When you’ve settled into your seat for a Broadway show, what’s the first thing you do after you’ve been handed your program? (Besides ticking off the “How Many Have You Seen?” pages, of course.)
You thumb through the cast pages, perusing names of the talented performers you may or may not have heard of and where you might know them from. But every bio is tailored to each individual and can be a great inroad to learning about the personalities behind the scenes. Here are some ways you can spruce up your program bio, boost your visibility in the industry, and add even more credits to your name.
Include any and all social media accounts and other places audiences can find you.
Some actors have an allergy to social media; and there are horror stories to be certain, but generally this is the most effective way to build a following. People can see you in clips from other works, performing songs in cabaret acts, and doing scenes off the cuff, and you could even find side projects you might be interested in.
For example, every season, an actor is chosen to do an eight-week vlog for Broadway.com (recent ones have included Emma Pittman for “The Outsiders” and Isabelle McCalla for “Water for Elephants”). The performers share backstage videos and lots of helpful tips and realities about the Broadway experience including rituals, parties, and the ups and downs of doing eight shows a week. As an audience member or fan, don’t hesitate to send them a compliment. Actors love compliments!
Don’t feel obligated to list every single credit you have. Embrace being unusual, especially if you opt out of the previous tip.
Most actors will let you know where they went to school and what their range is through a myriad of stage credits, and there is nothing wrong with that; but some choose a cheekier, less self-serious approach. Take, for instance, two-time Tony winner Christian Borle’s bio in the Broadway program for 2022’s “Some Like It Hot.” Instead of listing his professional shows in adulthood, he merely listed his university productions, followed by this gem: “Christian moved to NYC in 1995 and was immediately hired as an elf at Macy’s Santaland, where he was immediately pink-listed for leaving before the holidays. He is not on social media. Won’t you join him?”
How to Write an Actor BioBoost social justice and awareness.
Including organizations and charities that mean a lot to you, or even a passing mention of where people can vote or find more information on a movement, is a great way for people to know what you stand for. “The Normal Heart” playwright Larry Kramer famously listed his work with Act Up and Gay Men’s Health Crisis in his Playbill bio before even mentioning his film and stage work.
You can also do this without naming any names, but by suggesting a state of mind, as George Abud did in his lovely, simple bio for the Tony Award–winning 2017 musical “The Band’s Visit”: “I hope young Arabic kids, like I was, see this show, or hear about it, or read about it, and know that there is starting to be a place for their expression, their stories, and their faces. The Arab voice, rich in history and beautiful music, is vital in American theater.”
Play off of the theme of your show in your bio.
This might be more of a hurdle if you’re doing a somber Ibsen or O’Neill piece, but if you’re in a madcap comedy, don’t be afraid to ride the madcap wave. The original program for 2017’s “The Play That Goes Wrong” listed hilarious bios for the characters seen in the play before the actual bios for the actors playing those characters. (It also had chortle-inducing fake ads throughout the program).
More recently, in the program for the 2023 revival of “Monty Python’s Spamalot,” “Aladdin” Tony winner and leading actor James Monroe Iglehart chose to have a dialogue with the reader. He asked why they were not engaging in a conversation with a seatmate when they have the permission to speak pre-show and suggested they cheer louder for him than his costar Nik Walker. Very Python-esque.
