It’s that time of year again, the weather is changing from boiling hot to cool and crisp, the leaves will be changing colors and students will be staying late after school for rehearsals. It’s official, the theater season has started for Liberty’s drama department.

On Aug. 28-29, auditions for Liberty’s “Our Town” were held in Mrs. Gehrke’s classroom, later callbacks were released and the second round of auditions was on Aug. 31, in the auditorium.

“From the director’s perspective, the audition process is interesting because you’re trying to make people feel as comfortable as possible so they can do their best audition that they can do,” Gehrke said when asked what the audition process is like for her. “But you’re also looking for clues to help put together the giant puzzle that casting is.”

The process of auditioning is different depending on what roles you audition for. If you want a bigger role, then you’ll get a monologue that you get a week in advance to prepare. Then, immediately after you do your monologue, you have about 10 minutes to prepare for a cold read, a scene you have never seen before, performed with a small group.

“Be as open about yourself as you can,” senior Aicha Beye says, her advice going out to underclassmen. “If you’re in touch with who you are and have a lot of confidence, it’s going to read well.”

After being in the theater program since freshman year, Beye has the audition process down pat. “I feel very reflective, it’s a good way to see how far I’ve come. I think my auditions have just gotten better with experience and it’s always fun, I’m excited to leave a lasting mark.”