Masquers flips perspective with new online auditions

Masquers of West Essex is back in business — but not in the way you would think. Due to the ongoing pandemic, the program has been modified in order to create a safe and healthy environment for students and staff. For the first time, auditions for the Fall Drama are being conducted over Flipgrid, a video-sharing platform that allows students to audition from the comfort of their own homes. 

Masquers Director and Special Education teacher Brittany Hernandez said she’s excited to share this new platform with Masquers students.

“After using FlipGrid in my own English classes, I knew it was going to be a wonderful resource to use for this year’s auditions,” Hernandez said. “It’s a good way to keep everyone safe, while also getting out of auditions what we are looking for when casting.”

Although this may not be what everyone had in mind, virtual auditions have several benefits that Hernandez had not thought of before.

“It’s given everyone time to comb over a script, work to memorize it and develop their own unique characters,” Hernandez said. “I think students feel a lot more pressure during the traditional auditions, and this seemed to allow the students to open up their creative sides a lot more.”

While the future of Masquers is still unconfirmed, Hernandez is looking forward to working with the students and staff once again.

“We are all very excited to be back in the spotlight, even if it’s a virtual one,” Hernandez said.