Posted by babka at nrwc-cs05-t58.citlink.net on June 29, 2002 at 01:18:53:
In Reply to: Question bout Acting posted by Stroker_Pace on June 28, 2002 at 21:49:53:
Hi, Pace. Is there any kind of theater whatsoever in the very place where
you are? community theater, Equity (union) theater, university theater?
any film making classes where students might need actors or tech help?
Have you any acting ecperience yet? Enough to scrape up a resume to staple
to the back of an 8 by 10 picture of yourself which will put money in the
photographer's pocket while radiating charisma and gumption in case it
lands on a casting person's desk? The Steppenwolf theater group
strengthened their chops together in Chicago, away from the cyclops LA eye
of judgment...in this way they called attention to themselves and their
gifts, and aquired a bit of confidence, moxie. The publication "Backstage"
lists student films, every now and then these will film on location at a
place near where you are, and if you see a part you feel you're "right" for
you could send your picture & resume in for their consideration. If they
like you, they might ask to see you, which might involve traveling to a
place you hadn't thought of going to. You might also want to find, in a
short story, or a film script, or a play, or one of those books of acting
monologues for young men of a certain age: two monologues, one "serious"
and/or "classical" (Shakespeare, Chekhov, Ibsen) and one "upbeat/modern",
maybe comedic. So depending on the part, you'll have something you're
comfortable with and which is interesting for you to keep refining, because
you don't want to be bored by a piece you may be using as an audition
(probably 5 minutes, maximum, and you can expect to be cut off
mid-sentence, and you must practice resiliance in the inevitable event of
rejection, and that's harder than getting the acting how it ought to be)
over time. There's prolly good stuff on line that I don't know about.
Screen Actors' Guild, and AFTRA (American Federation of Radio and
Television Artists), and Actors Equity (the stage union) may post on-line
casting info, and even though you may not necessarily get to audition for
union roles, there's a lot of stuff that is interesting that union actors
can't audition for that may yield you good reviews, or a tape of your work,
that you can have to begin to be able to show others (and yourself) what
you're capable of. If you have some friends who are interested, you could
get together around a book by Viola Spolin (of Second City fame) of Theater
Games: they are wonderful, and fun, and very good for the kind of
improvisational ease and give&take that will help you "work & play well
with others" and give you some time to risk stuff and fail to do stuff how
you think you want to, and watch others, and learn by doing. Or you could
take, say, a scene from a Salinger short story, and improvise the gist of
it, using the characters as springboards and trying to live your way into
the reality of the scene. I can't speak about agents, as I haven't much
experience with them (I was never a clear enough "Type" for them to see as
a $maker), but they certainly are crucial, and so are the casting people
they help get you in to see. Hopefully some way more savy working "hot"
young actors will drop a hint or two, but since (as I learned) it is a
fiercely competitive world (the friendship, generosity and loyalty
exemplified by Ben and Matt and Kevin is RARE) you'll have to learn to be
astonished when your good acting buddy friend finds a way not to give you
the directions to an open call (ie. you don't need an agent but can show
up....early as possible, please...) for a part you're perfect fo