What Can I Do To Be An Actor?

December 31, 2009 by  

Hello how are you doing?… can you tell me what I can do to be an actor??? it would be really nice! – Sandro Potenza, @Italohesse

Hi Sandro,

Thanks for sending me your question via Twitter. This is the most common question I get from aspiring actors. Each actor’s path is different, but I will try to give you some basic tips.

Your twitter profile says you are fourteen and live in Germany. The best advice would be to stay in school. While in school work hard and if you have a theater or drama club, get involved and see if acting is something you love enough to pursue in university. Once you attend university, if theater studies is something you want to major in, I would encourage you to double major with a practical degree, one that gives you job skills that can aid you in becoming a freelance artist and avoid the starving artist myth. Ideally you will want to find a freelance job that allows you to generate enough income to cover living expenses, save for retirement, and give you control over your schedule to go on auditions.

The Goethe-Institut seems like a good online resource that could help you in discovering what is going on in the Germany theater scene. You will want to begin building relationships with local theaters. I am sure some basic tenants hold true in Germany, as in the U.S., when working with a theater company. It’s always good to see some productions, to figure out if the theater’s style is something that interests you. Opening nights are always a good night to go, as there is a chance you can introduce yourself to the director and/or artistic director. If this happens, it is not a time to pitch yourself and sell them on why you think you should be in their next show. It’s simply a time to say hello and that you enjoyed their work. Be positive, polite and brief. The next step you can volunteer, or intern in the office, where you might run into the artistic director on a more causal basis. You might also get first hand knowledge about auditions. Best of luck to you.

Have any questions regarding acting or being a freelance artist?
Send me an email or a tweet, and I will answer it on the blog.

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