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Acting Resources

There are many resources that will help improve your acting skills which can be found on-line or at your local library. However, the most accurate and informative acting resources will be found at schools designed for acting education. There are also actors national conferences designed to help actors looking for work.
Here are the five top acting resources and suggestions for the aspiring actor:

· Become a member of an actors union. You will have more rights as an actor if you are a member of an actors union—and more access to acting resources that will assist you in finding work.

· Secure a talent agent. Find a talent agency that represents clients looking for the kind of work you want. For the less experienced actor, some agents will be very good at finding you smaller parts at first, and building your resume until you reach the larger roles you ultimately seek. Some agents have more connections in television, some in film and some in theatre—depending on where you want to start and what your particular talents are. Remember, most actors do not stay with the same talent agent throughout their career—if you feel the need to seek a new talent agent to represent you, start looking. Do not settle for less than you deserve.

· Obtain some measure of acting education. As I mentioned, establishments designed to help and educate actors are some of the best resources out there. It is recommended that every actor, no matter how experienced can benefit from acting school. Experience is a great teacher, but the director you are currently working with (if you are presently in a show) will not have the same resources that an institute of actors education will be able to provide.

· Don’t be afraid to seek coaching for your audition monologues. After all, you will receive a lot of feedback and direction from the director of whatever show you are in if you get the role. It is definitely not “cheating” to seek guidance while preparing to audition. Some of the best acting resources are teachers and tutors at acting schools, but there are also public acting workshops that can help you prepare your piece(s). I would also recommend preparing more than one piece for your audition—both very polished. Just in case the casting members want to see more the first time around.

· Follow some basic rules of thumb to help you stay in character when going into an audition. First, wear comfortable clothing—you want your character to be comfortable on stage. Do not dress the part—i.e. no costumes for your audition. Second, make sure you have the space you need before you start the audition—if there is a chair in the way, move it—do not try to move around it. And break a leg!