Backstage Experts

How Second-Guessing Yourself Can Hurt Your Craft

Many actors spend too much time trying to “read the reviews." They wonder how their last audition went, what went wrong, and how the casting director, producer or director reacted. We all get occasional phone calls from actors who didn’t think they did well, and want to do it ...

3 Marketing Tools You Need

Is a headshot and resume all you need? Yes…if the year is 1980. At least, some actors think so. But things have changed. The Internet has changed everything. You need a whole lot more.

Use Your Fear To Fuel You

So, how do you engage your fear? The typical response is to try not to feel afraid. This usually makes it worse because of the increased conflict with your own being. The key with fear is how you "frame" it, i.e. what meaning you put on fear.

4 Ways To Give Thanks All Year Long

So why not step out of the status quo by expressing your gratitude all year long instead? That way, your thank-you will carry a deeper meaning while standing out from the holiday crowd.

4 Ways to Leave ‘Em Wanting More

You want to leave ‘em wanting more so that they are inspired to call you again for that second meeting. So, here’s four ways to leave ‘em wanting more in your meetings and auditions.

How To Connect Yourself to a Character

If actors know and allow their subtext to exist unspoken, the audience will have a feeling of those things as strongly as though the actor had stated them.

Why the Industry Needs You Just As You Are

We mistreat ourselves and allow mistreatment by others because if we truly believed we were enough, we wouldn’t settle for bad behavior that supports our beliefs that we’re inadequate.

5 Simple Steps To an Acting Career

As it turns out, my system might have been used before…by the apes. It seems as though a few thousand actors (and people) around the world have been relying on their common sense and confidence for years.

3 Questions From Parents of Child Actors

Jackie Reid answers questions about shy children, children with accents, and whether or not bringing sides to an audition is a good idea.

What Are the Stakes of Your Audition?

Ah, the odds. The chances. The stakes. To most actors starting out, auditioning can seem like a daunting, terrifying, and insurmountable responsibility. A contest. A game of luck and chance.