<p>am i less competitive if i haven’t been in any plays? i’ve seen resumes of first year MFAs at my school, and they’ve already been in a lot of plays.</p>
<p>I think that as you take a year or two to work, take acting classes, and audition for plays in your local area you will be more competitive.</p>
<p>A MFA is a professional training degree, so it is important that you have a resume that reflects your seriousness about pursuing a career as a theatre artist. </p>
<p>But, I think you are getting ahead of yourself. First focus on your plan of action for this year. Get a job to pay the bills, find a good studio where you can take classes, maybe even begin to audition for productions in your community. An MFA degree is a huge commitment of time, energy, and (often) money. Spend this year confirming that acting is really what you would like to pursue in the long term.</p>
<p>Best of luck!</p>
<p>You can take this with a grain of salt, because I run an acting school in Chicago, but I really believe there is no better place in the country to get started as an actor.</p>
<p>The theatre scene here is wonderful. On any given night you can choose from around 200 shows to see.</p>
<p>Actors are incredibly supportive of each other. I call Chicago the blue collar town for actors. You don’t get famous here, you just work. And because no one audition can launch your career there isn’t that sense of personal competition between actors. Actors here share audition information all the time.</p>
<p>There is a very health commercial world here. And it’s not impossible to get an agent. </p>
<p>Because of a major tax break that Illinois passed last year for the film industry, Chicago is becoming the Indy Capitol of the country.</p>
<p>Bottom line, the work here is great. Actors come to Chicago because they have a passion for the work. </p>
<p>Best of luck in your journey,
S. Merle
Director, Act One Studios
[Act</a> One Studios - The most recommended acting school in Chicago.](<a href=“http://www.actone.com%5DAct”>http://www.actone.com)</p>
<p>I was always told Miami, Atlanta, Carolina’s are a great way to get started in the business and to build a resume and then move to LA or NY. Agents told me this & casting directors from around the world… I always heard Chicago is more for more theatrical work than film. Also, it seems like your program is for kids over 21 and most kids on here are in high school. It seems like every one of your posts is trying to get people to your school. I think it’s kind of a turn off to me personally. You don’t see other admissions counselors doing that, word of advice.</p>
<p>It’s clear from the first line that smerle runs an acting studio in Chicago. If that is a turn-off, readers are free to discontinue reading the post. I personally thought smerle’s comments were interesting and written from a unique perspective. That is why I read CC - I like to hear a lot of different opinions and learn about others’ experiences. The OP was about to graduate from college when the original post was written, so a program geared to students 21 and older is appropriate for the discussion. The OP also was interested in Chicago and wanted an alternative to cities such as NY and LA. As long as posters are honest about biases (we all have them!) let’s keep a free flow of ideas, information and opinions.</p>
<p>If you read his other posts, it seems like he is just trying to get kids to go to his school/conservatory and not Chicago. I am giving my input and I have never seen someone try to sell their school like that. It gets annoying when it looks like someone is posting the same thing at each thread. I didn’t think CC was the place to come and look at acting schools for older students.</p>
<p>PS- I am not trying to be rude, I’m honestly telling you my opinion. I’m sorry I’m so open about my opinion.</p>
<p>Edit: I actually would like to apologize for this post, but it did seem this way on the other posts. It is fine after I read all the posts again. But maybe the other posts on other threads. It seemed like he wanted people just to go to his school, don’t know if this is true.</p>
<p>No offense Early_college. Our conservatory Program is fairly new, so yes, I am trying to get the word out and I would love to have students take a look at it. But I also have a unique perspective. I have made my living as an actor in Chicago for the last forty years. Yes, doing lots of theatre, but I’ve also shot about 250 commercials, and a fair share of film and TV. As an actor I’ve been able to buy a house, raise a family, and send kids to college. While almost all of my friends in NY and LA have had to hold other jobs to support their acting. So I really do believe that Chicago is a great place for young actors to get work, gain experience, build their resume and their network. Also, your thought on Miami, Atlanta, Carolina, there is work there. But they are all right to work states, which means you are very unlikely to get your union cards. Something you REALLY want in place before you head to NY or LA. I hope this was helpful and not out of line.</p>
<p>Take care</p>
<p>Smerle: I would just to let you know if the conservatory is for people in there 20’s, that this may not be the best place to get the word out. There are lots of teens who come on here and parents and most are juniors and seniors. There tend to be less older kids, but I’m sure there is some out there. </p>
<p>I have been told by NY and LA agents that Atlanta, Carolina, etc is actually a very good place to work before going out to LA or NY. They never mentioned Chicago, I don’t why but agents never told me much about it. I’ve always heard Chicago is a good place for Theater. They told me that this market (Southeast) helps you build your resume before you make your big leap. I am non union and it is better to be non union over here, my agent even told me I would limit myself If I got a union card. I know LOTS of people who went to LA and got there union cards very easily and right away after they came from my market. I also know some people who have union cards here, but they seem to come back and forth from LA to the Southeast and tend to have done a lot more work before they got the card. </p>
<p>Glad you had a successful career. I’m just coming from what agents have told me one on one and from experience and I’m not a Hollywood actor who has one an Oscar.</p>
<p>It’s sad to hear my career is over. Ah Well.</p>
<p>And now for a totally different view… Not everything you learn in life needs to come from a college, conservatory, or internship. If your inexpearanced and are just finishing up another school maybe it’s time to get some good head shots and send them to agents for commercials, try community theater or stand up comedy until you fly or die.</p>
<p>earlycollege,
How 'bout get out your copy of How to be a Working Actor and read the “Regional Markets” section on Chicago. These agents to whom you keep referring were probably just affirming that there is some opportunity where you live. There’s simply no comparison to Chicago as to opportunities for a young actor. I was actually considering a potential move there after graduation myself until some recent events gave me around a 95% chance of being a New Yuck resident this time next year. Oh, and no theatrical agent in LA worth her salt will even look at you unless you’re at least SAG Eligible although a good way to get that eligibility is through commercial work where they frequently Taft-Hartley people. </p>
<p>smerle,
I’m so sorry. It must suck having to hear that your forty-year career is over from a sixteen year old … ;)</p>
<p>Actually I have read How to be a Working Actor and the lady who wrote it actually told me this herself a couple years ago, so I do know what I’m talking about. I also went for a training class with her and a seminar. Also, my agents have ties (an agreement) with agencies in both LA and NY and if I wanted to get an agent in either place it would be rather easy for me. I don’t know much about Chicago, but these agents (Mary Lynn included) have told me that Atlanta and etc are good places to build your resume before you go to LA and NY.</p>
<p>I have my copy right here. Let’s see …
She then dedicates ten pages to essentially telling you what smerle has already said here. She lumps Atlanta and the Carolinas into one market in five pages with the last three dealing with Atlanta area regional theatre. </p>
<p>From my own knowledge of the Carolinas, I can tell you that they shoot a couple of TV series and the occasional film in Wilmington plus the occasional film in Charleston - mainly period pieces - where they use 100% imported actors as the principals. There’s also some commercial work to be had in Charlotte although it’s mainly regional stuff plus some print modeling work. There are also some good small regional theatres scattered around, but it’s pretty much NADA, otherwise, and it’s not enough to make a living. They couldn’t even keep a major regional theatre alive in Charlotte … </p>
<p>I don’t know as much about Atlanta other than what’s in the book and that there are supposedly a good number of African American film projects shot there, but when I was recently asking around about secondary markets on another forum, I got …
I’m a white chick, so most of that doesn’t apply to me, but there just doesn’t seem to be much there other than the Alliance (where you should be studying this summer if you’re serious) and Georgia Shakes which is supposed to be pretty darn good. Ms. Henry’s main assessment is …
</p>
<p>Miami gets a little less than two pages …</p>
<p>I was just telling you what she told me a few years ago, that’s all. It’s just a good place to build up the resume as she and other agents have said. I already said I do not know much about Chicago so I never said there was nothing there. I always heard that it’s a good place for Theater, that’s it. Also, there were two people who wrote that book. I also know some agents film for auditions and send it out to LA. I did that for an audition and it had famous people in it. I would even go to Chicago too, like going to school at Northwestern. I haven’t got anything here and not one audition since Dec of 2008 and I know it’s no LA or NY. I just do know lots of people who do get work and have then moved out to LA. I know I won’t, my family isn’t willing to go and plus my mom is having another baby. I know some people who have done work on One Tree Hill (Wilmington) and I know someone personal who was just on Army Wives and I think that was in NC. I am not African American either, I’m Caucasian. I do know Miami is great for Spanish people and have a lot of work for them. I was told to stay here for a couple years and build the resume and then go to LA. I was also told if I went to LA I would have nothing when I compete with kids who have done a lot more then I have. The Alliance had a 5 day program, but it’s not that close to I live and with Atlanta traffic it would be terrible. I have got training elsewhere, but have stopped lately do to Swim Team and I use to do some community theater a couple years ago.</p>