<p>Hi, I'm a freshman in high school and it's my dream to be an actress. I really want to go to a school like Tisch or Carnegie Mellon but I know you need A LOT of experience to really be considered. That's my problem, I don't have experience. I like to act from reading scripts online and from books that I read but I know that's not good enough. Also, I plan to try out for school plays and take the theater arts classes provided at my school to get some experience but I'm scared that won't be enough. On top of that I'm a gymnast, and I have gymnastics practice every day so I may not have time to go to a play practice. I know that's a lot, but I would really appreciate it if someone gave me some tips on handle the situation so I can be prepared when I do audition for these schools.</p>
<p>There are all sorts of summer programs where you can obtain training and get performance experience.</p>
<p>You might want to check out the summer pre-college acting thread in this forum.</p>
<p>Do you have gymnastic practice all year long, or is there a time during the school year when you’d be able to attend play rehearsals?</p>
<p>Thanks! I’ll try that, I do have practice year long but I know our school puts on a winter play before my gymnastics meet season really begins, which means I can afford to miss some gymnastics practices during that time.</p>
<p>Since you are just a freshman, you have plenty of time to get experience.</p>
<p>I would suggest getting as much experience as you can in as many different ways that you can. So there are high school plays and high school classes, yes. And summer programs. But there may be other options too. Local theatre? Nearby acting schools? Get involved in as much as you can.</p>
<p>You could also consider getting an agent and getting some actual paid acting work.</p>
<p>You might at some point have to decide whether your acting or your gymnastics are more important. Is the gymnastics going to help you achieve your life goals, or is it a distraction.</p>
<p>Just trying to give you some food for thought.</p>
<p>KEVP</p>
<p>Thank you so much for the advice! I really appreciate it!</p>
<p>Keep in mind too, that alot of the colleges aren’t just looking for experience, they want to see passion and talent as well!</p>
<p>Gymgirl96:</p>
<p>I’ve got answers for you “straight from the horse’s mouth” so to speak. My daughter was at CMU this summer for 6 weeks. This exact issue about the importance of experience came up several times. First, the two CMU faculty she had for teachers emphasized several times that it made no difference how much experience you had. These aren’t the exact words from my daughter but basically the gist of the message was that they knew what they were looking for and they were confident in their ability to find it regardless of how much polish a student came with. Second, the students got to see a demonstration from some of the current students. My daughter thought that the most impressive actor was a male actor who had done not much more than go out for a show his senior year and have it click for him that this is what he wanted to do. </p>
<p>All that being said, I think you still have a case to make to whoever you are interviewing with that this IS your passion. In addition to your talent level, the school needs to be convinced that you’d sell your soul (figuratively speaking) for the opportunity to work 12-13 hours a day between studios and rehearsals. So I think its at least worth thinking about how it might sound to a school that asked a question about why there aren’t any school shows or community theater programs on your application. If you can arrange your schedule to do some things during the school year, I think it would better than having to say that gymnastics just took up too much time to do anything during the school year.</p>
<p>Certainly, doing things in the summer would help. I’m a huge believer in these summer pre-college programs. My daughter did one she was able to commute to at Stella Adler last summer and did the CMU you one this summer. Many of the kids who came into CMU’s summer program thinking this is what they wanted to came to the conclusion that a BFA was not what they wanted. At the end of the day, eating, breathing and sleeping acting 24/7 was not for them. If parents can swing it, these pre-college summer programs are so important because kids get to actually live the life of a BFA and really understand if that is what they want to do. We’ve seen discussed a bit the high amount of turnover in these BFA programs and I can’t help thinking that a fair bit of that is from kids that did not understand what they were signing up for.</p>
<p>Thank you so much. That makes me feel so much better for the future. I know I’m passionate about acting but from what you told me, the pre-college programs will help me see if I really can handle acting as a profession. And thanks to everyone for the advice! I finally told my mom my dream to act. I was scared at first but she supported me completely! I think I’m finally ready to commit to learning as much as I can about acting!</p>
<p>Technically ActingDad is right that there are at least some folks who become very good actors with very little experience, they just seem to have a natural “knack” for acting.</p>
<p>But I have no way of knowing whether or not GymGirl is one of those.</p>
<p>So I really think she should “play it safe” and get the experience we are talking about. It’s not going to hurt. If she has the “knack” getting some experience isn’t going to lose the knack. And getting experience will give her a better idea about whether this is something she REALLY wants to do (If you have never been through the whole experience of auditions, rehearsals, getting stage fright opening night, and so on–if all you have seen is the “public” face of acting where talented actors make it look really easy, you might be in for a bit of a surprise)</p>
<p>More experience will give the knowledge of how theatre works. Of the difference between “good acting” and “bad acting”. More experience will give anyone more confidence (you certainly don’t want your college auditions to be your first auditions ever).</p>
<p>Also remember that there is a lot more competition for girls then for boys. Theatre programs can get so desperate for male actors that any male who shows up will be given a part (That really happened one year when I was an undergraduate directing student. There were so many projects one term, that we had to cast EVERY man who showed up). Females always have more competition for fewer roles.</p>
<p>KEVP</p>
<p>I also think it is good to work for different directors. I know it is hard to go outside your school for acting experience, but the more people you work for/with the better you are at showing how well you take direction.</p>
<p>Not saying you have to go all over, but maybe even one or two experiences with community theatre shows a commitment on your part, and you can’t beat the experience.</p>
<p>Gymnastics will serve you well in theatre!</p>
<p>Gymnastics is good background for performing. An awareness of your body as you perform is important. If you think you are serious about acting, I would look into switching to dance though. Actors often sing and dance as well as act. Music theatre majors clearly do all three. My D plans to major in acting, but takes private singing lessons, and has taken dance for years. She will continue to take it until she graduates high school and as electives in college. Even though she will be an acting major she could still get work in musicals if she keeps her skills up.
Gymnastics won’t hinder you from performing by any means, but there are only so many hours in a day! Between school and dance, and trying to do plays or musicals, you will find it hard to fit it all in.
See if there are any community theatres in your area and audition for any shows where you are the appropriate age for the character. As a 9th grader you have plenty of time to get experience. Good Luck!</p>
<p>Fellow student here! I can’t exactly such we’re on the same ground, but with the knowledge of gained at my school (LaGuardia) I’m pretty sure I can be of some help, though of course these parents probably have a wealth of knowledge to which I can’t compare. But let’s get started:
- There is nothing like good old initiative! Have you thought about going to ANY school with a film program and giving your headshot and resume there? Yep, tudent films can’t happen unless there’s actors, And most schools keep on file actors so that their students can flip through to see who they can use
- again, good old initiative! Make something up yourself.! I love, writing, but hate writing down, so I totes underatand if your mindset is totally blah on this field. But you don’t have to make a lord of the rings sized movie- a short film of three minutes is great- you tell a short story and you can put it everywhere, vimeo, YouTube, Nd film festivals. Celtx.com- get started
- backstage.com. I’m sort of N addict but never mind that. Amazing mine of knowledge in the advice section, and basically for free, so have fun
- actorsaccess.com, subscribe for 65 bucks a year, or 2 bucks a submission, all types of casting notices there
- there’s plenty more choices than tisch or cm, with better pricetags and less snobby people. **************.com, search away</p>
<p>It’s basically very stupid for me to share this, but heck, I’m feeling helpful today, have a nice life!</p>
<p>Thanks everyone, school starts in about two weeks so and our high school has a winter play in December. I’m also looking up local community theaters and I know friends who love to make videos that I could help out with. Anyways I think that’s a start, in the mean time I’m looking up books about acting, any recommendations? Thanks again. :)</p>
<p>“How to Stop Acting” by Harold Guskin and “Audition” by Michael Shurtleff are really valuable books.</p>
<p>Even if you are not able to perform in many plays during the school year, try to see as many as you possibly can.</p>
<p>If you can assist with school productions in some capacity other than acting, that would be a good idea also.</p>
<p>Great books! </p>
<p>I agree with all of the above: See plays, read plays, audition for plays, work on plays. Be in them if you can, but that is only part of the experience.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>Unfortunately, I think ozarka23 may be correct.</p>
<p>In terms of theater, you really don’t need a degree in theater to be succesful (or in other entertainment fields like TV or film). Many people are succesful actors without going to college at all.</p>
<p>I think folks should look at all options before deciding to go to college.</p>
<p>But do remember that many different undergraduate degrees can be stepping stones to the list of “doctor, lawyer, engineer, nurse, accountant”. I know a number of lawyers who have undergraduate degrees in theatre. My advice to anyone considering becoming a lawyer would be “Law School isn’t much fun, so make sure that you choose a fun major for your undergraduate. Like theatre.”</p>
<p>KEVP</p>
<p>Hmmm. I’m bored. What should I do today? I think I’ll come on a college discussion forum and tell everyone that college is a waste of time.</p>
<p>I’m guessing that poster will be stopped - his/her only 3 posts have been to tell kids that their education and career goals are hopeless.</p>
<p>More and more people are beginning to realize that a college degree is not as important today, in the 21st century, as it once was.</p>
<p>More and more people are beginning to think that it simply is no longer worth the cost of going to college.</p>
<p>I really do think that young people trying to plan their future should look at all the options, and all these opinions.</p>
<p>I was indoctrinated with the belief that I had to go to college, but wasn’t ever really given a good explanation as to why. I do get concerned when I keep meeting young people who seem to have been raised the same way.</p>
<p>Anyone who thinks they need a college degree to become an actor is simply wrong. Because there are many, many, many successful actors without college degrees. Some sort of training may well be a good idea, but that can take other forms than a college degree.</p>
<p>But getting a college degree may indeed be right for some people, depending on their life goals.</p>
<p>KEVP</p>
<p>Yes, those posts were removed. </p>
<p>KEVP, your perspective is very helpful, and you express yourself with so much respect that we all appreciate your input. I know what you are saying is that college is too expensive and difficult not to enter it without thought and a purpose in mind. There is a lot of experience to be gained in the working world, I agree.</p>
<p>Statistics do seem to continue to prove that employment and financial success are extremely difficult, in general, without a college degree. I think even a half-hearted college experience that gains a BA is probably a good idea, if costs can be contained. But people have to decide for themselves, and going to college right after HS is by no means necessary.</p>
<p>As this discussion relates to theatre and the arts, I will say that there are many points of view about “training” and the need to go to school of any kind. Training for musicians, dancers and visual artists is a long-standing practice, for theatre a bit less so. Writers, for example, have only recently begun to see formalized training as a valuable experience, and to standardize it. The trend is toward training, not away from it, and for good reason. These are complex crafts that do not just spring fully-formed without practice and skills. Also, artists are realizing more and more that they need practical knowledge, including the business side of the career.</p>
<p>On the cynical side, perhaps the trend toward training is as much to serve the need for the trainers to have jobs and for the training programs to support larger institutions. But, having been an artist all of my life, I do believe that education is important, and that in fields like writing, and theatre, young people starting out will benefit from understanding that it is a learned profession, and that you don’t just “go out and do it.” Experience will teach them what they need to know, but assuming they will become the next overnight homegrown discovery will lead most of them to frustration.</p>