I posted a similar question here:
and here:
and was recommended to seek advisement in the Musial Theater forum.
Do you have an active community theater scene?? You might try participating in that while you figure out your next steps. With your art background they may be able to utilize your current skill set to help out with much needed graphic design, set/costume work and at the same time give you opportunities to try out for performance parts. I’m guessing you will need to do something to earn a living once you graduate, doing community theater - whether onstage or behind the scenes - may give you skills, connections and knowledge of where to go to hone your acting/singing/dancing skills. Community theaters also often offer workshops for stage skills like improve, comedy, etc. and may even offer classes for developing monologues and auditioning skills. Do you have talent/modeling agencies in your area? They also offer workshops in acting and film skills. Can you take dance classes? It sounds like money is an issue for you. If you can’t afford to pay for lessons and classes, your best bet may be “paying your dues” by doing stage-work for free in exchange for experience. Have you had any dance, vocal or acting training in the past? Others on this forum may be able to help if you share a little bit more about what kind of theater background you have, other than “passion” for MT.
@cocoqs, you said in your OP on another forum (one of your links) that you have neither the experience nor the skills to dance, sing, or act; but it is what you dream of doing. If you read through the threads in this MT forum, you’ll realize that MT is incredibly competitive, both for getting into school, and for getting paying jobs. VERY competitive. More competitive than getting into an Ivy League school.
I guess my first inclination would be to get assessed by unbiased professionals. Maybe you have the raw talent necessary to make it. There is a company called Stagelighter that will assess audition tapes for a very reasonable price. Google them. Second, it seems to me that if you want to make a living acting, dancing and singing, chances are you will need real training. Community theatres do not pay you (if they did, they would be a professional theatres), and hence, you could not make a living doing that. Training either involves piecemealing together training (acting, singing and dancing lessons), or going to a 2 year program (like Cap 21, AMDA, CITS, etc.), or going back to school for a BFA/BA in musical theatre. I’m not sure where you live, but that may be important as to the quality of the training you can get. Third, if you assessed yourself fairly, and you don’t have the skills to act, sing, or dance, you have a very long and tough road ahead of you. Maybe you should think about becoming involved in theatre in a different way, either behind the scenes, or in an administrative capacity. Your art skills may enable you to help out with sets or props, for example.
You say, “Other than role-playing when I was a kid, taking one dance class, writing a short script for English class in elementary, and amateur singing in my room, I don’t have any experience.” The bottom line is that unless you are one of those rare people who has raw talent with virtually no training, it’s going to be a long time before you can gain the skills necessary to compete in this uber-competitive world. But if it truly is the only thing you can see yourself doing, then get an unbiased professional opinion as to what you need to forge ahead (and when I say “professional opinion,” I don’t mean friends, relatives, the community theatre director down the road, or the local singing teacher - I mean professionals in the business, preferably in NY). I don’t mean to be a naysayer, but I want to impress upon you how very difficult this field is, so you don’t think it will be easy to do this. Best of luck to you.
Without money?
Remain frugal and unattached. Don’t take on debts, family, pet’s etc… Find a survival job in a low cost town or city with a vibrant community theater scene. When not working your survival job, contribute all your free time to a local community theater (or 2 or 3) - sell tickets, usher, work concessions, build sets, staple flyers to telephone pole, etc… Remain useful and committed (and very alert) for a long time, and learning opportunities will likely start to come your way.
Realistically, it could take several years, lots of work (and money for lessons) to be able to just land an ensemble part in a small, local community theater. You’ll need a long term view. It’s a life long process.
Best of luck!
While some people make it big without any experience, I do feel talent is a requirement of being successful. It is an incredibly competitive and tough business. When my kids were younger I spent time on the Backstage forums and there was a woman who spent a lot of her time generously advising people on how to break into the business. She didn’t start even start until she was 42 and had an amazing career as an actress until she died at 72 (She won 2 Emmys!). Now she did not do MT but she taught me that with hard work (and talent- as she was incredibly talented) anything is possible, and it is never too late to reinvent yourself. You may not know her name but if you google Kathryn Joosten you will definitely recognize her face.
Kathryn was a dear! (My BF’s aunt). She was one of the hardest working actresses around and so accommodating to those who wanted to make it in the business. Experience is not necessary…talent, drive and passion are very important. Also knowing and embracing your type. Kathryn was an expert at that. <3
@mom4bwayboy Most likely. I am cautious about revealing my location so, if I may, I will send it as a direct message. I took one dance class for school, but that’s it. All I know is that I enjoyed amateur singing/dancing/acting whenever I had the chance in my childhood, and I cry whenever I watch talent shows for singing. When I see something related to dancing and acting, I get sad.
@monkey13 I will send a direct message.
Wasn’t Kathryn Joosten the one they killed off on West Wing? I was devastated. :((
I remember her in Desperate Housewives… she won a bunch of Emmy’s.
Yes that is her and she was so talented and sweet.
Here is a quote from Uta Hagen’s Respect for Acting: “Talent is an amalgam of high sensitivity; easy vulnerability; high sensory equipment (seeing, hearing, touching, smelling, tasting–intensely); a vivid imagination as well as a grip on reality; the desire to communicate one’s own experience and sensations, to make one’s self heard and seen.”
She goes on to talk about all the other characteristics and learned skills actors must possess. We have been studying Hagen technique in my acting studio! Reading books on acting can help you determine whether it’s something you want to devote your life to, especially books where you learn along with the characters (like Boleslavsky’s Acting: The First Six Lessons or Stanislavsky’s An Actor Prepares).
I’m not a huge fan of the word talent, because I highly disagree with the notion that you’ve either got it or you ain’t. I really believe talent, as Uta Hagen defines it, can be learned. Singing and dancing (technical musical theatre skills) can certainly be learned. I think that instead of asking yourself “am I talented enough to make it in this business?” you should ask yourself “am I willing to devote my life to the pursuit of talent?” No one is ever good enough. You’re always learning. And at the end of the day, success or “making it” is not Broadway, or money or fame. Success is whatever you personally define it as. I like to define it as happiness.
I’m not sure this is at all what you were asking, but in regards to your practical problems, the two year training would be a great option. Since you don’t have any experience, though, I’d recommend trying out a summer intensive first, to make sure you want to do this. I did the Circle in the Square summer program, and it cleared a lot up for me. It’s relatively inexpensive if you can find free housing. You could also move home, save up for a year or two, and get involved in community theatre there. Then if you decide to audition for 2 year programs, hire a coach or find a mentor. Don’t do this without a support system. It’s really hard, but I truly believe that if you commit yourself 100% you will be able to stick with it. Sticking with it is kind of all we can ask for 
^^^This!!!