The Nerves. The easiest ways to conquer the nerves is: Don't care about the quality of your performance Don't care if you get your lines right Don't care if anybody can hear you speak Don't care if you get to your entrances on time Don't care if you get your blocking correct Don't care if your performance doesn't go as planned Don't care if anybody gets the point of your presentation Don't care if your performance is slopped together, half-baked, ill-timed, dull, boring and a waste of everybody's time.
In other words, the easiest way to conquer the nerves is don't give a damn. So, there you have it. Don't worry, be happy and you'll never be nervous again! Of Course, on the other hand: . . .than trust me, you will be nervous. HOW TO AUDITION FOR A MUSICAL. This lesson is quite simple.
If you are serious about learning how to properly auditon for the musical theatre, then you should get this book: Next : Auditioning for the Musical Theatre Everything you need to know to audition successfully. That's it. Get the book. Either buy the book or get it from your local library. Here also is some brief and basic info to get you started... AUDITIONS WILL BE HELD FOR... Most communities - even small ones - have a theatre group or two.
Most inexperienced beginners start in community theatre. They are excellent places to learn the basics and begin to build some experience. There are many, many hundreds of theatre groups that have internet sites so search the web using your favorite search engine. Search this site too: The American Association of Community Theatres. You can also find out about your local theatre groups and their auditions, by looking in your local newspapers. LINE! LINE! WHAT'S MY LINE? Getting Physical. Acting As Conversation. This is a diagram of your basic acting tools:Mind - Body - Voice Of course, this seems pretty obvious.
(duh!) No great lesson here. But look closer at the diagram. Notice there are arrows connecting the three seperate elements. Developing communication, a "conversation" , among the mind, the body and the voice is an essential part of acting. The MIND is the element that tends to dominate most. The person doing all the talking might indeed be interesting, entertaining and knowledgeable. The Essence of Acting. To perform: determined actions that are willfully directed toward attaining conscious desires.
To accomplish this goal the actor's primary tasks are: To determine what desires his character has at each moment of the play. To determine what actions are required to successfully attain those desires. To convincingly perform those determined actions. (AWOL note: In this lesson, the terms "determine" and "determined" mean to intentionally choose something) Associated with the concept of determined desires, the following is an essential question that an actor must answer about his character: Who am I?
HELP! I GOT THE PART! NOW WHAT??? Part 1. Divisions of a Play For our script analysis lesson, we will be using the same play we used for the "ACTING AS CONVERSATION" lesson, Neith Boyce's tragedy, "Winter's Night" .
Click on the play title if you do not already have a copy of it. Save the play as a text file so you can refer to it quickly. Or open a second browser window, then click on the play title and keep the play open in this second window. Glossary. THE EASY WAY TO GET INTO A MOVIE OR TV SHOW. You dream of working in films or TV.
Of working with the stars. You envision yourself on a movie set, aswirl with lights, cameras, technicians, costumes, make-up, fellow actors and actresses - and the director... "Quiet on the set" The boom mic sweeps overhead. The camera dollies forward...forward...closer...closer...and focuses on. SO YOU WANNA BE A SOAP STAR? Regional, Combined Theatre Auditions. Looking for work in summer-stock productions, touring productions, Renaissance fairs, non-equity and equity theatres, Shakespeare festivals, theme parks, dinner theatre and outdoor dramas?
Planning to enroll in a graduate level college theatre program? Want to audition for dozens of producers at one time? Want a rare opportunity to meet lots of producers and directors in the business? Make contacts? Get yourself known? These regional, combined auditions are a low-cost way to do exactly that. HELP! I GOTTA GET A MONOLOG!!! Casting Director Contact Information. What About Scams? Here are a few guidelines (courtesy of the US Government Consumer Protection Agency) that might help you determine a scam artist from a legitimate agency.
Check out all claims made in agency advertisements, sales presentations, and literature. Ask for the names, addresses, and phone numbers of models who work through the agency and clients who have used its actors/models. Contact the actors/models and clients to verify the information. Ask if the agency is licensed or bonded as an employment agency, if that is required by your state. Keep copies of all important papers, such as your contract and agency literature. I Gotta Get An Agent!!! This lesson has to do with the BUSINESS of acting.
That is the B-U-S-I-N-E-S-S of acting. This lesson will not deal with the skill of acting except as it relates to the BUSINESS of acting. The business of acting is concerned with... Receiving monetary compensation for the time and energy you spend in performance related activities. The Casting Process. What Every Actor Needs to Know. If you are thinking of becoming a professional actor, it is extremely important that you start to get practical experience and start to build an acting resumé. The easiest, most accessible and, for beginners, the best way to get experience and build a resumé is to get involved in lots of local community, school and church plays. Why local plays?
Well, unless you live in HOLLYWOOD, you probably won't get many chances to audition for major motion pictures. (Anyway, what Hollywood director would risk a 100 million dollar budget on an unknown with no experience. Sheeeesh! Most communities have one or more local or regional community theatre. These same local groups can also help you find out about local classes and workshops where you can study acting and improve your natural talent. Where to find local classes or auditions with local groups? Attend community play performances. Search the web. Another place to contact is your local colleges and universities.
Contact big companies directly. An Actor's Life. "What Should I expect? " What kind of training is required? AWOL's FREE Acting Lessons.