Nuggets of Acting Wisdom from WTF Apprentice Program
Audition Advice:
85% of what's happening in the audition room has nothing to do with you
If auditioning for college/grad school, they want to get to know you as a person
An audition is a job interview. It is your JOB as an actor. For those actors that say they don't like auditioning, I'd strongly recommend thinking through if this is the right career path for you, because the life of a working actor involves constant, often weekly auditions for years.
Your previous relationships (if any) with the creative team matter in terms of you booking the role.
Becoming a reader for casting directors. You need to send your resume to casting offices to become a reader. This way you get to be a fly on the wall for the audition process, and make some extra cash!
NO AUDITION IS THE BE ALL END ALL
MAKE THE THING YOU WANT TO BE IN. It puts you in the driver's seat of your career.
Monologues
When you've used a monologue for a long time, you need to find ways to reengage the monologue. Ask directors for overdone monologues
Age appropriate monologues: if the character is significantly older or younger than you and age is a major part of the character, don't do it. Otherwise, it's go for it!
Tennessee Williams, Chekov, etc. are not necessarily "contemporary" monologues. Contemporary monologues typically mean written within the last five years
Monologues you wrote yourself are okay in devised theatre or more open ended projects (such as perhaps the Williamstown Theatre Festival Non Equity Company?)
When Reading Sides
MAKE A BOLD CHOICE! Don't worry about characters. Focus on choices. Try to find at least one line that you know you can NAIL
Remember that the last line is what you leave them with, so MAKE IT COUNT!
OWN THE SPACE AND BE ABLE TO TAKE DIRECTION
Misc
Don't say "I want to be in the business." Say "I am in the business."
Immerse yourself in the world you want to be a a part of. Don't wade into the shallow end of theatre.
Decide that this is how you'll make a living
Do things that make you happy on your day off. They do not necessarily have to be theatre related.
Acting jobs can often vary significantly in payment, from big time Broadway, film and TV roles to entry level minimum wage jobs. Commercials can also be good money. Live like you're poor all the time when you're starting out, but you do need to take care of yourself in terms of money and exercise.
If you're offered a job, and everything in your body is saying, "I don't wanna do this," listen to it. For example, I was once offered the chance to play an Exotic Dancer in a student film, however after consulting with my friends, I realized that this type of role might be polarizing for a person like me that wants to work in family entertainment, so I trusted my instincts and turned it down.
One Final Note:
Just like in any field, the three most important qualities employers look for is : 1) Be punctual 2) Be prepared 3) Be decent to work with
Hope this helps someone out there :) !!