Community Theater Green Room Discussion Board: Help! Any guidance is appreciated!

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   Hi!   I need your help!  
I'm an aspiring actress in Tampa, FL.  I moved here recently due to my husband's job. We were about 1 1/2 hrs. outside of NYC before we moved to Tampa, and I'd go in to the city for auditions here and there.  We have two children, 5 and 6 yrs, so we'd like to stay out of a city.  My background is in Broadcast Journalism.  I started in the Army (Germany).  I became interested in acting during a hosting audition with MTV a few years back.  I took some acting classes, and I do have a good agent in Orlando.   
Question 1.  Any advice on maintaining a family situation (children) and being an actor???  Any other acting mother's out there? I am in the midst of getting my real estate license in the hopes that this will be a decent income but will allow for flexibility.  For the last few yrs, like most I guess, I have been struggling financially just so I can go to auditions and send headshots/resumes out to casting directors.  Oh yeah, and do these always need to have a cover letter attached? 
question 2: I have no theatre on my resume.  It's all reporting, commercials, radio, voice-overs, and then: and I hope this helps and not hinders:  Fear Factor.  I want to be recognized as a legit actor, I want to be a working actor, I am very motivated, very passionate, but I need to know where to best concentrate my energies.   How to get involved with the right things.  I get offered modeling gigs more often than acting, and this is not my goal.    And with having children- I can't and don't really want to move to NY or LA, at least not unless I landed something wonderful, then I would.  Should I audition and do local theatre?  Any advice for theatres to get involved with around Tampa?  I do sing and love to dance as well.  This will take a big committment, and that's ok if it will really help my resume, considering that  my goal is to do *daytime drama or comedy/sitcom work (as opposed to theatre). 
question 3:  any advice on self-promo and marketing?
  Help!  I need the best possible direction!!!    

Author	Message
hno28 Walk-On Joined: 11/09/05 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 0	Topic: Help! Any guidance is appreciated! Posted: 11/09/05 at 10:43am
	Hi! I need your help! I'm an aspiring actress in Tampa, FL. I moved here recently due to my husband's job. We were about 1 1/2 hrs. outside of NYC before we moved to Tampa, and I'd go in to the city for auditions here and there. We have two children, 5 and 6 yrs, so we'd like to stay out of a city. My background is in Broadcast Journalism. I started in the Army (Germany). I became interested in acting during a hosting audition with MTV a few years back. I took some acting classes, and I do have a good agent in Orlando. Question 1. Any advice on maintaining a family situation (children) and being an actor??? Any other acting mother's out there? I am in the midst of getting my real estate license in the hopes that this will be a decent income but will allow for flexibility. For the last few yrs, like most I guess, I have been struggling financially just so I can go to auditions and send headshots/resumes out to casting directors. Oh yeah, and do these always need to have a cover letter attached? question 2: I have no theatre on my resume. It's all reporting, commercials, radio, voice-overs, and then: and I hope this helps and not hinders: Fear Factor. I want to be recognized as a legit actor, I want to be a working actor, I am very motivated, very passionate, but I need to know where to best concentrate my energies. How to get involved with the right things. I get offered modeling gigs more often than acting, and this is not my goal. And with having children- I can't and don't really want to move to NY or LA, at least not unless I landed something wonderful, then I would. Should I audition and do local theatre? Any advice for theatres to get involved with around Tampa? I do sing and love to dance as well. This will take a big committment, and that's ok if it will really help my resume, considering that my goal is to do *daytime drama or comedy/sitcom work (as opposed to theatre). question 3: any advice on self-promo and marketing? Help! I need the best possible direction!!!

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looking2bcast Player Joined: 10/05/05 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 21	Posted: 11/09/05 at 5:28pm
	First of all read this book and the monthly newsletters it answers alot of your questions. http://www.youmustact.com/mmbahhtok.html As far as a cover letter I would say yes every casting director that I have talked to say that they prefer a short cover letter. They dont like to have to dig for your basic information. Remember to them time is money so anything you can do to save them time is going to help you. As far as where to concentrate your efforts any acting you do is going to help to perfect your craft. You just don't want to load your resume up with theatre if that isn't where you want to concentrate later. Do some independant films or student films and build your acting reel etc. then you will have a well rounded resume. Feel free to email me at lookin2bcast@yahoo.com and I can give you some breakdown lists and some other great sites/groups to help lead you in the right direction.
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Gaafa Celebrity Joined: 3/21/04 Location: Australia Online Status: Offline Posts: 1181	Posted: 11/09/05 at 8:24pm
	Being a mere male! I not having the right kit to be a theatre mum! Amdram community theatre is a great place for you to gain basic theatre skills. The student films are also a good spring board & I?m sure you are worldly enough to avoid, some of the users & abusers, that these small one reel endeavours seem to attract. Also in your local theatre group &/or groups, you may find you can also take along & involve both of your tinlids, even the old man as well! In fact as theatre is always screaming to fill roles with men in it. He may end up getting a lot more parts than you! Chookas
	Joe Western Gondawandaland turn right @ Perth. Hear the light & see the sound. Toi Toi Toi Chookas {{"chook [chicken] it is"} May you always play to a full house}
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Gaafa Celebrity Joined: 3/21/04 Location: Australia Online Status: Offline Posts: 1181	Posted: 11/09/05 at 9:52pm
	Here something that may help you. That I have just remembered. (At my age it takes a while for the two bob bit to drop!] I have used this system & advise other aspiring thespians. Who have played back & said it does amazingly work well! With your PC at home, design up a post card, with your skills and whatever bullet listed, along with tick the box answers, that your prospective Agents/Directors can easily do. Such as ?yes send me your resume/headshot?, ?Not interested at this time? & ?Contact me???? for an audition/interview at ???.? &/or any of the normal answers you have got or would like to get, on one side of the post card. On the other side have it printed with your name, address & add a postage stamp. Put it in a stamped envelope addressed to the prospective person or company & send it. What you will find is they won?t disgard it, but take a few seconds & tick the boxes, hopefully adding details of what they require for you to attend or who to send your resume to. It seems to work & you should get a lot of interviews or auditions, because the bod can quickly answer it & do nothing more than put in the out tray. In fact I think you will be pleasantly surprised & even get request for resumes from others who you never sent the post card to as well. One thing though it possibly better to have your address printed as a Post Office Box, rather than your home & use a cell phone number as well! You will find this is much cheaper than sending out heaps of resumes & headsets as a cold canvas & even if you made up a few hundred postcards, all it?s going to cost you is 2 postage stamps for everyone you send out. {The post card can easily be updated from time to time easily with your PC] Further these cards can be carried with you at all times & can be used in the same way, as you do with business cards, with or without the postage stamp!
	Joe Western Gondawandaland turn right @ Perth. Hear the light & see the sound. Toi Toi Toi Chookas {{"chook [chicken] it is"} May you always play to a full house}
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