Open auditions held

The sound of thuds, groans and sarcastic attitudes painted a picture of dry humor as Eastern New Mexico University students and staff engaged in a back and forth dialogue while reading from the script, "Will Someone Please Tell Me What's Going on Here?"

An open audition was held for the radio drama Wednesday in ENMU's School of Communication Building.

This is the second production of Theater of the Mind, an ENMU radio drama series organized by ENMU professor Jim Lee.

Christina Calloway: Portales News-Tribune

Eastern New Mexico University students and staff read with enthusiasm from the script, "Will Someone Please Tell Me What's Going on Here?," an original script written by ENMU professor and playwright Jim Lee.

Lee and other students thought to bring back the golden era of radio through their series. Lee worked in Hollywood radio drama in the 1970s. Lee wanted to keep the productions in the series interesting by switching up the themes. While horror haunted the airwaves in October, Lee is aiming for laughs with this next production, which Lee wrote the script for.

"I figured let's do something different," Lee said. "The wider the variety, the richer the experience for the actors."

Eight students and staff members acted out the characters of Lee's story in the voice they felt best fit that character. Auditions will also be held today.

Lee is also excited because the group selected for this piece will be performing this script live in Roswell at the Roswell Community Little Theatre in February. Lee said he is an advisory board member of the theatre.

"Proceeds will support the theatre and the student radio program," Lee said.

The show will also be recorded and made available online. Lee says he hopes to attract a lot of listeners.

Here's what some of the students who auditioned had to say about their experience.

• Mikayla Byer of Los Lunas said she's a theater major at ENMU. Byer said this was one of her first auditions at ENMU.

"I haven't auditioned for anything yet," Byer said, "I liked reading for Lucille (a character) because she's so funny and crass."

Byer said she has aspirations of acting in film. Her favorite actress is Anne Hathaway.

• Amethyst Collins of Los Alamos prefers to be on the writing side of a story but says the radio drama appealed to her.

The sophomore broadcast journalism major was an understudy for the first production, "Tick Tick."

"I want a role in this one," Collins said.

Collins plans to be a screenwriter for films and television and adores the work of Joss Whedon, creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Collins also enjoyed reading the lines for Lucille, a sarcastic and witty character.

"I like her because she just doesn?t care," Collins said. "She isn't like me. It?s fun playing someone sarcastic.".