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Davin
Student
Mesa, Arizona
1
Question
Updated
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How do aspiring actors and artists make the transition from college life into the business world without falling on their face #Spring25
I desire to become a Musical Theatre actor or director out of college, but I am not sure where to look for auditions or job applications. #Spring25
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Michelle M.
Actress
2527
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Updated
Michelle’s Answer
Hello, Davin !
No one can tell you how to succeed or fail as an actor - it's just something you learn through a college path and while you're in your career. Musical theatre is not a valuable degree and if you're serious about learning acting and directing, you'd consider majoring in Theatre. That is where you'll receive a lot of performance courses. Theatre and acting are the careers and musical theatre is just one genre out of many and is not a strong degree.
If you are currently studying, you may have learned how to start your career by your first semester. If you haven't started college yet, consider majoring in Theatre, not musical theatre, and make strong connections with your Theatre Department, classmates and professors. This is a highly networking dependent career and I can assure you that you will learn exactly how to start or do your career through your college experience.
I can perhaps advise you that actors do not start their career by saying to themselves that they will only audition for musicals. That is a sure way to have huge gaps in getting work. Out of maybe 100 audition notices that I see, maybe two will be musicals, so this is something strong to consider. Also to consider not majoring in musical theatre, rather Theatre and train as an actor through that path. The best way that an actor learns musical theatre is by being in one. I found this to be my experience that's tried and true.
You should first audition for on campus and off campus productions which you will know about by networking in your Theatre Department. Keep in mind that in a season, a theatre may do one musical and the rest straight plays. These auditions are not necessarily always going to be in Mesa, AZ and just to audition will require travel and expense. You can consider moving to New York City, the musical theatre hub (which has decreased over the years in amount and aesthetics), but you'd also have to join the Actors Equity Association union, pay an entrance fee and pay dues even if you're not working. Your best bet is to become an actor, audition for film, television, commercials, voice overs, Stand Ins, Extra/Background work, print modeling, User Generated Content and straight theatrical plays and musicals.
No one can assure you how your career will go. It is up to you to do strong networking, get a solid education as an actor, be in musicals to learn them and get direction from the director, and try to be in your theatre department as much as you can. A good theatre department has a connection with the local community theatre and sometimes film people seek actors from local theatre departments at colleges. Take it one step at a time and don't skip steps. It's a process just like every other career. It's okay to still have a lot to learn, assuming you haven't started college yet. College should teach you everything you'll need to know, but you must do strong networking and hang around the theatre department to hear about opportunities. You start your career when you are 100% sure how to do so.
I wish you the best moving forward. Don't get ahead of yourself. You do not use job applications to get work as an actor or a director. Let your professors teach you all about the business and also read some websites geared towards actors.
No one can tell you how to succeed or fail as an actor - it's just something you learn through a college path and while you're in your career. Musical theatre is not a valuable degree and if you're serious about learning acting and directing, you'd consider majoring in Theatre. That is where you'll receive a lot of performance courses. Theatre and acting are the careers and musical theatre is just one genre out of many and is not a strong degree.
If you are currently studying, you may have learned how to start your career by your first semester. If you haven't started college yet, consider majoring in Theatre, not musical theatre, and make strong connections with your Theatre Department, classmates and professors. This is a highly networking dependent career and I can assure you that you will learn exactly how to start or do your career through your college experience.
I can perhaps advise you that actors do not start their career by saying to themselves that they will only audition for musicals. That is a sure way to have huge gaps in getting work. Out of maybe 100 audition notices that I see, maybe two will be musicals, so this is something strong to consider. Also to consider not majoring in musical theatre, rather Theatre and train as an actor through that path. The best way that an actor learns musical theatre is by being in one. I found this to be my experience that's tried and true.
You should first audition for on campus and off campus productions which you will know about by networking in your Theatre Department. Keep in mind that in a season, a theatre may do one musical and the rest straight plays. These auditions are not necessarily always going to be in Mesa, AZ and just to audition will require travel and expense. You can consider moving to New York City, the musical theatre hub (which has decreased over the years in amount and aesthetics), but you'd also have to join the Actors Equity Association union, pay an entrance fee and pay dues even if you're not working. Your best bet is to become an actor, audition for film, television, commercials, voice overs, Stand Ins, Extra/Background work, print modeling, User Generated Content and straight theatrical plays and musicals.
No one can assure you how your career will go. It is up to you to do strong networking, get a solid education as an actor, be in musicals to learn them and get direction from the director, and try to be in your theatre department as much as you can. A good theatre department has a connection with the local community theatre and sometimes film people seek actors from local theatre departments at colleges. Take it one step at a time and don't skip steps. It's a process just like every other career. It's okay to still have a lot to learn, assuming you haven't started college yet. College should teach you everything you'll need to know, but you must do strong networking and hang around the theatre department to hear about opportunities. You start your career when you are 100% sure how to do so.
I wish you the best moving forward. Don't get ahead of yourself. You do not use job applications to get work as an actor or a director. Let your professors teach you all about the business and also read some websites geared towards actors.