How to Get Into Theatre
Take classes., Start looking further., Commit., Know when you're ready to find your genre., Make sure you know as many genres as possible., Explore a shortlist of your favourite genres on a deeper level., Learn the basic skills needed for your...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Take classes.
You can find most acting academies online.
Start with a small local theatre school, such as Helen O Grady's or DanceWorx.
Try it for a term, and if it doesn't appeal to you, then back out.
Make sure you can commit to the time and money it takes to train before you enter the industry. -
Step 2: Start looking further.
If you aren't feeling challenged and stretched to your utmost, enroll in a more exclusive academy that requires you to audition for a place and has exams and plays each term/semester.
The younger you start, the better. , Continue going to these classes, despite how you feel day-to-day.
Make sure you are learning to project and enunciate, and get a feel for different roles.
Ensure that you are being taught about many different genres, such as physical comedy and absurdism.
It is a good idea to spend more than a year learning before you go on to auditioning. , Once you have learned the basic skills required to act, like projection, expression, and body language, as well as learning about the basic elements of drama: tension, mood, place, space, etc, you need to find your genre.
But how? , Some popular ones are melodrama, mime, realism, absurdism, and musical theatre.
A good place to begin with genres before you look any further are the three main categories: film, plays, and cinematic theatre.
From there, it will be easier to find a genre. , Have a look at YouTube tutorials and ask your instructor to help you out outside of group classes. , For example, if you do miming, learn how to suggest a sound without your voice, and learn to over-exaggerate expressions. , This one needs to be truly explored on a deeper level. , You are now ready to look for plays to take part in! Many people think the only way to begin is to get an agent, but this is really difficult, because agents don't look at most applications without a brilliant recommendation, etc, etc, and their slush pile is ten years old.
As well as this, a lot of agencies these days are actually just scams.
So be your own agent! How, you may ask? , Apply for an audition for every play you like the look of—and which you can make the time commitments to. , Learn this, but not just the lines—they are the least important when you are actually performing.
Focus on light and shade, expression, projection, and movement. , Practice in front of friends, your mirror, or in an elevator with strangers! The sooner you become comfortable with the uncomfortable, the better you will do with your audition, and eventually, your performance. , You may have to do a cold read, which means performing a script excerpt ten minutes after receiving it, and they may ask you to perform your monologue differently, teach you a dance routine, or ask "strange" questions.
Just go with it! They want to test and stretch you.
It's important to remember that these people want to cast you; they're on your side! , At this stage, you can't afford to be picky.
Eventually, you may want to perform a cabaret or approach an agency, and sooner or later, you will want to reach past local theatres.
Maybe one day you'll make it big! -
Step 3: Commit.
-
Step 4: Know when you're ready to find your genre.
-
Step 5: Make sure you know as many genres as possible.
-
Step 6: Explore a shortlist of your favourite genres on a deeper level.
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Step 7: Learn the basic skills needed for your genre.
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Step 8: Find your favorite genre.
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Step 9: Don't worry about getting an agent right away.
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Step 10: Find auditions at local community theatres.
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Step 11: Find a monologue (and possibly a song or a dance routine).
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Step 12: Banish the nerves!
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Step 13: Be prepared to do whatever they say.
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Step 14: Take every offer you can.
Detailed Guide
You can find most acting academies online.
Start with a small local theatre school, such as Helen O Grady's or DanceWorx.
Try it for a term, and if it doesn't appeal to you, then back out.
Make sure you can commit to the time and money it takes to train before you enter the industry.
If you aren't feeling challenged and stretched to your utmost, enroll in a more exclusive academy that requires you to audition for a place and has exams and plays each term/semester.
The younger you start, the better. , Continue going to these classes, despite how you feel day-to-day.
Make sure you are learning to project and enunciate, and get a feel for different roles.
Ensure that you are being taught about many different genres, such as physical comedy and absurdism.
It is a good idea to spend more than a year learning before you go on to auditioning. , Once you have learned the basic skills required to act, like projection, expression, and body language, as well as learning about the basic elements of drama: tension, mood, place, space, etc, you need to find your genre.
But how? , Some popular ones are melodrama, mime, realism, absurdism, and musical theatre.
A good place to begin with genres before you look any further are the three main categories: film, plays, and cinematic theatre.
From there, it will be easier to find a genre. , Have a look at YouTube tutorials and ask your instructor to help you out outside of group classes. , For example, if you do miming, learn how to suggest a sound without your voice, and learn to over-exaggerate expressions. , This one needs to be truly explored on a deeper level. , You are now ready to look for plays to take part in! Many people think the only way to begin is to get an agent, but this is really difficult, because agents don't look at most applications without a brilliant recommendation, etc, etc, and their slush pile is ten years old.
As well as this, a lot of agencies these days are actually just scams.
So be your own agent! How, you may ask? , Apply for an audition for every play you like the look of—and which you can make the time commitments to. , Learn this, but not just the lines—they are the least important when you are actually performing.
Focus on light and shade, expression, projection, and movement. , Practice in front of friends, your mirror, or in an elevator with strangers! The sooner you become comfortable with the uncomfortable, the better you will do with your audition, and eventually, your performance. , You may have to do a cold read, which means performing a script excerpt ten minutes after receiving it, and they may ask you to perform your monologue differently, teach you a dance routine, or ask "strange" questions.
Just go with it! They want to test and stretch you.
It's important to remember that these people want to cast you; they're on your side! , At this stage, you can't afford to be picky.
Eventually, you may want to perform a cabaret or approach an agency, and sooner or later, you will want to reach past local theatres.
Maybe one day you'll make it big!
About the Author
Jacob Perry
Creates helpful guides on hobbies to inspire and educate readers.
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