So, you want to work in professional theatre? That’s a question that I have been asked many times but didn’t always know how to answer. And up until recently, was also something that I didn’t realize that I really wanted. Mostly because for me, doing theatre at any level besides community was just a pipe dream. I used to say that someday when I am working on Broadway but didn’t believe it.
Read MoreBy now, you’ve completed some auditions and may still have a few more to come. Depending on the school, you may have already received acceptances and rejections. If this process didn’t seem real to you yet, the moment is about to arrive. Don’t worry--I’ve got your back on this, parents. You and your student will survive and thrive, although you’re probably both going to have some scars to prove it.
Read MoreEvery odd numbered year, the American Association of Community Theatres hosts AACTFest, a nationwide theatre festival showcasing the best of community theatre around the country. It is a culmination of months of smaller festivals, starting in the individual states, then moving on to surrounding regions, with the Regional winners being invited to a host city to perform their 60 minute show in front of appreciative audiences of like minded theatre aficionados.
Read MoreAs Casting Chair of my local community theater, I think a lot about the process of casting our shows. While the goal is always to find the ideal fit between auditioners and available roles, the reality is that we often have to compromise. Unlike Broadway, we usually don’t have the luxury of picking people who perfectly look the part, fit the age range, and have the exact vocal range suggested by the script or score. So, we make do with what we have. In a sense, casting is like fishing. We cast our line into the water by posting a carefully crafted audition notice. First, we get some “nibbles”; expressions of interest on Facebook. Then we see who we catch on audition day. Many are not “keepers,” and often we have to throw them back (gently) into the pond. But if we keep an open mind, we’ll often be pleasantly surprised by the talent we land.
Read MoreStage Presence. Star Quality. The X-factor. Whatever you call it, it is the difference between an adequate actor and a good actor and often times, between a good actor and a star. Many people say it is an indefinable quality that someone is either born with or not. As a college professor who is charged with teaching students how to be solid actors and musical theatre performers that does not cut it. It is my responsibility to teach my students everything in my power to make them stronger and “you’ve either got it or you don’t” is a mantra that does a disservice to my students and my profession.
Read MoreThere are friends and then there are Theatre Friends. It’s kinda like Facebook. There’s some folks you’re “friends” with on Facebook and you have lively conversations back and forth on one wall or another but you know if you met them in real life it wouldn’t be the same. That’s sort of like theatre friendships. They burn hot and strong for a few weeks, months whatever the duration of the show’s rehearsal schedule is and that’s it. They fade just as quickly as they come until you see them at the next audition or if you’re lucky another show.
Read MoreCollege is right around the corner! That’s right, high school seniors- I’m talking to you. In just a few months you’ll be handed a piece of paper and be sent off into the big scary world of college. Most of you probably already see yourself in your dream school- acing your classes, and living it up. News flash: you still need to get accepted! Now is not the time to be losing sight of everything you’ve been working so hard for.
Odds are, if you’re a theatre student or a music student looking to pursue your passion, your auditions are in full swing. As a long-time vocal student and performer, I thought my voice audition for colleges would be the easy part. I had been classically trained for years and it had always been my forte. Why would that change? Little did I know just how much work you really should be putting into your college vocal auditions!
Read MoreImprov isn’t always all fun and games. Take it from someone who has gone through two team breakups within the past year.
To the average audience member, a team may appear to have amazing comedic chemistry on stage. But if the off-stage chemistry isn’t there, improv team members will often part ways and seek new theatrical horizons. Sometimes it’s simply an issue of conflicting schedules or a lack of managerial organization. Other times, it goes deeper than that and involves a web of drama, which can end in bad blood or tears. In either case, there are some key warning signs you should keep an eye out for that may foreshadow a painful improv breakup in your team’s future.
In this article, I’m going to share with you the warning signs I noticed in the days leading up to the breakup of my improv teams. If you spot any of these signs with your own team, you may want to start exploring other improv alternatives.
Read MoreI am intensely passionate about attending live theatre, mainly because of its immense power. It makes reality melt away, drawing me within a into a world different than my own for a few hours, playing my emotional keys through sentimental ballads and show stopping soliloquies, and provoking thought and subsequent change. Due to the fact that I myself aspire to become a professional performer (especially a musical theatre performer), I swell with the admiration I feel towards the extraordinary people I see gracing the stage. I adore the fact that when I attend a Broadway musical, I am able to exit the theatre directly after the curtain call and approach the stage door in the hopes of meeting one of these exceptional performers.
Read MoreFrom universities known for their large and respected theater programs to the college theater underdogs, On Stage writers have walked you through some of the best programs in the country. But what about schools not known for their theater program? Or even schools with very small programs? Are they worth talking about? Of course it depends on what you’re looking for but sometimes you can find great experiences in surprising places and theater departments in non-theater schools are a great example.
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