Auditioning

8 ways to create your own audition opportunities
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. […]

8 Ways to Create Your Own Acting Opportunities

acting without fear, bad habits or tension
What we do in our lives, we do in our work.  This is great because how we respond to our world is what makes us unique and that is what makes us interesting to watch!  But it’s a double edged sword.  What makes us unique doesn’t necessarily make us more effective communicators nor does it help us to empathize more deeply with others. Actors learn by observing the behavior of others.  But we must also become more keenly aware of ourselves and the things we do without thinking.   Our mental and physical habits develop over many years, often as defenses to shield our emerging selves from a world in which we feel small or powerless.  Around the time of puberty, in response to our newly developing bodies, otherwise buoyant, adventurous girls and boys start to withdraw physically, protecting their hearts and genitals.  It’s sad to watch a daring tomboy become […]

Acting Without Fear, Habit or Tension

10 things everyday to become a better actor
I’ve gotten so much helpful advice through the years but the most useful piece of wisdom for building a successful acting career is simply “Do at least one thing for your art and one thing for your business every day.”  In Part one of my answer we focused on the “business” part (CLICK to read PART1). Now in part 2, I’ll address the “Art.”  Here are some things you can do to turn this sage advice into action. . Do one thing a day for your Art… 1. Hone your audition material: Every audition is a career opportunity.  Spend time carefully choosing great monologues and songs.  Tinker with them like a craftsman until they’re beautiful.  Work on your cold reading skills to become skilled at scene analysis and making strong, positive choices.   The only thing standing between you and the job is the audition.  Learn how to nail that and you’ve got […]

20 Steps to a Successful Acting Career (Part 2)

20 steps to a successful acting career
Ebony writes: Dear Philip, what’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received? Great question!  I’ve gotten so much helpful advice through the years but the most useful piece of wisdom for building a successful acting career is simply “Do at least one thing for your art and one thing for your business every day.”  In  Part one of this equation I’ll focus on the “business” part.  Stay tuned for my next post where I’ll address the “Art.”  Here are some things you can do to turn this sage advice into action. . One thing a day for your Business… 1. Build a website:  it needn’t be fancy or expensive.  No one is going to “discover” you if they can’t find you.  Look at actor’s websites and use ideas from the best of them.  Create a presence online and make it what you want it to be. 2. Build an audience: Show […]

20 Steps to a Successful Acting Career 

casting director workshops
This week, one of my students considering attending an acting class taught by a casting director asked me if I thought it was a good idea. It’s a question that’s come up several times before so I thought it might be an interesting topic for a blog post. I feel you should take an acting class from an acting teacher. Acting class is where you learn how to make choices, unite your body, mind and spirit to communicate effectively, to stretch your limits, fail gloriously and explore who you are in a safe environment. That’s not what most casting directors know how to do or are trained to teach. . I understand why casting directors offer classes and why actors take them. Actors want to meet casting directors. A good casting director can offer a perspective actors don’t often have. They watch hundreds of actors audition while the only auditions […]

Casting Director Seminars: To Pay Or Not To Pay

O.k., it’s only slightly more fun to find a new monologue than it is to do your taxes without a calculator. But I was thrilled to discover the good folks at Backstage have brought the task into the 21st century with The Monologuer. The Monologuer is a resource to find dramatic and comedic monologues to assist you in preparing for auditions. It contains an assortment of classical and contemporary monologues from plays, including Shakespeare, for males, females, kids, and adults. You can search by author, gender, and theme. It’s a great resource which I highly recommend. Now that you have a world of audition monologues to choose from all in one place, here are some guidelines to help you sort through to find the ones that are just right for you. .   Your monologue should illuminate YOU • Choose a piece that lets you showcase the things that make you […]

Choosing the Perfect Audition Monologue

6 things that changed my acting
These 6 simple tools will help you to be more specific and be more connected to your text. They will make your work clearer, deeper and more effective. . Make sure you understand the meaning of every word you say. Not just their dictionary definitions, but what those words mean to YOU PERSONALLY. If you have to say the word “brother,” you know the definition but how do you feel about it? Do you have a brother? Is he a pain in the butt? Do your parent’s like him best? Is he your best friend? If you’re religious you may think of “brother” in a spiritual sense – “we’re all brothers.” There’s no right or wrong as long as you share your personal, heartfelt point of view with us. The playwright or lyricist has written the words you speak. That’s their job. You are the artist. Your job is to […]

6 Things That Changed My Acting Forever!

film and tv 101
Feeling confident in a new place is always a plus. Knowing the language can help you not feel like a newbie. You’ll want to know these few basic terms before you go on set for the first time. Any other indispensable terms come to mind for this short list? Let me know and we’ll do an update. . Callback – A second (or third or fourth…) interview or audition. It means they’re interested in you. At a callback they may have you read with other actors in front of a producer or the director. . Booking – You’ve booked (gotten) the job! You have a booking. Write it in your book. . Scale – The minimum daily rate determined by the union (SAG/AFTRA), for actors under union contracts. . Call Sheet – A listing of which actors will be required for which scenes, and when they will be required. Call […]

TV & Film Terminology 101