[b]Leiko Hamada: Auditorium- Judging Panel[/b]

Auditions were moving along quite smoothly to Leiko's satisfaction as her hand raced across the pages of her notebook, taking care and detail to pinpoint each auditionee's strengths and weaknesses, along with any defining moments in their recitals. Her hand stopped as the most recent performer left the stage and she came across another familiar name in the list.

Rui Shinichi. She couldn't help but feel intrigued over what his impending performance would be like. For such an inexpressive boy, could he really have any semblance of talent in the performing arts? Leiko found it difficult to imagine in all honesty but regardless, she pushed aside her reservations and called out his name in a crisp, clear tone, watching expectantly as the dark haired male stepped into the spotlight.

As the teen started to speak, Leiko felt a ripple of surprise go through her, his loud, confident voice and pattern of speech hitting every note with perfect accuracy. He appeared to focus on the personality of the character he was assuming rather than the words themselves, which brought a classical feel to his performance, if not an emotional one. The intense look in his eyes (one that he often adopted offstage as well, Leiko mused), only worked in his favour as she felt the female judge beside her swoon a little. Giving her a firm jab in the ribs with her elbow so that she would concentrate Leiko waited for the boy to finish and the collective applause to run its course before voicing her thoughts. "I have to say, that was a very good attempt at the script, Shinichi-san," Leiko began with a note of praise for his performance. "Your line delivery was flawless, and your understanding of iambic pentameter is commendable for a drama amateur. Still..." And this was a [i]big[/i] issue, Leiko thought bitterly as she thought of the best way to criticise without sounding overtly cruel, particularly when there was such a large audience. "Your body was so [i]stiff[/i] during that performance. You focused on your lines, but not on your body language, or your use of space. You have more room to work with than you realize, Shinichi-san. Let your actions tell the story as much as your words." Finishing up promptly, Leiko shared a glance with her fellow judges before giving him an acknowledging smile. "But we can work on that. Well done, Shinichi-san." Shuffling her notes onto a blank page, Leiko got her pen tip at the ready and announced the next auditionee to enter the stage.