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Business of Acting

  /  Business of Acting (Page 2)

Be honest. If you saw a businessman on a corner, dressed in suit and tie, desperately begging for work, you'd ask yourself: "Why doesn't he do something more effective?" The standard actor dream seems to be: do good work, get discovered, become famous. Believe it or not, the toughest part of the equation is actually the "do good work" part - simply because most actors don't have the faintest clue how to really land the work that will get them discovered. As actors (at least in the traditional sense), we often feel at a loss... we can't do our art until a script exists, a director is attached, and a production is in the casting process... that's a lot of steps before the actor is ever involved (and an oversimplification at best). And once a project is at the casting stage, we're stuck competing with the ba-jillion other actors (and wannabe's) who want the same part we do. So what's an actor to do?

Stop Acting Like an Actor & Act Like an Entrepreneur

An entrepreneur is a person in business for him/herself - that's the simple definition. I would go even further to suggest that a TRUE entrepreneur is a business person who recognizes opportunity, and uses the opportunity for business...

Situation One: a friend of a friend is putting together a benefit for this Amazing New Theater Group. The evening is billed as a night of improv and sketch comedy, and all proceeds go towards mounting a production for Amazing New Theater Group. Amazing New Theater Group is looking for actors to perform for free, to fill out the night's events (but you'll get great exposure). Should you do the show?

Situation Two: you meet someone online who works with a Well-Meaning Non-Profit that's producing an evening of new works. The new works are all plays, and need actors... the plays are written by non-playwrights as part of a community out-reach program. The shows will require rehearsals, go up for one night only, and will involve mostly non-professional actors (and some who are professionals). Should you do the show?

Situation Three: your college friend, Earnest McGee, wrote a play that's been accepted into a Play Festival. The play is very serious in nature, contains very controversial material, and is mostly stage movement and very few lines. There is a role you could play, with a lot of emotional vulnerability, and room for expression. And there's nudity. Should you do the show?

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