Yahoo! UK & Ireland Answers blog

Last week, we were proud to share with you amazing Answers user and resident theatre expert, AmyJane. In the second of two blog posts, we’d like to conclude her tips on making it in acting.

Based in Edmonton Canada, AmyJane loves reading, movies, and of course theatre. She has been acting for over ten years in various high school, community, college and professional production. In the last couple years she diversified her theatre resume to include working as a director, a film extra, a producer, a voiceover actor and a teacher.

To conclude the masterclass, here’s the second part of AmyJane’s own words on taking to the stage…

How do I audition?

“Actors see auditions one of two ways: as a chance to perform, or as a way to get a job performing. If possible, try and be in that first group because most of your job as an actor is auditioning. There are basically two different kind of auditions: prepared and cold.”

“For ‘prepared’ you’ll get a script in advance or bring in a monologue and perform in front of the director or casting people. You should have it memorized. If you’re serious about acting you should always have at least 3 monologues prepared and ready to go at all times. Try having a modern comedic, a modern dramatic and a classic [Shakespeare] mono under your belt. Make sure that they are from published sources, that you’ve read the entire script you got it from, and that the monologue fits the kind of characters you would actually play (your age, gender, race, abilities, etc).”

“For ‘cold’ you’ll go in with nothing. They give you a script and you will have a minute maybe two, to read over it and than you’ll perform. You can’t really rehearse cold reading, but you can practise by picking up books, magazines, newspapers and read them aloud. Try to read so it becomes active with strong character choices. It’s better to commit to a strong decision about a character- even if it’s not what they are looking for- than to not take any risks. And remember the basic acting concepts of being seen & heard, while making a connection with your scene partner or audience.”

“So you’ve got a good looking resume: been in a few plays, a couple movies and you have some training under your belt. But one of the things that people forget about, when they are interested in starting an acting career, is family. It is an extremely important to have the support of your loved ones when embarking on any new career. It is even more important to have their support when striving for a career in acting.”

How long does it take to ‘make it?’

“There are unavoidable strains on relationships for actors and actresses with: the constant rejection, competition for jobs, touring, sudden intimacy between cast members, financial instability, relocation & long periods of unemployment. On average, it takes an estimated ten years to become an established actor, and in that time you’ll be spending more money than you make.”

How do I pay the bills?

“Many performers eventually try branching out into different aspects of the business – not just acting – because of the insecurity and uncertainty. You should still keep up your training in acting, singing, music & dance, but it’s good to get some secondary skills whenever you can too. Experience in directing, photography, design, makeup, film editing, writing, costuming, and technical theatre may give you more opportunities. Marketing is another great skill to have, giving you the knowledge on how to best sell both your work & yourself as an actor.”

Why should I try to become an actor?

“But the most important thing to remember is that you’re doing this because you love it. You should definitely try following your dreams – or else it will end up being one of those things that you’ll look back on and regret, always wondering “what if.” Never give up something you adore because of anybody’s fear of failure! You’ll still need to keep a realistic attitude, there are many challenges that come with this profession, but the artistic and creative rewards make acting worth every last obstacle.”

Read part one here…

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