It was an enormous open call audition and my parents were visiting from out of town. They were only there for one day and instead of entertaining them or taking them to dinner, I made them wait with me. Unfortunately, because I was non-union with no agent or an appointment, I had to wait until pretty much everyone else was finished. I was desperate to get in to read, positive that once they saw my work, my career would take off! So we all waited.
The first time I checked on my parents, they were sitting outside the theater eating breakfast from the café next door. The second time, they were having a snack. The third time, they’d just finished lunch. Each time I checked, they looked more tired, more disheveled. The fancy hairdo my mom had gotten the day before was frizzy and flyaway. My dad’s once-smooth face now had a five o’clock shadow.
The sun set and dinner time rolled around. I was completely miserable but had to get into the audition. So I made them wait some more. They were trying to be supportive, trying to understand what it was I was doing. They weren’t angry, but I was a jerk and embarrassed and anxious.
Finally, at 8 p.m., 12 hours after we’d arrived, my name was called. I was
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