o many roles, so many stories…
The theater is like any art medium, brimming with near endless possibilities. A man can climb onstage from his work in accounting at some consulting firm and be a village idiot one night, then a couple weeks later play the part of a rich baron running the operations of a coal mine. The stage is where anyone can become anything. Anyone can be swept up in the charm of the arts, especially with famous actors like Cate Blanchett, Hugh Jackman, and Viola Davis. Really the bigger question is how so many people don’t fall in love with the theater.
Chances are that you’re reading this because you feel lost in this new world of adulthood. Luckily, it seems that you’ve gotten a slight head start in finding yourself by looking into the theater for your answer. It’s reasonable to start your path by following your passion, as that is where many great careers often start. However, success comes from passion, preparation, and opportunity. As such for a clearer guide into the industry, The Adultist proudly presents—
How to Start in Acting…As an Adult
Joining the ranks of the acting world is no easy feat. There is no career field where you can just jump in with absolutely no skill or intelligence. This is especially true for the entertainment industry, where skills, reputation, and connections often reign supreme. Who do you think is going to get closer to a lead role in a large scale production? An unknown college graduate with no credentials outside of the recently printed diploma or an experienced performer who has performed in several plays beforehand and runs their own acting troupe? There are a number of skills that an actor must properly demonstrate for the stage to best prepare for the show including:
- Memorization
Any good play has a script and all good actors should know that script. The ability to memorize your character’s lines, the cues for those lines, and the actions your character will take are all paramount to any performance. One of the best ways to improve your ability in this field is through rehearsal, which is learning by doing. However if you prefer to learn by watching and/or listening, you can often also look up previous performances of that play and see how other actors portray the role.
- Elocution
Otherwise known as the act of public speaking. This is essentially the actor or actress's ability to stand on the stage and handle being watched by a large audience. There are steps to conquering your stage fright and improving this skill which will inevitably lead to positive consequences such as learning to project your voice for the audience members in the back to hear you clearly as well as boosting your self confidence. This will more than likely not only cause you to become a better actor when portraying characters onstage, but help you take steps in improving your own life and portray a better version of yourself offstage.
- Collaboration
There are not a lot of one-man-shows that are popular in the theater setting, so it is more than likely you will have your start in a small role surrounded by a supporting cast of characters. While consistently being around peers who have more experience than you may seem intimidating at first, it is crucial to remember that these people want the play to run smoothly just as much as you do and a big part of that is witnessing your success alongside everyone else’s. Theater is just like cinema, game development, and music in that more often than not, the best results come from collaborations that hold a lot of chemistry. It is also worth mentioning that these settings can make for a good place to start networking, getting to know people within the industry who could be starting out like you, or have a lot of experience and connections to bolster your reputation.
- Improvisation
No matter how much you prepare and how carefully you and the rest of the crew may plan things, something will go wrong. Professionals in any field need to expect the unexpected so as to not be caught off guard by any mishaps that may take place. There are a number of ways to learn improv that can help you stay on your toes. The main goal with learning improv alongside your standard acting skills is to maintain immersion for the audience by playing off mishaps as part of the show and staying in character at all times.
The audience adores confidence.
Steps to Success
Once you have at least some grasp of the skills you will need, that does not mark the end of your acting journey. There are also steps to be taken when trying to find yourself in the labyrinth that is the theater. It may seem scary at first, but having a support group of family and friends in your corner can make a good amount of that fear go away and make these steps a lot easier. That said, having people to support you does not change the fact that these steps still need to happen. They include but are not limited to:
- Finding Gigs
A good place to start would be by looking at websites like Indeed because not only does it in fact let people look for job openings on the Internet, but it also has helpful articles on how to enter into different fields. While it may be expensive, the best way to start your experience is to fill in your resume with acting classes. Find groups whether they be college classes or maybe even troops in your local community that could use your support. Due to how expensive these groups and classes can be, it is recommended to have a sort of safety net job to maintain your income in case you can’t find any gigs right away.
- Finding Agents
You are probably going to need your very own agent to help you make it to the big leagues and help you find bigger gigs. As long as you and the people who care about you trust them, then and only then should you hire that person as your agent. Also be sure that when hiring them to be your agent, check any and all contracts that they may have you sign for any clauses that may allow them to take advantage of you (it is heavily advised to have a lawyer present for such a read through).
- Headshots
Another likely expense you may face when aspiring to join the theater is getting proper headshots. More often than not, casting departments will want photos of you to go with your resume so that they can get a good idea of what you look like and therefore how they can best cast you. For this, you will need a professional photographer to take these headshots. As mentioned before, Indeed is a great resource for finding jobs in your area as well as finding people in your area looking for a job just as much as you are. As such, it can not only assist in being a good starting point for finding someone who can act as your agent, but it can also act as a way to find a photographer whose skills can match your needs.
A better you just waiting to be met onstage.
Setting the Stage
With enough time and experience, all of this will likely become second nature to you. While there is no real way to guarantee success, putting your best foot forward and jumping at every opportunity will at least improve your chances of landing the roles you want. Getting a small supporting role is nothing to give a Shakespearean lament over, as any experience is good experience if you are able to put it on your resume for future employers to look at, making your skill set more attractive to them.
You are at a phase in your life where you are setting the stage for yourself and your future. Accepting help from your friends and family can help you with that.
Theater is a display of the human spirit, people of different backgrounds coming together with a passion for theater in order to create an unforgettable experience for those who share admiration of the medium. In all honesty, a lot of the early stages of entering career fields is dedicated to building up the best resume of experiences and skills that can make you more and more presentable as you grow.
Bravo, Encore!
Whether or not time has been kind to you, you have certainly come a long way from where you began in your youth. Regardless of how far you’ve come however, you have certainly still have a long way to go from reaching your full potential. As we stand to take our bow, your performance is just beginning. Now get out there and write the script of your own story, meet the supporting cast of your life, and raise the curtain on what you define your acts to be. Climb onto the stage, and build yourself to be the best you that you see, the best you that even you can be proud of.
