How Actors can find Representation - by John Essay

Let’s consider for a moment that you are “ready” for a representative. (If you don’t know if you are ready, please read my Backstage article, “Are You Ready For Representation?”)

Finding the right representative for you is a lot like dating: they come in a variety of shapes and sizes, and with various strengths and weaknesses. Representatives sign people who inspire them, who they think will make them a lot of money, or those with whom their personalities “click.” That is why there are so many representatives— because we all have different tastes. If we all had the same tastes, there would be one representative to handle everyone. 

It is up to you to find out which agent or manager represents what part of the industry, and then find out which is the best fit for your strengths and interests. How do you do that? Dive into the Internet. Look up the names of representatives and find out which clients they handle. Use IMDB, IBDB, lortel.org (the Off Broadway database), etc.  Ask your actor friends and teachers if they could make an introduction to their representative. You could also try some general meetings.  Remember, all of these ideas have a better chance at producing a representative for you as long as you are “ready” for representation.

Interviewing with a representative who doesn't know you and who hasn't seen your work is difficult, because they are only judging you on your resume and your personality, and that is, in my opinion, a waste of time. I think the best scenario is when a representative approaches you, usually because they have seen your work, or you have come highly recommended by their client or colleague. That way half your work is done. This is where your friends and fellow actors who have representation can be put to use—ask them if they would recommend you to their agent or manager. If they do that, then that is when you will send their representative your photo and resume with a cover letter. Ask your teachers and mentors in the business for ideas. You could try some meet and greets, and perhaps find a representative that will work with you. This is sometimes a good way to find a representative because most junior agents who attend these events are required to bring in new talent. Since these junior agents will have a hard time enticing more established actors, the meet and greets provide them with opportunities to discover new talent like you.

Obtaining representation by an agent or manager isn’t the be-all and end-all. There is so much that you can do on your own without a representative—and plenty to do even with representation—that can help further your career. I encourage you to find opportunities for yourself, and I wish you success!

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What Do You Do When You Have a Bad Reader at an Audition?

Well, here you are, you've just arrived at your audition – and early, to boot! Now you have time to relax, go over your lines again, and freshen up! You look great, you feel great…bring it on!

The monitor calls your name, and you confidently enter the audition room. You exchange pleasantries as well as brief introductions. You notice there are two chairs facing the "casting table," and a reader is already seated. You are asked to begin your scene.

You begin your scene with your reader, and as you progress into the scene you realize, this reader is awful! You can barely hear him/her, you get no eye contact, and worse of all, there is no emotional connection between the two of you.

Stay calm! You have worked on this scene, and you know where the emotional connections are.

Whatever you do, don’t shrink to the level of this bad reader. If you try too hard to connect to this reader, you risk being sucked into his/her low-energy, lack-of-connection vortex, and then you would be doing yourself a great disservice. The "casting people" will see your acting with those limitations, and they will assume that that is the best you can do.

You must trudge on – imagining that you are getting everything you need from this reader. In fact, you can use his/her lack of engagement to increase your determination to convince/connect with him/her.

Remember, this kind of communication happens all the time in real life. You are upset about something your significant other did, and when you passionately try to explain it to him/her, he/she shuts down. But you still go on, trying to make them understand!

It is the same in an audition with a bad reader. You just have to go on and be passionately engaged in what you are doing – becoming even more determined to get them to hear you, react to you, while still being authentic and "in the moment."

You should prepare in advance for the possibility of an inadequate reader. Rehearse your material as if your partner is awful, or if you are rehearsing with a partner, ask him/her to read a few times with little or no emotion so you are able to “adjust” your performance accordingly. Use it as an opportunity to exercise your acting skills!

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I Hate My Day Job But Need The Money, What Should I Do? -by Robert Curtiss

If you are an actor, chances are you also have a support job to bring in income while you pursue the business of show business (unless you are independently wealthy or have reached that enviable point in your acting career where you can survive solely on your earnings as an actor). Sometimes this means working at a job that you don’t like only because you need the money.

Most of us have, at one time or another, worked at a job that we did not like. Sometimes the boss seems stingy, or the coworkers are mean, or the pay is too low for the amount of work required, or we just don’t like the work itself. Here are some thoughts on dealing with this problem. Ask yourself the following questions:

What is it I don't like about this job? 

Is the thing I hate about this job fixable?

Would it be worth staying at the job if I could fix the problem?

Let's break it down:

What is it that you don't like about your job? Is it a personnel matter, i.e. you have a problem with people you work with, like the boss or a coworker? If so, possible solutions include asking for a private meeting with the person or persons, in which you make an effort to find out what they are thinking, and to make your feelings known. This can clear the air, and get the unspoken issues out in the open, with the hope that all those involved can adjust their behaviors accordingly. Remember to be professional and try to be respectful, because being disrespectful and angry will very likely sabotage any potential progress. Sometimes your coworkers and supervisors have no idea that their words or behaviors have upset you, and simply making them aware of your thoughts and feelings can be enough to bring them around.

Is the thing you hate about the job fixable? If your coworkers or your boss still make you miserable, or you can't seem to find a way around the thing you dislike, then it probably is time to look for employment elsewhere.

If you dislike the work itself, the best thing to do is to figure out what you would prefer to do, and then look for a job where you can do that instead. Sometimes this is simply looking at what jobs you can find, and then choosing the best out of the bunch (we can't always find the perfect job right away). In the meantime, since you need to keep your job until you can find another, try to make the best of it, and to take the path of least resistance. Sometimes it just doesn't pay to argue with people when you already know you can't win. Try just agreeing with them, and letting the conflicts just roll off your back, knowing that you will soon be gone from the unpleasant situation as soon as you can.

Remember ... communicate effectively. Use your friends and family as support systems & to help get the word out when looking for a new job.

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