“I’d say the most important thing is to keep your accent sharp. Keep practicing, otherwise, it can get rusty very quickly,”
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Do you dream of starring in the West End or on Broadway? Or directing the next record-breaking musical performance? Or even working in theatre design? Well, it sounds like you’ve working within the performing arts.
The performing arts industry is a truly rewarding career. You can express yourself and show the world your creativity, all with the benefit of getting paid! However, to succeed in this industry, you’ll need to work hard. But, once you’ve made it, it’ll be the best feeling in the world.
Here’s everything you need to think about when considering a career in the performing arts.
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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.
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By 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.
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Every 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.
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As 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.
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Stage 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.
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There 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.
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College 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!
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Improv 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.
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