Last week I was asked a wonderful question by a young actress named Jen. How can I find opportunities to perform outside of school if there are no community theatres in my area?

Milton Berle once said “If opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door.” If there are no performance opportunities- make your own. Here are 8 ways to create your own acting opportunities.

1.  Local colleges or universities sometimes use people from the community in their theatrical productions.  Inquire there.  If they have a film program you may also be able to submit yourself for student films which will be an excellent opportunity for you to get experience acting on-camera.

2. Start a club. If you are in highschool or college start a drama, improv, scene study, or shakespeare club. 

3. Start a play reading group.  You could meet at a different person’s house once a month and read a play.  You can cast it yourself and invite people to read you think will be great in the parts.  Have snacks and refreshments at intermission if you like.  You’ll explore new plays, work with other actors and have a fun time all at once.

4. Produce your own show in your community.  Google “how to produce theatre” or check out books at your local library on the subject.  You will learn a lot about all aspects of theatre in the process.  Your drama teacher could also serve as a mentor or be a resource for you.  You could even donate some or all of the proceeds to a local charity which should get you press coverage and boost ticket sales.

5. Write a screenplay and film it!  You can get excellent results using an iPad.  I’ve even seen a device with handles that steadies your iPad for use while filming.

6. Find out if any films are shooting on location in your area.  Do some digging.  Your local chamber of commerce may have some information.  I just Googled “Films shooting near Atlanta” and a bunch of stuff came up right away. When you locate a contact at the production company ask if they are hiring local talent or extras and where you can send a photo and resume.

7. Find out if there is a local agency that represents actors in a nearby city.  There may be opportunities for you to audition for regional commercials, industrial films, etc.

8. Submit yourself through Actor’s Access, Letitcast.com, castingnetworks.com, CAZT.com and Backstage for projects.  If you book the job you’ll need to be able to travel to where they’re shooting.

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With any audition opportunity you create you want to be sure you are ready to audition.  Getting the audition means nothing if you don’t nail it when you get there.  Training is the key to getting work.  You wouldn’t expect to finish a marathon, much less win it, if you hadn’t trained for it.  The winners train regularly and hire a coach to help them reach peak performance by the day of the race.  Acting is a craft and if you hope to succeed as an actor you should adopt a similar mindset.  It’s a very competitive business and those who get the jobs are the ones that are serious and work hard at what they do.  So find a good class. Find a good audition coach and make the most of the opportunities you create.

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All my best,

Philip

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Philip Hernandez is a respected acting teacher and singing coach in NYC. He is also the only actor in Broadway history to play both Jean Valjean and Inspector Javert in Les Miserables. He created principal roles in Broadway’s Kiss of the Spiderwoman and Paul Simon’s The Capeman. You may also know him from his many television appearances: The Blacklist, Gotham, Blue Bloods, The Path, Bull, Nurse Jackie, Elementary, Person of Interest, Law and Order, Hostages and Damages to name a few. For information about acting lessons CLICK HERE or singing lessons CLICK HERE. 

Follow him on twitter @philip24601, on Instagram @philip24601 and on Facebook at @philip24601.