Category: Tips for the Biz

You’ve taken your fair share of classes, you have some performance experience under your belt, and you’re finally ready to take the next step in your acting career: getting an agent! Before you begin submitting, follow these 5 steps in order to set yourself up for as much success as possible! 5) Do your research All agents and agencies do similar things to help their actors get work. However, each…

Voice training is fundamental in acting and performance. Read the 5 important things Kate DeVore wants us to remember about our utilizing our voices in performance.

Acting is doing.  This is one of the first lessons every actor will learn. It may very well be the fundamental tenement of acting performance. “To act means to do, so you must always have something specific to do… or you will immediately stop acting.” A Practical Handbook for the Actor Acting is also about overcoming obstacles in order to get what you want on stage and off. With the…

With the present state of the COVID 19 pandemic, while we are safe-at-home, one of the things actors can do… is read plays!  Reading plays is a fundamental skill for the actor. I spoke with Acting Studio Chicago Faculty Member Adrianne Cury and she advised, “There is something we can do with all this time; that is to further educate ourselves.” As an actor and playwright in training, I asked…

By Donna Simon Dunn Imagine your mind is a garden. You get to choose which seeds to plant. So why not plant seeds of positivity, joy, opportunity and success? Why not have a giant patch of dirt, void of nutrients, where your bad seeds: rejection, self-doubt, worry, go to die?  What’s stopping you from waking up every day and stepping into your purpose? Your initial response to this might be,…

Auditioning is mostly a solo career. Yep, preaching the truth, friends.   As actors, we spend a lot of time by ourselves on the train, in the car, on the bus, in an Uber, on the way to, or returning from an audition. Sure, people might be sitting next to you on the train, but usually, you are self-focused, in your audition zone. It’s rare that an actor will go with…

Misconceptions of Movement, Dang It!  There’s a misconception about on-camera acting out there in the universe that I think needs to be dispelled. There’s this general feeling/idea/thought that you have to stay frozen and barely move, and talk really, really quietly. Actors want so badly to come off as real and authentic, that I’m finding that some actors get locked into an unmovable position once they hit their mark and…

WHY VOICEOVER WORK? There are more reasons than you think! Written by Jeff Lupetin Author of  Ultimate Voiceover Why voiceover work? People come to the voiceover business for a few common reasons. One: They want to make more money. Two: Someone told them they have a great voice. Three: They want to do cartoon voices Four: They want to do audiobooks. The good news is having a voice over career…

You got the part and it’s your first time cast in a television show! You’ve worked hard and you’re excited about this first day. But you’ve never been on set before and you aren’t sure what to expect. Here are a few guidelines to get you through that first experience. 1. Don’t be late. There’s nothing that sets a bad precedent more than holding up production because you didn’t arrive…

1. The first question to ask yourself is, “Should I go to this audition?” “LORT general auditions are for the entire season including undisclosed workshops/readings, so its worth going even if you don’t see an appropriate role.  If it is an EPA for a specific show and there isn’t an appropriate role, don’t attend the audition.” ~Adam Belcoure, Casting Director-Goodman Theatre If it’s a general theatre audition, especially at a…