara, his assistant, who regarded her blankly. Alice wondered why Brad wasn't helming this casting session. She stood up to begin the audition.
'No, it won't be ready by deadline,' she began, and Joel stopped her immediately.
'Alice. It's too big, I really need you to do less with it,' he said firmly. He obviously had no time to waste. The camera continued to run.
'Absolutely, no problem,' agreed Alice. 'You know, I do a lot of theatre work back home and I sometimes have to remind myself that I don't need to hit the back row with my delivery when I'm working in front of a camera.'
'Omigod, that's . . . interesting,' said Joel looking round at the audience, 'right?' Mandy Weinstein, Brad the director, Barbara his assistant and Jonah all agreed. These were the audience members whom Alice could identify; the ones she was yet to meet also agreed with Joel that it was indeed an interesting observation.
'But we need you to just do way, way less, okay Alice?' he reiterated, bringing the subject of theatre to a rapid close.
'Got it,' Alice nodded, and took another breath to centre herself. Why had she said that? Her mouth felt parched and she gulped at the air.
'I'm sorry, may I have a glass of water?' she asked. Jonah flapped to the water cooler and returned with a small plastic cup.
'Just be a sec,' said Alice, taking a sip. The fifteen people assembled watched her drink. Jonah in particular seemed the most irritated and she wondered what he had against her. She hoped her hand wasn't shaking.
'Ready?' prompted Joel with his version of a comforting smile. He had a large nose and when he smiled he resembled a cartoon shark.
'Absolutely,' smiled Alice and set the cup down beside her satchel.
She took in her reader for the first time. The reader in an audition scenario is the actor paid a small wage to come in for the duration of the session to read opposite the competing performers. It had the effect of eliciting a better performance than if, say, a casting agent was doing the same job. Casting agents often had one eye on
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