The Chorus Effect

Dear Jeremiah:
        Hello, my name is Amanda, and I am an upcoming sophomore in highschool. I all of a sudden became interested in acting after seeing many school plays and also going to New York and seeing the smash hit AIDA featuring Deborah Cox.  The tips you gave worked a lot, but I was also wondering if you could give me some pointers on how to be a drama person when unfortunately I am not in Drama classes next years but am in Chorus? Could I do the Drama Club?????   Thanks a bunch,   Amanda

Dear Amanda,

You are one of the chorus people. There is no saving you. I can only offer my condolences.

Just kidding, Amanda. That's great that you're taking Chorus next year. Singing helps train your voice for (obviously) singing and for acting. It gives you more command over your voice and more command means you can control one of your prime acting instruments--your voice--better. So, you will be that much better at acting. I wouldn't worry about not doing drama for a year if that's what is bugging you. It's good that you're exploring all aspects of theatre. Are you asking me if I think you are qualified to be in the drama club if you are just taking chorus? Absolutely. If you really want to act, find as many outlets--except your personal life--as possible to perform. Don't feel like you aren't qualified to audition for school plays because you're not in an acting class. That's bogus. Anybody can audition. (Few audition well). I understand your hesitance, but give it a shot. It's best to see school plays as theatre classes within themselves and not Broadway shows. It's best to see anything that's not a Broadway show as a theatre class. And you're new at this, if you don't get cast right off the bat, ask to help with the show in anyway that they need and network with the theatre types so they know who you are the next time they hold auditions. Every job--theatre or otherwise-- that people snag is usually because they know somebody. So learn how to network by introducing yourself to people and finding out what they do, offer to help, and tell them how you're interested in theatre and want to get more involved. Then when they hold auditions for the school musical, you'll know more of the people AND be able to show off that chorus voice you've been working on. Best of luck with your musical theatre career, Amanda!

Moving to New York

 

hi, right now i am going to a community college in MA. Just to get some schooling out of the way and raise some money while i still live at home. I plan on moving to NY next year. I wont know anyone and that makes me somewhat hesitant. I know nothing can keep me from pursuing, not even my own personal anxieties, but it still freaks me out. Im only 18. By that time i'll be 19.i dont really know my way into anything.  Did you move to NY without knowing anyone? If you did, was it easy finding your way around, the city? I dont mean something that a map could point out to you, people, places, a place....I read your acting tips and you cleared alot up for me in english. Hopefully you could help me out with this too.
                                                               Thanks,
                                                                      Ashley
 
Thanks for your question, Ashley. I moved here right after I graduated college. I was almost 22. I was familair with the city becuase I lived here for a few years when I was young and the summer before I graduated, I spent in the city working temp jobs at attending the summer conservatory at Michael Howard Studios (which I recommend you take if you have the money and time when you move up here). So, I wasn't too terribly clueless about the city, but I wasn't totally comfortable either. It helped that I knew a lot of people from my college who had also moved up here and were into Theatre.

But if you know absolutely nobody up here, I wouldn't let that stop you from moving here, but I would do a lot of planning so you know what to expect. First of all, save your money. Secondly, feel confident in some sort of survival job whether its waiting tables or office skills or whatever else you do. List as many ways you think you can make money and come up with a plan for how you would get such employment with each of them. There's a book called Survival Jobs by Deborah Jacobsen which lists some good ideas. This is a link for it on half.com http://half.ebay.com/cat/buy/prod.cgi?cpid=354959&domain_id=1856&meta_id=1

And while you're at half.com, I would check out Acting as A Business by Brian O'Neill. Here's the link http://half.ebay.com/cat/buy/prod.cgi?cpid=256608&domain_id=1856&meta_id=1

And also, Audition by Michael Shurtleff, http://half.ebay.com/cat/buy/prod.cgi?cpid=219869&domain_id=1856&meta_id=1

When moving up here I would either have money saved up for Headshots or have some done in MA. If you want them done in New York you should probably budget $500-700 to get them taken and around $200 to get headshots  and postcards printed from them. Research where you want to do all this before you get here. There are also places you can send away for to get prints which are much cheaper. Various companies offer cheap methods to reproduce. Some people say the quality stinks in the cheaper reproductions but I think they work and when you first move here, find as many ways to save your money as possible.

When I moved here I met with an agent who graduated from my college. He kept emphasizing that I needed to take an acting class or get involved in some type of company in order to get into a network of fellow performers. I would say this is your goal for when you move to the city. Find as many ways to meet other actors as possible. Some ideas: volunteer to usher for shows--any type of show--you'll see it for free and get schmooze with other theatre people; submit yourself for student films--you can find these listed in Backstage; audition for everything you can and chat with people while you wait--don't harass them if they're trying to "prepare" but actors (ahem) love sharing what they know with new people to the city. Do these seem to obvious?

In conclusion: I would prepare yourself as much as possible before you move here. Find out your budget, locate anybody you may know in the city, maybe read backstage every week online in MA and find out what the scene is here and if you see an auditionwhich looks interesting email them and tell them you're coming to the city and if you could send them a headshot for future projects.

Welcome!

I've started to get people writing me with questions and advice about acting. While I am both  flattered and unsure if I'm qualified to answer such requests, I will try to answer them in this blog--or at least point you to where I think you may find an answer. Please send questions to me at jeremiah[dot]murphy[at]gmail[dot]com

Thanks for checking out my Acting Tips!