Our Backstage Experts are full of amazing advice to help move your career forward, and we wouldn’t want you to miss one drop of it. Here are five tips to keep in mind during the week ahead!
Defend your right to prepare!
“There is no professional situation in which an actor would have a script dropped on them and be asked to ‘act’ without being given a minimal allotment of prep time. Dropping a script on a performer and giving them the command ‘go’ takes away their power. It is the responsibility and the duty of the actor to stand up for him or herself and say, “I’m going to need 15 minutes of prep time” with a firm voice and a smile.” —Joseph Pearlman
Know that no one knows.
“We have an idea what we want, a concept of who the character is, but it is not set in concrete. It is up to you to approach every audition firm in the knowledge that no one knows. And if you can do that, then you will constantly search for a version that feels right in your audition prep, in your audition delivery, in rehearsal, and again when you work on set.” —Greg Apps
Listen to what your child actor wants.
“As a parent, you know your child like no other. Listen to them. If you know they have the passion for this industry, be patient and encouraging. If your child truly has the love for acting, they will weather the rough times. If you hit a rough patch, you might want to keep them connected and engaged by going to local theater and community performances or actor workshops.” —Jackie Reid
Have proof you can juggle.
“If you have a special skill (juggling, skateboarding, BMX biking), make sure your agent knows about this skill and that he or she has a video clip of you performing this skill. Sometimes we have last minute requests for talent with very specific skills, and don’t necessarily cast for it in a studio. We instead collect video clips and send them to the client for them to review. You are much more likely to be considered if you have pre-recorded video of yourself showing that you are a master skateboarder or juggler, than if you have to scramble to get yourself on tape last minute.” —Rachel Williams
Get your head in the game!
“In casting, you all are our trading cards. We get to know everything about you. It’s not a hobby for us, it’s our job. We remember your good auditions and your bad ones. We even remember what you said in the room if it was charming, funny, or weird. So you can never think that you can slip by doing a poor job or auditioning for something before you were ready and that we won’t notice, remember, or hold it against you. We don’t have audition slots to waste on clueless actors. We have a job to do and have too many other options.” —Shaan Sharma
Inspired by this post? Check out more advice from our Backstage Experts!
