For my Senior Thesis at MICA, I wrote and produced The Audition, an original play starring puppet characters Don Hudson and Cheryl Lochley, two actors who meet at an audition that end up having a relationship and life with each other.

​

The majority of the play deals with the relationship between Don and Cheryl, looking at their dynamic as a partnership. Depicting their lives together in three parts - a meet-cute, a break-up, and an end years later - the play explores a full spectrum and sees these characters at different points in their lives, ever-changing. Providing insight on classic romance films and stories, the common tropes are incorporated into the plot and the play utilizes them in the story and characters, with the goal to ask why of the films they are from.  The play, therefore, functions as a commentary on the more fantastical romance films and stories, utilizing the standard structure, common tropes, and dialogue exchanges in order to not only poke jest at the unrealistic nature of those stories but also to embrace them as part of the love language in modern film and television entertainment.

​

Below you can watch a short exercpt of The Audition, take a look at the puppet stars of the production, and explore the images of their building process and stills from the final performance.

Watch the full video performance here.

MeeT the Puppets

Don Hudson

Don Hudson is a well-established actor. A seemingly self-assured man, he is known for many of the most prominent faux-90's blockbuster action flicks and romantic comedies. Fictional filmography includes Valentine Letters (1996) and Hunting Season (2003).

​

In the debut performance of The Audition, "Don" was performed by _____.

Cheryl Lochley

Cheryl Lochley is an actress without much less critical success. Contemplating leaving acting for good,  her life changes after an audition opposite Don for the role of "Kaitlin" in Kaitlin (2006).

​

In the debut performance of The Audition, "Cheryl" was performed by _____. 

Production Stills