A
female
age
26-29,
anonymous
writes:Dear cupid, before I go into my question I wish to explain my situation as best as I can. I go to a creative arts school for creative writing. I have been writing for six to seven years, right. Writing is ONE of the passions of mine that I have been doing the longest, however, over the past few years of being exposed to other forms of art(Singing, Dancing, and Acting) I had an epiphany that led to my obsession with the performing arts specifically. I am so sorry if this is too long but please bear with me? I have a story to tell that will help you answer my question.You see, before I write a story, I spend infinity and beyond on development my characters, but I have NEVER just written about a character I had always tried to 'act' my character out, for it was the only way that I could understand him/her fully. I'd act out everything from the way they talk, the way they walk, their body language, the way they move their face, the tone of their voice, their sense of humor, how they react when they are angry, when they are sad, how they react to other characters. This has become a habit I do it even after I'm done with them. This is where my natural acting skills come from, mimicry as well. I've been doing this since I was little. I took acting classes in the 9th and 10th grade. Improvisation is my favorite form. I am mostly self-taught in singing. I just sang all the time and practice makes an exceptional voice I guess. I started taking lessons for a short time when I was older, for about a year or so and gained experience through singing in front of others and on stage. So I've been singing all my life really. It makes me happy that people think I have a beautiful voice.Lastly, dancing. Well, when I was in the third grade I did this little dance number for hip-hop. As I grew up I always wanted to be on a dance team at my school, but I was never given a legit opportunity to try out. I joined a dance team/Cheerleading summer camp and did that for the whole summer I think, but, besides that, I never got to be on the dance team officially. This was all in 7th to 8th grade. Now, in ninth grade, I took an actual dancing class (not for cheerleading or dance team, a real dance class for a credit) and I met this wonderful teacher who loves me to death.At first, I was scared to dance again because everyone would make fun of me or ask me "what ...are you doing?" and it made me feel self-conscious, but after a while I stopped caring and grew to love dance and this teacher has done so much for me. She is the one that got me into my creative arts school because she knew I belonged in a place with people who would accept me for who I am and she said that I had tons of talent.There was this girl in our class who I was jealous of, because she was so pretty. She was one of those cheerleading, dance team girls that every guy wanted, and she could DANCE, and my teacher favored me over her. So, I think in 10th grade I had danced on stage (Salsa and Hip hop) and I loved it so much, I almost cried. I loved being in the front, I loved the lights, the music, the people watching me. I lost myself and became another person, and everyone loved me that day and I loved them.So after this, I had joined my teacher's dance corporation. She and her daughter and her friends, teach a four week intensive dance summer program that lasts from 9:00 to 3:30 pm. We are taught Ballet, Modern, Tap, Jazz, Lyrical, African, Afro-Cuban and Salsa then after this we perform dance numbers for all nine genres. I have been doing this for two years and I cannot get enough of it, you learn how to do so much in such a short period of time, and we all work so hard, it's amazing. And when we get on stage it's ....the ultimate. Even during strenuous numbers, like you don't know you're tired until you stop.Now, I am 16 years old and I have developed a tremendous love for the stage and for performing in front of people, even when I get nervous, once I get into character I become full of this foreign energy and I just flow with it and I love how people absorb that. . I try to perform in front of people whenever I can, if asked me to sing I never say no, or if my teachers say they got a gig for me I never refuse even if I'm scared. I ask my friends to watch me perform things to. And after I am done I always ask what I can improve on. I know I've been writing for the longest but my epiphany was that it was through writing that I was trying to be an actor. Our creative writing class got to collaborate with Drama this year, we are working on a play together and I yearned to be one of the performers, I did every exercise I could.I'd love to perform on stage with themI asked the Theatre teacher what advice she'd give me for the audition in Theatre and she said "Just be yourself, you have natural stage presence.Oh, and don't try too hard," I was very happy when she told me this. Musical Theatre is my choice though because I want to sing, act, and dance. I sang for the Musical Theatre teacher to see where I am now, but I found out recently that the reason why my resonance and projection was off because I sang in the wrong key. So the man really hasn't heard my real voice yet.I really tried to push my way into Musical Theatre too, quite aggressively. I'd sneak into their space sometimes and watch them practice their dancing and their singing and be so bewitched. I intermingled with the musical theatre students, and they would tell me about how hard they work like "Oh, I just ate now Im gonna throw all my lasagna back up after these dance classes" and I'd just be like..... "I wish I could throw up with you" Hahaha, like work super hard then throw up because we ate too much and pushed ourselves to the limit.I went further, after extra classes opened I asked the teachers if I could join their class and the dance teachers are ok with it but the acting and singing teachers are not because I am too much of a distraction which is completely understandable(The students they are teaching are young). However, I cannot participate, I am only allowed to observe because it is not fair to the other applicants who are auditioning and don't have the luxury of a hands on Musical Theatre class, which is completely fine with me as well so long as I can just....absorb everything that is going on. I don't mind playing copy cat.Now here comes the part that scares me the most. There is this girl, who is in the same position as the girl that I was jealous of. The only difference is this girl is one of the sweetest, most amicable girls I have ever met. She has that apple pie attitude you know? You just wanna squeeze her ! Now, Musical Theatre does not accept seniors(which I am going to be next year) unless they have exceptional skill and experience. Meaning that, seniors have to be able to bypass Level I completely and qualify for Level II Musical Theatre work. This girl has done that. Singing and Acting are her strengths but she's a good dancer too. And her lovely personality and her beauty is staggering.She encouraged me to audition for Musical Theatre if that is what I loved and I do but I am scared because the music teachers says after telling me that the best thing I can do for myself is vocal and dance lessons, he told me "We really don't accept seniors unless they are READY. These are students that have had 10 years of training," etc. And that my chances of getting in are slim but to feel free to audition. I understood perfectly why I was told this, they did not wish to give me any kind of false hope. I appreciate that but now I feel so intimidated and envious and humbled by all of these wonderful students who have had all that training since they were young and all that experience.And I...haven't, so I feel like that song "Some Nights" by FUN like..So this is it...? I sold my soul for this? Washed my hands of that for this? I miss my mom and dad for this? Like I'm about to lose my mind over something I may not even get a chance to breathe in but despite my discouragement...I know that when I get in front of somebody and do my thing I change and I'm like NO! When I see stars when I see....when i see stars, that's all they are.... when I hear songs.....they sound like a swan. I am extremely nervous about my resume. I'm afraid that they will determine my place based on that because I mean I know I just listed my experiences as a performer, and I've been on stage and performed in front of people a fair number of times. But I'm afraid that the teachers will look at my resume and be like "Whoa, she isn't gonna...," and be done with it.I know its not the end of the world if I don't get in and that I can always take classes but I feel like if I wanna be a performer in the long run it is best to start now. Everyone except for the Musical Theatre teachers are supporting and encouraging me, my parents are ready to support me, I've even gone as far as to believe that God wants me to do this too. Some are like "Oh no, dont throw your writing away, stay in writing and take some classes when you get out of school"That is logical, but...I just...I can't sit on my ass anymore you know?I want more art, I live for the strain, for the toil that begets the raw empathy of art. That accursed rush of adrenaline that nearly brings tears to my eyes after a performance.Like I want so much more for my life than just sitting down and writing, or going to school to study science or medicine or law. NO, I want adventure in the great, wide somewhere. I want it more than I can tell(obviously because this letter is so long...)I want this like Belle from Beauty and the Beast wanted adventure or like Pochahontas wanted to follow her own pathAnd dont get me wrong I love writing, I'm working on a story now, but I cannot do JUST that and be satisfied with my life anymore. I feel like I should at least try even if I am afraid, ...I might just get in you know? And if I don't then I will take the alternate plan.So, FINALLY, my question is, any advice that you can offer me about Musical theatre auditions. Like how the auditors judge applicants for instance, or anything I can do to better my chances of getting accepted. Reality checks are welcome openly and lovingly. Anything that can assist me at all would help greatly.And as for the extra lessons. I will be starting private dance lessons with my dance teacher next saturday, every saturday and hopefully in January I will be able to take regular classes. For singing and acting...I am afraid I do not have contact with my vocal teacher and I am trying to acquire the number of my acting teacher through my dance teacher but she is not available at this time. Right now I am making up for it by singing constantly and studying music theory terms. Acting by copying the exercises that are taught by the dance teacher for Musical Theatre to increase creativity.Thank you so much. I am so sorry this letter is so long. Thank you for finishing it!
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Fancy yourself as an agony aunt? Add your answer to this question! A
female
reader, Candid Cally +, writes (4 November 2012):
You need to record yourself dancing, acting, and singing then review the recording. While reviewing the recording, you need to focus on what you could change about your routine to make it better.
If you cannot sing in the correct key, musical theater is probably not going to accept you. Because you have been told that you have problems staying on key while singing, you need to especially focus on reviewing recordings of you singing with background music. (you could try karoke perhaps.)
A
female
reader, TasteofIndia +, writes (4 November 2012):
 Hello there, my little thespian.
I'm 26, and I've been doing theater for over 2 decades. I know that sounds ridiculous, but my first production was at the tender age of 4. And Ive been obsessed ever since. I went to a performing arts MS-HS, and later went to college to major in Theater, and have done theater all over the US.
Theater is rough. ESPECIALLY musical theater - it is particularly brutal. Why? Because there are very few parts, a huge pool of talent and you mostly get paid in glory points, a bigger resume and maybe enough money to scrape by.
Your resume is important, but not as important as what you deliver on the stage. For some productions, I've hired people with zero experience into large roles, because they demonstrated huge potential, focus and great energy. So again, your resume is not the end all be all. People will hire you because you're talented and because you show promise. So don't focus too much on that.
Musical theater has the biggest demand of all - you know that you need to be a triple threat. An exceptional dancer, singer and actor. And so, you need to work your ass off to become all three.
My ultimate advice is this: in theater, it is (for lack of a kinder word) just stupid not to have a backup plan. I double majored in college, in Theater and Psychology. And really, my major in Psychology really deepened my understanding of theater. Perhaps you could double major in English. That could also help you quite a bit with your theatrical passions, and give you a solid back up plan.
Also, eventually you need to be real with yourself. Now is the time when you're still young, to work hard and learn everything, and audition for anything and everything you can. But once you're becoming independent, you need to really look at your talents. If you're a weak singer, then maybe you should focus more on plays and not musicals. If you're a weak actor, then maybe you should work more on your dancing/vocals and accept the background parts. Work tons with technical theater too, because if you love the stage - working anywhere near it will be satisfying as well, and having more skills makes you more marketable.
Study all forms of theater. Classical theater and Improv are probably the most important to study (if you ask me). Classical allows you to understand focus, diction and how to really research your character. It demands that you take every line and really understand what you're saying - and that takes a lot of research and reading footnotes. Improv is the best way for you to learn how to think quickly, listen properly, be in the moment and improve your timing. It is the best way of learning how to act as part of a ensemble, and understanding how to allow others their moment. That you needn't always be the funny one or the star - you learn how to support others and make yourself look better by making others around you look their best.
Take chances and welcome every opportunity. Nervousness is a wonderful adrenaline and can actually improve your stage presence. But, if your nerves are getting in the way of you trying things and going to audition - then you need to check yourself before you wreck yourself. FORTUNE FAVORS THE BOLD. Just do it. Just try. You never know. Rejection is just part of the process. Don't let it discourage you. Learn from it, grow from it and try again.
At 26, I'm now the Artistic Director of a very successful community theater, and I have been for 2 years. I pick all of our seasons, I organize all our events, I audition all of our incoming actors, I teach classes, I direct most of the shows, I've acted in a few. Because of this, I've gotten scholarship opportunities from graduate schools and a notable make up institution in NYC. It's a little bit crazy, but it's because I had this "fortune favors the bold" attitude and worked wherever and however I could on the stage. I've networked, and have kept myself in check. Being warm, energetic and hard-working and leaving an ego at the door is all part of what can make you successful.
Also, have you considered writing plays as well? No reason why you can't do that too.
End of the day, here is the list:
- take voice lessons
- take as much dance as possible
- take Classical & Improv classes
- work hard. Study hard. Push yourself. Too many actors rely on their gift of BS. If you want it, work for it.
- make a solid back up plan. Double major.
- audition for as much as you can.
- if you're not landing auditions on the stage, work behind the stage. It will allow you to network and learn other skills. Keep auditioning, but accept backstage work if that's what you're getting. You'll meet important people and learn from those onstage as well.
- Read plays. All the time.
- Read aloud as often as you can. It will improve your cold reads, which is a crucial part of auditioning.
- See as many productions as you can. Big ones, small ones, free plays in the park, Improv shows... whatever you can!
- Figure out your own way of memorizing as quickly as possible. Everyone does it differently. Figure out your method.
- Be punctual.
- If you feel yourself burning out, take a break. Burning out is one of the work things a thespian can do to themselves.
What you feel passionately about should be the one thing you work hardest at and relentlessly for. Have a backup plan, but if passion gives you the drive - drive towards it.
Best of luck, break a leg, and feel free to ask any questions. As you can see, I had/have a passion for English too. Every time I write, I write a freakin' novel. :)
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