A Resume is a Resume, No Matter How Small
Does it ever fascinate you how quickly some people forget where they came from? What if felt like to start out in this business? To build and gain experience? It's amazing how success can change one's perception of others and even their own journey. It's almost as if, to some, they became Broadway performers overnight.
I was recently sitting in a theatre before a show, and I overheard a couple behind me talking about another performer’s experience and disparaging the lack of shows she's done and therefore the lack of knowledge she must have to discuss theatre. It took everything in me not to turn around and give them a piece of my mind. Thankfully I have a blog for these things.
One thing I never do is disrespect someone's resume., no matter how many shows they've done or the roles they've played. Any experience in this world of theatre represents hundreds of hours in time, commitment and sacrifices. It also represents persistence and effort to audition in the first place. And for every credit I see on a resume, I know there have been dozens of attempts to add more. So who am I to judge?
So to those who are just starting in theatre, whether it be professionally or in high school and college, congrats on the beginning of a fantastic journey. Don't story about filling up your resumes with as many shows as possible, the fact that you even have a resume is admirable, to begin with. It takes bravery to enter the theatre industry, and you have more courage than most.
Just because someone doesn't have thirty credits to their name, it doesn't mean they won't someday. Instead of mocking the length of their resume, take the time to help hem build on it.