I fortunately know a little magic...

So you’ve graduated from school and want to move to New York City to be an actor...

You’ve out grown your local theatre scene and want to move to New York City to be an actor...

You’ve always dreamed of being on Broadway so you want to move to New York City to be an actor...

You live in New York City and want to be an actor...

Or like my longtime colleague Arthur, you’re an actor who’s just moved back to New York City and things have changed...

No matter what a person's particular circumstances are, taking the next step in his or her career to or in New York City can be overwhelming. There are so many things a person needs to know just to survive let alone thrive and be successful. Becoming acquainted with people who have a bit more knowledge or experience or reading a blog like this helps.

Trust me, I’ve been there. I know the struggle is real.

Straight out of University I was the ripest shade of green on the planet. I knew nothing. I was fortunate enough to book a summer stock season. The theatre was located about two hours outside of New York City. I had been to NYC before but never as an actor looking for work or looking to make a living. I had no idea what the hell to do. Luckily I became friends with people who did.

During the summer one of my cast mates, Leslie, became like my big sister. She was from Jersey and in my eyes was a theatre veteran, so worldly and experienced. She looked after me in all sorts of ways. She even took me to my very first New York audition.

Our contracts were soon to be up so Leslie and I wanted to find our next gig. For the audition we needed to be prepared with a song and dance attire to dance and a monologue. Finding material to use at auditions is whole other blog. Suffice it to say that being straight out of school, I had songs and monologues at the ready.

We took the bus to her parents’ house in New Jersey and stayed overnight. Early in the morning her parents drove us to the bus station to catch another bus to go into the City. We arrived at the crack of dawn and grabbed a bagel then whisked off to the audition. Luckily it was being held at a rehearsal studio across the street from Port Authority, the main bus station in NYC, so we didn’t have far to travel. That studio no longer exists.

At the time I didn’t know about the several versions of auditions that take place in New York City: 

Non-equity

Open call

ECC

EPA

Appointment

Agent appointment

Invited call

Leslie and I were going to what I now know is called a non-equity audition. It’s for people who aren’t part of the actors union, called Actors' Equity. The audition was solely for non-union performers.

The Non-Equity call, for our purposes is the lowest in the hierarchy of auditions. That’s not to say there is anything wrong with Non-Equity calls. It’s just that there are no rules to follow. Each audition is run independently. An actor will never know how it’s going to be run until the audition starts.

And if you want to audition, you have to get there early...really really early. And generally wait, sometimes all day, to be seen. And there is no guarantee that you will be seen. In a nut shell this is the reason most actors want to become Equity: they don’t want to waste their entire day waiting. But more on that later. Back to the Non-equity call...

If a non-equity audition is slated to begin at 10am, an actor’s best bet is to arrive at the audition site at 6am (or earlier). Inevitably he or she will not be the first person in line. Someone will have already been there and posted an “unofficial” sign up list.

Usually the first few people who arrive will label a blank sheet of paper with the name of the audition. They’ll put their name on the list at number one, two, and three and so on. Sometimes they’ll leave and come back closer to the audition time. Sometimes they’ll sign up a litany of friends and wait for them to show up and tag the originator out so he or she can take a break get some breakfast or even go home and go back to sleep.

The savvy actors who have left the audition site will show up just prior to the building opening. Oh yeah, actors are generally standing outside waiting in line because the building doesn’t open up until seven, eight or even nine in the morning. And the weather does not detour actors from lining up; cold, snow, rain, sleet, hail, and blistering sun, we are outside in line.

When the “in the know” actors come back to the audition site, they’ll join their friends where ever they are in the line. The building opens and all proceed to the audition room, hopefully in an orderly fashion. The unknowing actor will show up after the building opens or just joins the end of the line, believing he or she is ahead of the four hundred other people because he or she has signed up as number ten on the unofficial list. But that’s a crap shoot.

The unofficial sign up list is called so because no one of any power or input at the audition has posted it. It does not have to be honored by the people behind the table. If the people behind the table decide to honor the unofficial list all is fine. However should they not honor the list, those who didn’t stay in line will be screwed out of their efforts. In the end they will have gotten up uber early and signed up on a list for nothing. Their day will be wasted waiting to be seen anyway.

A non-equity call is like the Wild West: lawless, unprotected and it’s better to have friends to help you out and watch your back. In my non-equity days we traveled in packs. Leslie was the beginning of my pack and my pack leader.

If a day was particularly busy the pack would divide and conquer. Letting each other know which audition was light and which was overrun with other actors. On one Valentine’s Day my friend Helga and I were able to do seven (7!) non-equity auditions in one day. It was all thanks to our pack.

And after all it’s a numbers game. The more an actor is seen the more likely he or she will get cast. And that’s what we all want isn’t it?

I didn’t get cast at my first New York City audition, but that didn’t stop me. I still moved to NYC and began auditioning on the regular. I then stumbled across an “Open call”, the next rung up in the hierarchy.

At times the two terms “Non-equity” and “Open call” are synonymous. The main difference between a non-equity call and an open call is that some open calls are looking for Equity actors as well. Again the actual auditions are run by the producers which means no strict rules to be followed. There are still the unofficial lists and lining up before the sun rises. Some of these calls will see union members before non-union members. I remember being so pissed off when it first happened to me. I had been sitting with my pack waiting hours to be seen when a group of union members walked in. They were immediately put on line and auditioned.

“Flames, flames from the side of my face”.

Such is the case with Radio City Music Hall auditions, but that's the rule there. RCMH is governed by another union AGVA (American Guild of Variety Artists). So don’t be surprised if and when it happens.

And this is basically what happens for non-equity at an Equity call.

Sooner or later actors tend to tire of the waiting game of trying to be seen at non-union auditions. Thoughts of transitioning to union status start to fill their heads. (I did an earlier blog about union versus non-union. It needs to be updated, but for the sake of this blog let’s say being union is the goal. I’m pro union, but it’s a little more complicated than people realize). There are several ways to become union with one of the easiest being hired to do a union show. To get hired for a union show an actor has to attend a union audition. And technically an actor can’t audition for a union show unless he or she is union. See the problem?

When I finally had my fill of non-equity work, and working conditions, I set my sights on becoming union. Louise, who I had met while on scholarship at Broadway Dance Center, had also had her fill of the non-union life. We set out together to cross over into being a “professional”.

Whenever there was an Equity audition that we thought we were right for we would head over to the Equity lounge. There we would sign up on an unofficial list, and sit in the hallway outside the lounge on hard, backless benches and wait. And wait. And wait. We had to wait to hear whether the audition would be seeing non-equity actors or not. That decision was solely made by the people behind the table. There were times when the monitor got the word right away. Most times we would sit outside all day from 9am until 5pm without knowing, only to finally hear “They’re not seeing any non-equity today.”

Louise and I loving named the waiting area the “bitter benches” for obvious reasons.

We were waiting for one of two types of calls that Equity has. More often than not it was the Equity Chorus Call that peaked our interest. We were inexperienced but we knew enough to realize that our best chance of being hired for an equity show was in the chorus. What we didn’t know was how a chorus call worked:

1.      Official Sign-Up Sheet Procedures: An official sign-up sheet for Equity performers will be posted for each required Chorus Call in the Equity Office. You do not have to sign the Official

2.      List in order to be seen. You may audition by arriving a half hour before the scheduled call to receive a Chorus Audition Card, after the list has been called. Please understand, however, that auditions may be cut off when the starting time is reached:

3.      "Unofficial lists" cannot be honored.

4.      The official sign-up sheets will be posted at 9:30AM one calendar week prior to the call. For example, if the call is scheduled for a Tuesday, the list will be posted on the previous Tuesday. (Should that day be a holiday observed by the Equity office, the list will be posted the following business day.)

5.      The list will be removed at 5PM on the first business day preceding the date of the call. You may sign the official lists only during this 9:30AM to 5PM time period.

6.      You may sign the list only on the consecutive, numbered lines of the official Sign-up Sheet. (Cross-outs and erasures will not be recognized).

7.      You may only sign one name at a time on the list. If you wish to add an additional name, you must return to the end of the line.

8.      If you are not present at the half-hour to receive the Chorus Audition Card, you will lose your place on the list. If you are on a line for any other call, the Chorus Call takes precedence. Therefore, if you are not present at the designated time to receive the Chorus Card, you will have to wait for the entire Chorus list to be read.

9.      Non-Required Calls: These Chorus Call procedures are established only for those auditions that are required by Equity contracts. Where Chorus auditions are not required by Equity contract (such as, emergency replacements, additional calls, callbacks, and so forth), these procedures may be adopted by the Producer, after consultation with Equity.

10.  A monitor will be present only at Chorus Calls required by Equity contracts.

11.  The monitor will report violations of Equity's “Safe and Sanitary” rules.

12.  You must have your paid-up membership card with you at the time and place of the call (or written verification from the Equity Membership Department of your paid-up membership status). Due to the very high volume of activity, membership status cannot be verified by telephone; therefore please always carry your card.

13.  You must, whether or not signed to the "pre-signup sheet”, be at the audition site at least one half hour prior to the official start of the call. Actors' Equity Association – Chorus Audition Procedures (New York and Los Angeles)

14.  Monitors will distribute the Chorus Audition cards as follows:

15.  At the half-hour prior to the official start time of the call, the monitor will read out the list in the precise order that the list was signed. (Names that are illegible, crossed out, erased, written over, or otherwise illegible will not be read.)

16.  Audition cards will be distributed in this same order.

17.  If you are not present when your name is called, you lose your place on the list. You will, however, if you are present before the list is completed, receive a card at the conclusion of the reading of the list.

18.  You may not “hold” another Equity performer’s card.

19.  You are required to show your paid-up membership card before you receive the Chorus card.

20.  The monitor will post the names and titles of all employer casting personnel conducting the Call so that you know for whom you are auditioning. The monitor will ensure that at least one of the casting personnel is a member of the artistic team.

21.  The monitor will also advise you as to what the requirements may be for the audition. For example, “up-tempo,” “ballad,” “16 bars,” and so forth).

22.  "Typing" is the method used by casting personnel to audition only those whom the casting personnel determine to be physically right for the production. The following rules shall govern:

23.  Typing is at the complete discretion of the casting personnel.

24.  Typing may only occur at the start of the call and typing must be completed before the audition begins.

25.  Typing is determined solely by the casting personnel for each individual call. For example, there may be typing at the women’s singer/dancer call in the morning but there may be no typing at the men’s singer/dancer call in the afternoon.

26.  The length of the audition is at the discretion of the casting personnel. This will be announced as performers prepare to enter the audition room. The length of the audition time may be changed throughout the call. For example, the call may begin requiring 24 bars of a song, and afterwards, the requirements may be changed to 16 bars, and so forth.

27.  For dance auditions, you may be called in groups to learn combinations. You may also be auditioned in groups. The size of the dance group is generally determined by the size of the audition room.

28.  If you receive an audition card and have not left the audition room, you must be seen (or typed, if typing is used). If you leave the audition site and are not present when called to audition, you will lose the right to the audition. You may, if you choose, wait until the end of the call, but there can be no guarantee of your being seen.

29.  Should one part of the call run late and, in the opinion of the monitor, will probably run into the next call, the first call must be stopped and the second call begin as scheduled. If you did not audition during the first

That's how it was for us when we first started. Beginning with auditions on August 1st, there are new rules governing the Equity Chorus calls. New York City has finally joined the digital age. Now the rules are the same for L.A. Chicago and New York:

An Equity monitor will be present only at chorus auditions that are being run according to these ECC procedures in New York City, Chicago, and Los Angeles. When chorus auditions are not required by Equity, the producer may choose to utilize these procedures after consultation with Equity.

1.      Members may sign up for ECCs using the online sign-up feature on Casting Call, accessible through the Member Portal. Online sign-up for each chorus call will begin at 9:30 am one week prior to the date of the audition (or the next business day, if the audition is scheduled on a weekend), and will end at 2:00 pm on the business day prior to the audition. Members who are not able or do not wish to sign up in advance may audition by arriving at the audition venue 30 minutes prior to the scheduled start time of the call to receive an audition card after the ECC sign-up list has been read. Please note that once the first member has entered the audition room for each call, the casting personnel may close that call, at which point no further chorus cards will be distributed for that call.

2. Chorus Audition Cards will be distributed as follows:

a)      The Equity monitor will read the names on the ECC sign-up list starting 30 minutes prior to the start of each call. The names will be read in order and numbered audition cards will be distributed to all members present whose names are on the ECC sign-up list. After the list has been read, the monitor will distribute audition cards to any members present whose names were not on the ECC sign-up list. Members will audition in number order.

b)      Members who are not present when their name is read will lose their place on the ECC sign-up list and may receive their audition card after the entire ECC sign-up list has been read.

c)      In order to receive an audition card, members must have a paid-up membership card (or written verification from the Equity Membership Department of paid-up membership status). Membership status cannot be verified by telephone.

d)      A member may not “hold” another Equity member’s card in order to receive an audition card on their behalf.

3.      The monitor will post the names and titles of employer casting personnel who will be in the room conducting the call. The monitor will ensure that casting personnel meet the requirements of the associated agreement. Actors' Equity Association – Chorus Audition Procedures (New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles)

4.      “Typing" may be used by casting personnel to audition only those members the casting personnel determine to be physically right for the production. The following rules shall govern typing:

a)      Typing is entirely at the discretion of the casting personnel for each individual call. If typing is used at one call (e.g., the female singers’ call), it may or may not be used at any of the other calls for that production or season.

b)      Typing may only occur at the start of each call and typing must be completed before the first member enters the room to audition.

c)      Typing must be done in person and in the audition room. Typing of members may not be conducted using only headshots and/or resumes.

d)      Once typing is announced, no non-Equity or opposite gender actors may be seen at that call. Once typing of members has been completed, the call is considered closed.

5.      The length of the audition is at the discretion of the casting personnel. The monitor will advise members what the casting personnel have requested for the audition (e.g., “up-tempo,” “ballad,” “16 bars,” etc.). The length of the audition may be changed throughout the call. For example, the call may begin requiring 32 bars of a song, but may be changed later to 16 bars.

6.      For dance auditions, members may be called in groups to learn combinations and may also be auditioned in groups. The size of each dance group is determined by the size of the audition room and whether the combination(s) will be broad or tight (i.e., whether each dancer will cover a lot of room or will dance in a small space).

7.      If a member receives an audition card, they are guaranteed to be seen (or typed, if typing is used). If a member leaves the audition holding room and is not present when their number is called to audition, they will lose the right to the audition at that time. A member who has missed their number being called to audition will be permitted to be lined up at the end of the of the Equity portion of that call.

8.      If one call (e.g., male singers) runs late and, in the opinion of the monitor, will likely run into the next call (e.g., female singers), the first call must be stopped and the second call started as scheduled. In such a case, casting personnel must offer appointments to any members with audition cards for the first call who were not seen.

     Revised, July 22, 2016

At this point my pack had dwindle. Leslie had left the business having never gained her equity card and Helga found a man, got married and moved away as did many others. So Louise and I become audition buddies and went from audition to audition to audition to audition hoping to get seen in hopes of getting an equity card.

Louise wanted her card badly. She flat out refused to do any non-equity auditions. It was her card or bust. Me on the other hand, I was still going to non-equity calls. I mean I had to work, and non-equity stuff seemed to be where I was having the most luck and had the most connections.

A friend of mine, Manuel, suggested that I audition for a theme park. He was working as the assistant to the choreographer so I decide to give it a go. I got hired as a dancer. This came at the same time a bunch of other non-equity work happened for me. In fact I worked for two years non-stop.

Before the theme park would start, I was doing “Hello Dolly” at a dinner theatre in Pennsylvania. The next show was Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. I was one of the best male dancers they had. The company manager asked me if I would like to stay and finish out their season which also included The King and I. The money at the theme park was better but working for the dinner theatre lasted longer. Seven Brides for Seven Brothers is one of my favorite musicals. I agreed to stay as long as I could play one of the brothers. I was informed that wasn’t possible and I would be cast as a suitor and I could be Lun Tha if I wanted the role. I was so upset. I couldn’t understand why I couldn’t be a brother (now I know why). I declined the contracts and went off in a huff to do the theme park.

Best worst decision ever.

When I finally returned to New York City I went back to the bitter benches to try and get my Equity card. I thought surely I would be afforded better opportunities to play the roles and do the shows I wanted to do as an Equity member [insert laughter here]. I kept trying and trying to be seen, but to no avail.

At a non-equity call I ran into a former cast mate from the theme park. We caught up with each other and then inevitably we started talking about theatre and auditions. I asked him if he had any luck with getting seen at equity calls.

“Yeah sure I get seen all the time.”

“What? How? I never see you on the bitter benches outside of the Equity lounge.”

“Why would I sit there when I can sit in the lounge?”

Unbeknownst to me Equity had a program that allowed non-union actors to start to “transition” into becoming union actors. It’s called the EMC program and it stands for Equity Membership Candidate. It’s where an actor retains his ability to audition and work non-union jobs but grants him or her the ability to audition for union work as well.

There are three steps to becoming an Equity Membership Candidate

1.      Obtain an eligible position at an Equity theatre that utilizes the EMC program

2.      Complete the EMC registration form provided by the producer

3.      Return the completed form, with the non-refundable $100 registration fee payable to Actors’ Equity Association, to the producer for filing with the union.

Because of the rate of pay of the theme park and the number of weeks we worked, I was eligible for the program. A list of participating theatres is listed on the Actor’s Equity website. I now had a spiffy new blue and white card. But most importantly the rules changed:

New York City EPAs Only

1.      AEA Members First: Non-Members, including EMCs, are seen only when no Equity Member is auditioning or waiting to audition.

2.      Get There Early: You must sign up with the Equity Monitor on the EMC list before the midpoint of the scheduled EPA. When you sign up on time, your EMC privilege continues throughout the scheduled EPA. After the midpoint of the scheduled EPA, you may sign up on the regular non-Members list.

a.      If the EPA has a scheduled break of ½-hour or longer, the midpoint of the EPA is the beginning of that break.

b.      If the EPA has no scheduled break, the midpoint is halfway through the scheduled EPA. (E.g. EPA from 10 AM - 2 PM: midpoint is 12 Noon.)

3.      Bring Your EMC Card: To be signed up on the EMC list, you must present your own EMC card, signed in ink, to the Equity Monitor. (Good practice! This rule also applies to Equity Members signing up for EPAs with their Equity cards.) To make sign-up easier, please print your name on the card, too. The Monitors and Equity staff can't "look you up," so don't forget your card.

4.      Be There When We Call! If you don't respond when the Monitor calls you to audition, your name must be crossed off the EMC list. (Same procedure used for the Equity Member Alternate list and for the regular non-Member list.)

a.       If your name is crossed off, and you give your card to the Monitor again before the EPA reaches its scheduled midpoint, the Monitor will sign you up again at the bottom of the EMC list.

b.      If your name is crossed off, and you want to sign up again after the EPA has passed its scheduled midpoint, please sign up at the bottom of the non-EMC non-Member list.

Now I could go to an EPA, which stand for an Equity Principal Audition. There are a different set of rules for union members:

1.      An official Monitor will only be present at auditions that are being run according to these procedures.

2.      Monitors will report violations of Equity's “Safe and Sanitary” rules.

3.      Monitors and Equity staff are not permitted to have any discussion regarding anyone who is auditioning, nor may they discuss any casting issues, with the employer’s casting personnel.

4.      You must have your paid-up membership card with you at the audition or written verification from the Membership Department of your paid membership status. Due to a high volume of activity, membership cannot be verified by telephone.

5.      Monitors will sign performers only on the official EPA sign-up sheets.

6.      The Monitor will arrive one hour prior to the scheduled start of the call. The only official list of performers will be the one established by the Monitor. Only those actually present, with paid-up membership cards, will be placed on the list. You will be required to show your membership card again prior to admission into the audition room.

7.      Should performers who are present before the start of the call choose to establish and honor an unofficial list/order among themselves, the Equity Monitor will sign up those performers in the order in which they present themselves. This order must be established before the official start of the call. However, Equity and the Equity Monitor can take no responsibility for organizing and/or coordinating any such unofficial list/order.

8.      Day of Audition. Appointments will be scheduled only on the day of the audition in the following manner:

a.      Six performers will be scheduled in 20-minute blocks of time. The length of each performer's audition will be at the discretion of the casting director, with a minimum of one minute given to each performer. Any time left over within the 20-minute block will be assigned to “alternates” (see below).

b.      You will choose a 20-minute time slot for the audition, and be issued a white principal audition card with the time slot indicated on it. Time slots are available on a first-come, first-served basis.

c.       There are also two open-ended alternate lists:

                                                                                                  i.      List A: For those who are not signed up for an upcoming time slot, i.e. those whose only chance to audition at all is as an alternate. Members on this list will be called before members on List B.

                                                                                                ii.      List B: For those who are already signed up for an upcoming time slot, i.e. those who are already certain of being seen, but may wish to audition sooner. Alternates will be “filtered” into the auditions as time permits. “Open-ended” means that you may sign the alternate sheet at any time. You could, for example, choose to be an alternate instead of choosing a specific time slot (in which case you would be on Alternate List A). Should you choose, however, to sign up for a time slot and be on Alternate List B, you must sign one list and go to the rear of the line to sign the other. (Whether you sign the time slot list first and then the alternate list or vice versa, you will be on Alternate List B.)

d.      You must arrive and check in with the Monitor ten minutes prior to your audition time slot, as calculated by the clock in the Audition Center (or by the Monitor if the audition is in another location). If you are not present on time, an alternate will be given the appointment, time permitting. There can be no exceptions to this procedure.

e.      If you are an alternate, you must be available when your name is called. If you are not present when your name is called, you will lose the alternate slot. Please understand that there is no guarantee that alternates (from either alternate list) will be seen.

f.        If you miss your scheduled time, you are permitted to re-sign (on Alternate List A). If you miss your alternate slot, you are permitted to re-sign on Alternate List B (if you have also secured an upcoming time slot) or on Alternate List A (if you have not).

g.      A time slot insures an audition during that 20-minute time period. If the audition process moves quickly, you may audition earlier than the scheduled time slots. However, your time slot will be honored, provided that you arrive 10 minutes before the scheduled time.

i. When there is a lunch break, the Monitor will post a Lunch Time Information Sheet with the following: Name of show, time of break, and time Monitor will return.

ii. Sign-in sheets will not be “carried over”
to the next day.

Again these rules only apply to New York City auditions. Auditions in other cities such as Chicago and L. A. are run a little differently. You also have to keep in mind that there are two types of each of these calls: the required call and the non-required call.

Required calls are auditions that are literally required by Actors’ Equity Union by laws. It’s most often seen for long running shows and mostly on Broadway. But they can happen on any level. The people behind the table aren’t looking for any new actors but they must provide new actors with the opportunity to be seen. Lots of actors think these auditions are a waste of time because no contract will be given out and the people behind the table usually send someone who has no casting authority to sit in on the audition. However todays casting agency go-fer could be tomorrow’s Bernie Telsey.

I was officially on my way to becoming a “professional” actor. In upstate New York, where I’m originally from, only union actors are considered to be professional actors. Until you have your Equity card it’s just a hobby, I guess. It didn’t matter that you were being seen for professional high paying shows. If you didn’t have your card you weren’t professional.

This is just a lack of understanding. Upstate we were so far removed from the epicenter of musical theatre, Broadway and New York City. We had no idea that you could audition for any show, regardless if it was union or not, if the people behind the table allowed it or asked for submissions and  then gave you an appointment.

An appointment doesn’t have any rules. It’s most likely run by the theatre if it’s regional or by the casting director if it’s a high level regional or Broadway. The people behind the table will take out advertisements in the trades (Backstage, Variety), post it in Actors Access, or on Craig’s List and / or social media. An actor sends in his or her picture and resume or video or audio recording. Then the casting people will determine if an audition is given.

However be wary and be smart: if you’ve been given an audition and you’re asked to come into someone’s home or in a hotel or any other non-public, non-rehearsal space or even sketchy rehearsal spaces (anyone remember Harlequin Rehearsal Studios, on the same staircase as an all-male full frontal nudity strip club? Go in the wrong door...) bring a friend or two along. Let other people know where you’re going. Make plans directly afterwards so someone is expecting you to be somewhere at a specific time. And above all else if it doesn’t feel safe to you, get out right away. You owe no one an explanation or an apology. Just leave.

Now with all the potential risk factors that COULD be associated with an appointment audition, this is definitely one of the more coveted types of auditions. If you’re given an appointment that means the people behind that table have pre-screened your product. They’re interested in it. So much so that they’ve given you a specific time to show up, as opposed to getting up at the crack of dawn and waiting to maybe garner one of a few audition spots.

The only unwritten rules associated with appointments are:

1.      Show up at least 10 minutes before hand. You will need to check in with someone, probably a monitor or stage manager, and you may have to fill out some sort of information card.

Which ties into the next point...

2.      Always carry a pen. In theory always carry one pen with blue ink and one with black ink. There’ve been times when I’ve been asked to only fill out a card in a specific ink color. It’s just better to appear prepared and be prepared

Speaking of being prepared...

3.      Always, always, ALWAYS bring at least one hard copy of your picture and resume. It doesn’t matter that you’ve already sent it electronically. Chances are the people behind the table didn’t print it out. More likely they didn’t want to lug everyone’s pictures and resumes to the audition. And it doesn’t matter if they’ve told you it’s not needed. Bring it. Perhaps someone behind the table or in the waiting area thinks you’re the right type for a different project. You have you promotional materials at the ready.

The people behind the table have given you an appointment. They want to see you. They think you could be right for the show currently being cast. Coming in prepared and professional works in your favor because they already like you. And this could be the deciding factor in you being cast.

At the very least you’ll make a good impression.

Making a good and professional, yet friendly impression is extremely important. Because once an actor gets to a certain level in his or her career, everyone is talented. Everyone is attractive. Everyone knows how the game is played. And everyone plays it well. The reward for making it this far up the ladder of success, outside of actually booking a gig, is the most sought after type of audition: the invited call.

Being invited to audition means someone behind the table knows you, likes you, and likes your work and work ethic. They have a desire to use you in their show based on their prior experience(s) with you. As opposed to an EPA or an appointment, an invited call is small in scale and generally a lot friendlier and casual in nature. But don’t let that fool you or lull you into a sense of calm or complacency.

An invited call is where the job is truly on the line. Contrary to popular belief, an actor can get hired from any audition, be it non-union, an ECC or an EPA or an appointment. However an invited call is where the action always happens. An actor or actors in that room will most definitely walk away with a contract. If there are only ten people invited into the room for one contract, the odds are one in ten. You can bet your diploma, your airline ticket, or your day job that those other nine friendly, fun and personable actors/singers/dancers are going to be giving Tony Award worthy performances during their audition. So if you want it, you have to do the same.

But first you have to get to that level. And that takes time. An actor has to spend hours upon hours waiting in lines at an auditions. And looking at trade papers, searching breakdowns, self-submissions and agent appointments.

By the way I haven’t forgotten about the sixth of our eight types of auditions, the agent appointment. The only difference between those and the other auditions listed here is that an agent submits an actor's picture and resume or video or audio to the people behind the table, in hopes of getting that actor a specific appointment time. If an appointment is given, all the same rules and guidelines from the other auditions apply, like showing up ten minutes early. The best advantage of an agent appointment is that the agent can potentially get feedback on the audition and why it wasn't booked. And even when an actor has an agent, he or she still has to be diligent about trying to get auditions and auditioning on their own.

You’ve been so diligent. You've read all this information about the different types of auditions. I believe diligence should be rewarded. I’m going to give you a bonus, some invaluable information, a magic formula that will save you some heartache, time and arguably most importantly, some sleep. I’m going to help you determine how early to show up at an audition (be it Equity or Non-Equity) for which you do not already have a predetermined appointment.

Judging when to show up at a call can be easy if you take into consideration some very important factors. These factors are what shows are being cast, what types are being sought, how old the characters in the show are, and where the audition is taking place. To this day my University friend Lester still calls to ask my guidance and we've been out of university for years!

 So now my magic formula about when to show up:

1.      Any audition that is searching for females in their early to mid-20s will be packed. If the audition is for a popular show like Rent, Wicked, My Fair Lady, Oklahoma, Hamilton or any of the other juggernauts of Musical Theatre, it will be doubly bombarded with potential auditionees. Getting there as early as 6am for an 8:30 sign up would benefit you, especially if you have time constraints. And getting there even that early doesn’t always work. I’ve missed out on getting an audition appointment twice, even though I showed up to stand in line one day at 6am and another day at 530am.

2.      If the show(s) in question are looking for the opposite of what people behind the table consider “All American” generally showing up later is fine. However you have to also take into consideration what show the audition is for. If it’s something like Hamilton you’d better line up days before hand.

3.      Most Acting only auditions are generally not as busy here in New York. Or rather they seem to not be as busy. Actors have arrived at a non-musical EPA at noon, when the audition started at 9:30am, walked up to the desk, signed in and walked directly into the audition room. That is a virtual impossibility for a musical being done anywhere, unless word is out that it’s already cast.

High level shows like those on Broadway, despite what is told to actors, are almost always cast prior to the actual publicized auditions. Actors tend to stick with a project when they believe it’s going somewhere. Many of the leads of a new Broadway show have been with it since the informal reading at the writer’s apartment ten years ago. When the show has a need for someone new, the people behind the table have private auditions (see “Invited call”) usually well before required calls and agent calls.

4.      The rehearsal studio’s opening time (when you can get into the building) and its relationship to the start of the audition can also help you gauge when to arrive. The earlier the building opens the earlier people will get in line.

Back when I first started going to Equity auditions I only went to the ones in the Equity building on 46^th street. It just seemed right to me. At that time the audition studios were on the second floor. All the potential auditionees would line up outside the building in the wee hours of the morning. The line would stretch down the block. Inevitably when the 9-5’ers were on their way to work someone would ask what the long line was for. We’d simply say “a job”.

Back then we knew by landmarks on the street whether we would be seen or not. If we were on line at the church, it would be an all-day wait with no guarantee of actually getting to audition, no matter if we were Equity or not.

Time has progressed. The Equity Audition Center has moved to a new floor. There’s an early morning waiting room right outside the elevators for all actors where an actor signs up on a list in order to be lined up to go to the Equity lounge to sign up for an appointment time. We no longer have to wait outside. There is even a café and restrooms. Gone are the days of tag teaming with your pack mates to run to McDonalds around the corner for coffee or god forbid to use the restrooms.

I have my Equity card now. So I’m professional, even according to upstate actors. I’m no longer banished to the nether regions like a second class citizen. I have the privilege to attend Equity auditions and am barred from attending non-equity ones. I get to walk into the Equity lounge whenever it’s open. I just have to show my paid up and current Equity card.

Things have certainly changed.

The bitter benches outside the Equity lounge are gone now. They’ve morphed into a “future members’ holding area”, which is nothing more than a glorified hallway directly inside of the Equity lounge. But it’s inside the lounge. So it does have a little more civility to it. However the hunger, the desperation of those “future members” is still there, all tinged with the hope of dreams yet to be fulfilled. I can see it as I stride past with my appropriately colored Equity card in hand.

Everything is different now for me and for the Business of show. Yet I can still remember how I felt sitting there on those outside benches looking in, wondering, longing. And that’s why I write this blog: to help navigate the murky waters of life as a performer. I want to pass on the knowledge that was passed on to me. Because like my mentors probably did, when I was sitting outside bitter and unable to even use the bathroom inside the Equity lounge, I now walk by the future members’ holding area and think...

“...Poor unfortunate souls. In pain. In need...”

I got one less problem...

This spring has been very busy. Sometimes I don't know how I do it. I think its sheer force of the universe that allows me to accomplish all I do. Or magic.

This audition season was sparse for me. I didn't book a performing gig for the summer or any other time for that matter. I think it's partly because I didn't attend as many auditions as I could have...or should have. I did get a callback for a role that I believe I'm right for. I didn't book it though. I think my acting may be a bit rusty at the moment. I'll put that on my list of things to do...

Thankfully I have many creative outlets to occupy my time, not to mention a demanding day job.

In March I won a grant to produce a concept CD for the musical I wrote with Jeneen Terrana (shameless Jeneen plug!). Our musical is called McGurk's Suicide Hall, a fictional account of actual events.  The grant money doesn't cover paying the artists for their time (or Jeneen and me either). That means the CD will only be used for promotional purposes, to submit to developmental festivals, production teams and theatres.

Jeneen started working on the music long after the book was finished. The grant helps the music catch up to where the book is in terms of development. I promised Jeneen not to make any more script changes until the CD was finished. I was having a bit of writer's withdrawal. However that was quickly cured when I joined The Playground Experiment.

PGE is a group of writers and actors who meet twice a month for three hours. Five playwrights are chosen to present fifteen minutes of a new work. As Mike Lesser the founder and organizer of the group says "the messy stuff. The stuff that might not make it into the final script".

Mission:

To create a safe, fun environment for Playwrights, Actors, Directors, Producers who are looking to build new relationships among like minded artists. We are an inclusive community of a diverse cross section of the New York theatre artists, creators and patrons. By using Actor/Playwright short work sessions and public readings our ultimate goal is to generate new works and new collaborations that have a life beyond The PlayGround.


There's a roster of over forty writers so getting chosen to have your work read takes time. But it does happen. As luck would have it the date for my stuff to be read was May 23. Final drafts of the fifteen minutes being presented are due the Friday before the reading. In my case this was Friday the 20th: a firm deadline to be ready to be viewed by the world. Okay maybe not the entire world...

At any rate I guess the universe decided that I needed more projects. On top of all of this a directing opportunity came along.

A guy I work at one of my day jobs with, Justin Yurio, runs a theatre company called Amios. It's an acronym that stands for Art and Music In Our Souls. Its mission is to "build community through art". Under the umbrella of Amios is a monthly presentation of six groups of six minute pieces. All are presented the first monday of every month after two weeks of writing, two weeks of rehearsing and two hours of tech. This mini festival of new works is called "Shotz".

I had been wanting to write for Shotz for the last year or so. I had talked to Justin, who is the Artistic Director about it. He thought it was a great idea and put my name on the list to receive the application. I applied and Justin's colleagues responded. I was told that even though I knew Justin and he had recommended me I had to supply samples of my work, videos and or scripts.

I was later told that a new policy was implemented. Because they had so many people wanting to write for Shotz, over 40, each new writer had to go through an apprenticeship with a current Shotz writer. He or she would write as if the piece was going to be presented and have it read at the table read with all the other pieces for that month's performance. Only the piece would not be performed.

So for May I applied as a director and viola I was in.

This all started happening in March. I had time to plan and conquer. I think I'm one of the last people on the planet to actually use a date book, as in a paper planner and an ink pen. So I got out my "wand" and my "spell book" to start making magic.

Everything was scheduled right down to when to do laundry, grocery shopping and what I was eating to exactly when I had to iron clothes for my day job. Things were humming along smoothly.

The breakdown started simply enough. One of the singers for the CD couldn't make the recording date. He was currently away on tour and then afterwards would go on to do a regional theatre season. He had one week between the two contracts, much of that time would be spent visiting his family.

Both day jobs started really picking up. More and more work was being offered. I couldn't refuse since the lean times were just around the corner. I currently cater, which runs on definite cycles. It's usually all or nothing. Right now it was all.

I get news from one of my nieces. She's getting married in July and has sent out the invitations. The wedding will take place in Minnesota.

Shotz gave me my cast and my writer. They needed me to figure out a rehearsal schedule based on everyone's availability, including the writer. Unfortunately one of the cast would not be able to make the tech rehearsal which was set by the Artistic Director.

I had a writing deadline for PGE looming in front of me.

So now I'm juggling my catering schedule with two companies, auditions, the schedules of 20 singers recording the concept CD, 4 actors and a writer's schedule for Shotz, my writing schedule and the set schedule of my niece's wedding in July.

Things were getting cray-cray!

Just keep your head down and keep working and keep waving that wand...

The singer on tour gives me the choice of one of two days to record. Jeneen, the composer, can't make it one day and I can't make it the other day. So I suck it up and schedule the recording session for the day Jeneen can make it. After all, her being an independent recording artist means this is her area of expertise. I know nothing about it. Me being there would be useless. Besides the day was listed as a priority date for work. That means I cannot cancel unless it's for a legitimate emergency.

Above and beyond all of the hoopla surrounding the recording dates is the fact that the Musical Director who was going to write the orchestrations disappears off the face of the earth before she even starts. So now I have to find someone to write music and teach music and get the music ready to record.

Prior to Shotz having their pre-rehearsal table read of all of the six minute pieces and the one "apprentice" piece, each of the writers sent out their first draft of their piece. The dramaturg/literary person then sends feedback. Shotz has their very own way of speaking to their creative people. In fact when I was brought on to direct, Justin sent our an email to all involved detailing what was to happen, including how to collaborate and address issues within a script. It was all very politically correct, non-confrontational, cyclical jargon.

When it came time for the table read I sat in a big circle with the other directors and writers and actors and administrators. We listened to each piece being read aloud. Afterward the "dramaturg" critiqued each piece, being very careful to use her "Shotz speak".

On the whole many of the pieces were okay. One was really good with amazing potential. But the piece that stood out the most was the apprentice piece. It was obviously written by someone with a high level of skill and command of ideas and language. The piece I was to direct still had the same issues it had in the first draft. The writer admitted to not knowing what he was writing about both in terms of story and in terms of objective. He even admitted to the piece "not being his best work".

Meanwhile I have to deal with my niece's impending wedding on July 16. My first thought was I would have to find something to wear. Then I realized I had to get there! So I added finding flights, hotel and rental cars on my already huge to do list. Also new to the list was the fact that the solo music for the guy on tour had to be finished in time to record on our new date May 5, a full three plus months earlier than planned.

Oh yeah, and I still need to write my new piece for PGE.

Just keep your head down and keep working and keep waving that wand...

With the help of Jeneen, we set out to find a composer to write accompaniment, not only for May 5 but for the entire piece. Our budget, while we are thankful to have it, is meager. A colleague of mine was having accompaniment written for his new musical. The writer was charging $100 per hour. I heard some of the stuff and it was amazing. I understand this is a high skill level, but that price was definitely not in our budget. We had to have music for 16 songs.

At this point catering is chugging along. I actually had to schedule one day off a week. Otherwise there was no rest or recuperation time. Or time to write. Yep still hadn't written a word for PGE yet.

Time was ticking and May 23 was coming. I needed to have fifteen minutes of new writing ready for The Playground Experiment. It sounds like it would be simple, but believe me it's not. I had to figure out where the story was going and then figure out how to get it there, only using the nine characters that had been set up. Did I happen to mention the show takes place in two huge scenes, Act I and Act II, where once a character is on stage he doesn't leave?

What was I thinking?

I kept my head down and kept working and kept waving.

The price of a flight to Minnesota dropped by almost $30. Who knew it was so expensive to fly there and why? Still no luck on hotel rooms. And I find out that my niece is marrying a Park Ranger. They're having the wedding in a national park. What the hell does one wear to a wedding in a forest?

Time to shop.

Speaking of which, Jeneen and I shopped for and found a composer to write arrangements...on line. He could have the pieces for May 5 done in plenty of time to get them to the singer before he comes into the city for one day to record. He can also do all the other pieces as well. He's fast, efficient and lovely to work with. Best of all he fits in our budget.

Shotz rehearsal starts. Time to put my director cap on and do director stuff.

And in the middle of this is my birthday. Happy birthday to me! YAY!!!

Then it all starts to really go to hell...

We can't find a studio with availability to record at on May 5. The only one we can find will charge what amounts to half of our budget set aside for studio rental. We're only looking to record 2 full songs and parts of three others in 3 hours. We would basically still have the entire album to record and no money to pay for it.

The female lead of the CD gets cast in a show coming to Broadway. She starts rehearsal before our set recording date in late August. She's not sure of her rehearsal schedule or whether she'll be available for us. This is awesome news for her and I can't be upset about it. First of all I have no time to be upset. I have too much to do. And secondly it's an amazing opportunity that cannot be turned down to record a concept CD for a show that has just started its long journey toward a Broadway production.

Jeneen realizes she double booked herself with the recording date in August and a family vacation.

The arranger needs time off to work on his own personal stuff.

The Shotz "writer" gives us three new drafts in 3 days. Half our rehearsal schedule is already done and we don't have a final script yet.

The price of a flight to Minnesota jumps back up to where it was when I started searching. And the hotels are not getting good reviews from prior guests, unless you think hookers, bugs and mold are good reviews.

I go shopping at a couple of stores for an outfit for the wedding. I find a huge sale but nothing that befits a forest wedding in July. Or nothing that fits me. My niece says it will be very humid cause it's by a lake. Oy vey.

Both day jobs want to use me for a myriad of days, but they're all the same days.

Oh my god, I need to find time to write my PGE script.

Adjustments have to be made. The head goes down and the wand comes out yet again.

Jeneen and I choose a new recording date for the female lead. We set it for July 11, a week before she starts rehearsal for Broadway. It's on a Monday so even if she books a short run contract of something she should be clear. Now we have to find a recording studio that has free time this late in the game.

Keep your head down and your wand out. Keep working.

We also change the date of the main recording session. We move it by a week. We lose the entire male ensemble.

Head down, wand out. Work.

At this point I've been all but consumed by my commitments. I need to schedule time to go shopping. The date for my play to be read at PGE is quickly approaching. Yet I've written nothing new. I need time to write. But my magic is not powerful enough to make more hours in the day. I resort to losing sleep and searching on line late at night for an outfit. In lieu of new writing I just edit the old pages of my script. At least I'm being productive and creative.

The Shotz "writer" has written a piece about on line dating. Meanwhile he's only dated two women, the second one he married. He has never done any kind of online dating...or even seen the apps. We spend valuable rehearsal time showing him what he's written about. He also continues to interrupt rehearsals with notes and thoughts and general musings. I ask him to please write down anything he wants to discuss and we'll talk about it after rehearsal has finished, privately (as in not in front of the actors).

Then one night he sends another new draft at 10pm. We have rehearsal the next day at 10am. I put everything else aside and stay up late to do my director homework. I have to be prepared for rehearsal. Then at the start of rehearsal he hands me ANOTHER NEW DRAFT. With this draft it's apparent that the writer is trying to direct the show through his stage directions.

I feel my power waning. My magical skills are not strong enough to combat all of this. So I summon reinforcements.

I call the artistic director of Shotz, my catering colleague Justin, and tell him the situation: the writer's lack of knowledge and expertise on the subject he's writing about and the fact that with every new draft the story gets more vague and obtuse. Justin agrees to stop by rehearsal. Let me just mention that Justin stops by one rehearsal for every piece in Shotz, so this is not something out of the ordinary.

At rehearsal I start blocking the show. I like to set down a quick skeleton of blocking first. Then I work on refining and tailoring it with the actors so that it feels organic. With Justin there, the "writer" starts to chime in with don't do this and don't do that. Meanwhile these are things that he has expressly written into the script or that we collectively have talked about. I tell him to take notes to discuss it later. Without missing a beat I go back to blocking the show.

Throughout the rest of rehearsal the "writer" and the "artistic director" sat two feet away from the actors whispering, about what I can only guess. Afterwards all three of us rode the subway back to Manhattan.

And all hell broke loose.

The person who dragged his pen across paper, as I will no longer refer to him as a "writer", went on a tirade. He had to put his foot down. His name would not be on this piece. He would not allow things in the show that he disapproved.

I tried to defend my position and give reasoning why those things were in the show, besides the fact that he wrote them in (because apparently that didn't justify it enough for him). Then he tells me "I don't care what path you go down [meaning line of thinking], you're wrong".

Meanwhile Justin is standing there. Listening. Not saying a word, not defending the company's principals or policies, not doing anything. So much for the "politically correct, non-confrontational, cyclical jargon" of Shotz.

I finally gave up trying to defend my position. I acquiesced and agreed to remove everything he found offensive from the show.

That night I get a message from one of the cast members who remembers that he can't attend one of the last rehearsals because he changed his work schedule. I had to contact everyone, get their availability, rearrange the rehearsal schedule and then contact them again with the new time line.

Down and out...

The next day the "artistic director", Justin, calls and we have a lengthy unpleasant discussion. He says there was tension during the rehearsal and that I wasn't collaborating. He watched the initial blocking rehearsal. Was I to ask the actors where they'd like to enter from? I just didn't understand.

In talking to him I finally realized what the problem was. We differ in what we believe a director does. I go for the traditional definition, while this company tends to think of their directors as glorified stage managers who do everything from scheduling rehearsals to finding space to rehearse but allow the actors and the writer to do whatever they want on stage.

What I found particularly telling about the company and the way they conduct themselves is how the "artistic director" handled things. He called me to "talk", when in reality he only called to release me from the project. And when did he do it? AFTER I had reconfigured the rehearsal schedule and contacted everyone about it.

I looked up for the first time in months. I looked around. I put my wand down. I took a deep breath.

Suddenly everything fell into place.

The arranger for the CD of McGurk's Suicide Hall, a fictional account of actual events decided he could do both his projects and our project. All of our deadlines would be honored, including having stuff done in time for July 11. In fact I just received music from him today.

There are singers who are willing to step in and help out on the recording should we need replacements.

The studio that Jeneen recorded one of her first CDs at, agreed to work with us on a short notice. The recording on May 5 went off without a hitch. Okay one hitch. I forgot to send one of the artists a copy of the music. He went in never having heard it before. Thank god for singers who are true musicians!

We are now confirmed for both of our new recording dates. Deposits are paid.

The price of a flight to Minnesota dropped by $50. I was given the tip to wait until a month before hand and book late night Tuesday/early morning Wednesday for the best prices. We shall see.

While shopping on line I came across some jackets I liked that were on sale. On top of the sale the company was offering an additional percentage off. I narrowed it down to two, one of which is so me and the other is so outside of my comfort zone. I had no idea which to get or what size to get so I got both in a size smaller than I had worn last year. They both fit and they both look great. Together they cost less than the price of one jacket so I kept them both.

At my day jobs I was working 50 hours a week, sometimes a little more sometimes a little less. I was doing so much that one colleague commented "I had no idea you were so industrious". But working so much does have its perks. As I've said in other blog posts, you never know who or what will be at a catering gig. This go 'round I had the pleasure of seeing Ariana Grande perform live. And yes she is just as sweet and pretty in person and she does indeed sing that high. Live.

In my quest to elevate the dreaded feeling of inadequacy because of not having a performing gig, I threw myself at every creative endeavor. I kept my head down. I kept working. I kept trying to recreate the magic of being on stage. What I didn't realize was that by doing this I was not paying attention to the warning signs that I was not in the company of professionals. In fact I ended up being with people I shouldn't be associated with at all, artistically speaking.

I was busy and that's all that mattered.

In dealing with AMIOS Theatre Company, "Shotz" and Justin Yurio, I realized they have a need to control Art. But you can't control it or force it. The Performing Arts is a living and breathing thing. The magic comes from it being alive and free.

The company sits in judgment of all that passes in front of them, from the unnecessary full company table read of every piece to be presented, to visiting rehearsal to their idea of how new theatrical works get put on their feet. Regardless of talent or accomplishment, if they deem a piece or person worthy by being edgy or creative or provocative then it's worthy of being part of their world. Otherwise it's a no go. And edgy for them is people miming being a tree and a bird during a picnic for no reason except they want it.

In reality their world is on par with graduate school and the work that's done there. There is nothing wrong with this work, but it belongs to a specific time in an actor's career. It has a specific purpose.

I was not furthering my career working with Shotz. I was not being paid. I was not having fun. At least one of those three things needs to occur to make it worth my time. In fact the only thing that was happening was me being judged by standards I no longer hold in regard. And none of the people associated with "Shotz" have the credentials or resumes to be doing so.

You know what? I'm wrong. What "Shotz" does isn't like grad school work. It's like the work I did when I was in Mrs. Clark's third grade elementary school play.

I apologize to all the hard working people in reputable grad programs.

Creating for the sake of creating is akin to masturbation. It's done for nobody but yourself. An artist has to seek out people, places and things that inspire creation not force it. And there is no limit to where that can come from. But it definitely doesn't come from being judged by posers working in a black box theatre on the lower East side.

Pay attention to what feeds your soul instead of what feeds your ego.

Finally free of undue stress, my creative writing juices started flowing. I was able to finish a new section of my play. It was performed on May 23 by a talented cast at the 26th Playground Experiment. It was well received.

With this I realized PGE provided me with exactly what I needed both artistically and spiritually.

The Playground Experiment provides a supportive, loving environment. It's fun. All are welcome. All are allowed to present their work. All are professional. All are free from judgement. Constructive criticism is given if asked for. This is somewhere artists should want to be. It lifts you up, not to put you on a pedestal, but to allow you to feel empowered and valued.

This is what Artists should aspire to be like.

So now, instead of keeping my nose to the grind stone, buckling under the pressure of trying to make magic, I'm free.

I've got my...

"...Head in the clouds...no weight on my shoulders."

Red and yellow and scarlet and black and...

There is so much going on right now. I have started three different blog posts about three different subjects. I just can't seem to decide. So while I take a moment to organize my thoughts, I thought I'd take a moment to organize past posts into indexes. I had done this for year one:

Tell me more tell me more


And the first half of year two

C-o-o-l...r-i-d-e-r.


But I never finished. So in order to move on I have to finish what I started...oh god, I think I just hit upon a new blog subject...

Anyway, here is the second half of the second year's blog posts indexed:

No more curses you cant undo
...help with agents

Every love affair went wrong
...reinvention and relevance

The world in which you dwells no paradise
...dealing with emotional aspect of social media

Threat of hell
...importance of doing homework

You will get what you are due
...patience

Logs on fire
...if you want it work for it


And year three:

I feel the snow I feel the cold
...validation

I think I'd better think it out again
...the high cost of pay to play

A very strange reaction
...warming up

Another chance to disapprove another
...actual love and support

In rich mans world
...how much does acting cost

Whose head is crowned with flames
...the ten commandments of theatre

Slinging hash feeling so rejected
...unpredictability

Without a song or dance what are we
...why art is important

There's a lot I am not certain of
...surviving the holidays


Enjoy the previous posts.

If you have questions about theatre, schooling, auditioning or living in the Big City, ask me. I'll tell you what I know. At the very least you'll get honest answers to some burning questions. And at the very best it could make you...

"...Quite the smoothest person in the district..."

History is happening in Manhattan...

We're preempting the blog written for March to bring you this breaking news...

When I became eligible for Actor’s Equity I was really excited. First because the chances of me actually being seen at an equity call greatly increased. Secondly at the bottom of Equity casting notices were the words “Performers of all ethnic and racial backgrounds are encouraged to attend”. I thought, finally I would be seriously considered for roles that were right for my particular talent regardless of the fact that I was an “ethnic” performer. I went to every audition my day job allowed me to go to.

So young. So bright and shiny.

Last October I had the honor of having my first writing project, a full length musical, picked to be in a new works festival here in New York City. McGurk’s Suicide Hall, a fictional account of actual events was made with the help of many people including my composer Jeneen Terrana, an independent internationally known recording artist. We had to take care of many of the aspects of putting the show on its feet, including casting.

Before October I had had two table readings of the show. I thought it an excellent idea to invite some of those people to participate in the new works festival production. Since several of the readers were Equity, we had to provide an Equity contract in order for them to be in the show. Doing so doubled the production budget. I was determined to “reward”, if you will, those people who were so loving to lend their time and talents in developing the piece.

Reward is in quotation marks because the contract was only on a staged reading level, which pays a small stipend and transportation.

Since it was going to be an Equity contract, I decided to offer roles to other union friends and colleagues to fill out the cast. Because of who I am and my beliefs, I had made the cast completely interracial. Sometimes there was a reason for it, sometimes there wasn’t. As the writer I super imposed the racial landscape of New York City, where the show is set, on to the production. As the writer I am Lord God High Creator of the Universe and my word is law.

So shall it be written, so shall it be done.

In pursuing my multi-ethnic cast I invited my colleague Bill to be in the show. Although I only knew him from my day job, I had seen his work on YouTube and his website. He seemed smart intelligent and talented. He was perfect for one of the ensemble members who had both ethnic and non-ethnic featured moments in the piece, the biggest being a non-ethnic role with a song.

Bill happily agreed to be in the production, until three weeks before hand. Suddenly he had a plethora of obligations that wouldn’t allow him to be involved. I would later learn that these were just excuses. (More on that in another blog). The role specifically written for an ethnic actor was now available. It was added to the list of what we were auditioning for.

The audition notice came out two weeks before rehearsals were to begin. We posted the roles available and who (ethnically speaking) we were looking to fill those roles. There was a good response, including ethnic candidates for most roles, even those not specifically suggesting ethnicity. However when the audition day came around no ethnic men showed up. Not one of the ethnic guys given appointments bothered to come to the audition. (I single out the ethnic guys because that’s who we’re talking about right now. There were plenty of non-ethnic people who didn’t bother to show up as well).

Fortunately for us we got the talent needed to put up the show.

Because of the contract we had, we were only allotted 10 rehearsal hours. Anything over that would double the actor’s salary, which we couldn’t afford. Once rehearsals started those hours flew by. Three hours for music, three for staging and four for tech rehearsal.

It wasn’t until the tech rehearsal that an over site was pointed out. The role offered to Bill, designed for a specific ethnicity with dialogue written in an ethnic voice, was cast with a non-ethnic man. However it was too late. At that point we had no choice but to just barrel through using the guy who was cast. It was offensive but there was no time for rewrites or cuts. I prayed to the Theatre Gods that no one at this level would notice or care.

More and more often some in the performing arts community are up in arms about general casting policies. They state that in casting roles the “default” is “white” especially when there is no discernable ethnicity written.  This default and lack of inclusion and opportunity had Hollywood names boycotting the Oscars this year.  Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire is under fire for the lack of Hispanics performers in their production of Evita. 

Whenever a theatre or production company is called out on the issue, there is a standard answer. “There were no qualified ethnic actors who attended the audition”. And at times the retort is worse and more unbelievable. “There were no ethnic actors at all who auditioned”.

Based on my small casting experiences I would have to believe in a majority of the cases that is indeed the truth. There I was an ethnic writer/director/performer, who included a wide range of ethnicities in his writing, actively searching for ethnic actors to employ. The result was I wasn’t able to fully cast the show as it was written. I know this was partially due to the type of contract that was being offered and the short length of work with no health or pension benefits. But that’s only for now. What happens when the show continues on? Starts getting better and better contracts? Will ethnic actors suddenly appear?

I also know the lack of response is partially due to the fact that the printed encouragement given to ethnic actors is seen as legal lip service to avoid court battles over discrimination. In fact at this very moment the Broadway mega-hit Hamilton is potentially being sued because of the lack of inclusive language in their audition notices. Although for this show it’s in reverse; lack of inclusion of white actors.

Ethnic actors know what this type of inclusive language is: hollow promises. So ethnic actors tend to shy away from auditioning for non-ethnic shows. Why show up to an audition if you are not going to be genuinely considered? Which is a conundrum because ethnic actors want to be genuinely considered, but can’t sometimes because they don’t show up.

Fortunately at the performance of “McGurk’s”, a director and personal friend of mine noticed my lack of inclusion. And he called me out on it. In his review of the staged reading he said:

It was offensive to have a non-ethnic person play a stereotype of an ethnicity. Given what I know about your stance on casting policies that shouldn’t have happened. If you can’t find the proper ethnicity, change the part or cut it.

He wasn’t being nasty about it. He was right. He was 100% right. And it made me happy.

The director, a former performer, is the default musical theatre casting choice: tall, handsome, fit and blonde. He being talented is just the icing on the cake. He noticed a huge issue in the casting of a role so much so he had to say something about it. What that means to me is that he’d been actively listening to my diatribes on casting policies. My ranting and raving impacted him. I choose to believe this up and coming director, who now has several pieces doing well in the festival circuits, has altered his thinking about his own casting policies, because of his association with me and discussions we've had on the subject.

I’m constantly involved in a myriad of conversations in person and on social media regarding casting issues. There are vast majorities of people, both ethnic and non, who have recognized the antiquated casting practices that are still in use today. These advocates are starting dialogues, arguments and legal proceedings over who is cast and why. Friendships have been lost and bonds formed because of it. 

In essence battle lines are being drawn.

However waging a war where one side doesn’t show up to the daily skirmishes and struggles is pointless. The other side wins. In our case, in the Performing Arts, the daily skirmishes are auditions. That’s where we need to fight for the right to fly our colors (Pun intended? I don’t know).

“Performers of all ethnic and racial backgrounds are encouraged to attend”. 

So attend.

If your talent is right for the show go to the audition. Be mindful of who is being cast but be present at the audition regardless of it. Is it disheartening at times? Yes. Is it defeatist at times? Sure. Is it utterly pointless at times? Hell yeah. But the people behind the tables and at their computers and writing the checks need to know that there is a cornucopia of marginalized actors out there of all types, shapes, sizes, ethnicities, hues and sexual identities who are talented and wanting to work.

And these actors can tell the story just as well as the “default” choices.

Look at Hamilton...

“...You want a revolution? I want a revelation.”

It's a waste of time. There's no use trying

It’s that time of year where time management skills are a requirement. I’m trying to do everything all at once: auditions both going to and scheduling them, day job, lessons, classes, hangout with friends and still have time for me. If I do too much of any one thing not everything gets done. Needless to say it’s a balancing act of gigantic proportions. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t.

There was an audition for a show I think I’m right for. It calls for quirky actors who can sing and have fun. A friend of mine had gotten an appointment for the show. Unfortunately through a timing mishap I missed the submission deadline. When we were comparing what auditions we had for the week (it’s less daunting and stressful if you go with friends) she mentioned her appointment for the quirky show.

I had forgotten all about the show. I’ve only auditioned for it once previously. Unfortunately I sang right after a guy who had done the show before who was also singing from the show. I was over looked when it came to casting that production. So it wasn’t a big deal to have missed this new audition for that same show. My ego was a bit bruised so I let it slide.

Besides it was an open call and open calls can be nightmares.

Anyway my friend told me that the company would take walk-ins between appointments. She suggested that I should go and essentially be an alternate. That means sitting around and waiting until the people behind the table have a lull in auditionees and can see other random people who don’t have appointments. Unfortunately time was not my friend that day. I had to go all the way to the other side of lower Manhattan to be at my day job at 4pm. The audition didn’t even start until noon.

So when the day came I got up, warmed up, and sang through some stuff. I packed two bags: one for the audition and one for my day job. Combined there was just too much stuff to carry. I would have to run home after the audition to switch bags before heading out to work.

I went to the audition around two o’clock and signed up on the alternate list. I waited around for about an hour or so. I was called to go in. Perfect. Until the people behind the table needed to take a break right before my group went in. I actually got in to sing at about 3:15. I said hello to my friend who had come in for her audition time, ran home switched bags and went to work.

I was late to my day job. I saw a guy I know, Tanner. He asked if I had gone to an audition.

Me: I did. I’m surprised I didn’t see you there.

Tanner: I didn’t know there was an audition for that show. I must have missed it on the Equity website.

(*Click the dark colored text to be taken to that site)

Actors Equity Casting Call

Me: It wasn’t on that website. It was on another.

Turns out Tanner didn’t know some of the other sites that listed auditions. We chatted about finding auditions and submitting for projects. Some of the sites are free while others you have to pay for. It depends on the sites:

Backstage

the online home for the trade paper that lists auditions both union and non-union, teachers, classes and informative articles.

Playbill.com

lists not only auditions but also non-performing job opportunities. Its main function though is to chronicle the Performing arts news for major cities around the country, including links to buying tickets to Broadway shows.

Broadway World

another audition source which is also filled with entertainment news and videos

And 

Actors Access

a website dedicated to allowing performers to submit themselves to projects looking for people. The projects can range from Broadway shows to motion pictures to student films, staged readings, voice overs and commercials.

When this site in particular came up, Tanner commented that there is never anything right for his type so he doesn't submit..

Tanner: I’m blonde they’re always looking for dark haired people to play the villain.

Me: Okay...

Tanner: I’m too thin.

Me: Okay...

Tanner: And I’m way too gay.

Me: Well that one you can use your craft to do something about. It’s called acting.

Tanner: Anyways I don’t subscribe to that site so I have to pay for each submission. It’s just not worth it for me.

I’m not sure what else he said after that. The fact that he said he couldn’t get work because he was blonde had finally sunk in. And thin. And gay. He’s the archetype for musical theatre. And guess what? He does musical theatre. That’s his forte.

WTH?

I couldn’t believe he actually said those things out loud. I let it go and went on my way.

A couple days later Tanner and I were talking about the Business again. And this time I couldn’t let it go. I told him he was doing something wrong if he couldn’t get cast. He’s young looking, blonde and thin, with a tenor voice. He is what gets cast. All the time. One only has to open their eyes to see it.

February is the Oscar's month. There is a whole ruckus swirling about the awards because of casting policies and overlooking certain types of people in favor of Tanner's type (not necessarily skinny and gay, but white).

Lack of diversity in Hollywood

It’s why America has things like Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month and Black History Month which we’re in right now. There is not only a lack of diversity but a lack of knowledge and a lack of inclusion.

But I digress...

I told Tanner he needs to find out what casting directors like and don’t like at auditions. I gave him a quick rundown of some of the things I know about some individual casting directors. Things like there is one person behind the table that if you don’t dress nice for the audition they will not call you back. Another won’t hire you if you sigh while singing. There are music directors who will throw your headshot away if when asked to sing 16 bars, you sing more than 16 bars. And so forth.

Tanner: Well how do you find those things out?

Me: You take classes from them.

Tanner: Well I took a class from a casting director.

Me: I know and she told you that you were right for an upcoming Broadway show, even told you what part. Did you learn that character’s stuff?

Tanner: I mean I worked on it a few times, but the show got cancelled.

Me: It could come around again. But you still don’t know the stuff do you?

Tanner: When they announce the audition I’ll work on the stuff for like a month before hand.

Me: Then it’s too late. You yourself said you’re not the kind of performer who gets comfortable singing new stuff quickly.

Tanner: I feel it’s not really right to sing from the show if you’re auditioning for that show anyway. I need to find other stuff like it.

Me: I gave you several song suggestions that fit the bill.

After a bit more the conversation then looped back...

Tanner: Well I don’t see the point in taking classes. I never see the casting directors at auditions so they’ll never get to know me.

Me: You have to get in front of them on a regular basis.

Tanner: They always send the associates and assistants.

Me: If they’re associates now they may be the ones casting that show that you’re right for, the one that got cancelled, in the next few years.

Tanner: If you know everything then why aren’t you getting cast?

Me: I don’t know everything. But I’ve been around longer than you, so I know more than you.

Sometimes I don't know why I talk to him. Tanner is full of excuses. He doesn’t have the time, or the money to do anything. He waits until something is going to happen and then he starts to prepare instead of being prepared in case it should happen. He had a callback for Book of Mormon on Broadway. I think he took one tap class before hand.

But honestly don’t we all have excuses?

I know what I should be doing but I let other things take my attention and divert me from them. Sometimes it just comes down to scheduling my life differently and adjusting my priorities. This is something I realize and I’m working on it. I’ve been so much better in getting to dance classes and auditioning and preparing new audition material well in advance of the need for that material.

My situation is different than Tanner’s though. I’m not blonde or young or thin. I’m the opposite of all that. I’m a mature-ish, stocky, ethnic guy. Every other audition I go to is a struggle to convince the people behind the table to hire me for a role that isn't usually cast with some like me. I have to work twice as hard to get people to notice what I bring to the table other than a non-white face. And sometimes when opportunities are there they are taken away:

(*Click on the picture to enlarge)

A role created on Broadway by a person of color is no longer needed to be a person of color. Try doing that in reverse and see what happens. For example cast the character “Radames” from the musical Aida with an ethnic actor. He was originally played on Broadway by Adam Pascal, a blonde non-ethnic guy. The character is the captain of the Egyptian Army. Last time I looked Egypt was in Africa. Just saying.

No roles for blondes...

(*Warning: adult language)

How is this still a thing? 

My friend Rhett and I went to see a show on Broadway. It was a really good show. So good in fact that all juke box musicals should be done like this. During the intermission I made an observation about the casting:

Me: There isn’t one blonde in the entire cast.

Rhett: I know right.

Me: It’s kind of weird ‘because there is usually a blonde. And if there isn’t one naturally they will wig someone to be blonde, like the lead woman in Honeymoon in Vegas.

Rhett: And it did not look good at all. She didn’t have the right coloring to be a blonde.

Stop making excuses. This industry is stacked against you unless you are what is considered the epitome of beauty. But there is only one Chris Evans, one Angelina Jolie. Everyone else has something going against their success in the performing arts. You’re too tall, too short, too thin, too fat, too white, too black, too...too...too...

Viola Davis interview

“A closed mouth doesn’t get fed”

What does that mean?

My friend who told me about the quirky play audition left theatre because she wasn’t getting jobs. She was too [fill in the blank] to get hired. She got tired of not being heard and taken seriously. So she became an independent recording artist. She now tours around the U. S. and Europe performing and selling her Cd's. She’s built a career for herself.

She’s now circled right back around to theatre. She’s hitting the pavement and auditioning again. And guess what? She’s getting hired. People want to work with her. She shifted her focus, gained confidence and now has a new outlook on the situation. She’s in control.

Rhett is always busy doing something. He’s auditioning or acting or singing or directing or teaching. And when he’s not doing all of that he has a one man show that’s available for bookings. I’ve seen him play the character. He’s brilliant.

So stop wasting time and energy complaining. Every excuse is real and valid. And every excuse will stop you.

Tanner truly believes he can’t get hired because he’s blonde and thin and too gay acting. There are things he can do to get him hired, like enrolling in an acting class. He can join a gym for $20 a month.  If he truly doesn’t have the disposable income, then a simpler less costly solution is in order: dyeing his hair.

If the industry isn’t providing the outlet for you and your talent because you’re too [fill in the blank] then change the [blank] or better yet, make one. Make an outlet for yourself. Write a play. Compose music. And if those tools aren’t in your tool box, commission someone to write a role or play or song specifically for you. Start doing improv. Start doing stand-up comedy. Find a slightly new direction for your passion like Rhett or my recording artist friend. Take control of your life and your art. It's not easy but it can be done

The Broadway show Rhett and I went to see was about the life and struggles of an artist who wasn't given a fair chance to explore the full range of her creativity. She was pigeon holed because of who she was born as and deemed only to appeal to people who were born the same. She worked tirelessly to make the industry look at who she is as an artist instead of who she is genetically. She was and is wildly successful. I mean come on, there's a Broadway show about her freaking life!

So if the opportunities aren't there and success is not happening for you...

"...Get on your feet. Get up and make it happen".