How do I even attempt to audition?

[CadenceBrown]

Posted: 4/8/18 at 12:00am

Hello my name is Cadence as you can probably already tell. I am fourteen years of age and I am from Canada. Ever since I was extremely young musical theatre has been in my life. i have been in several plays, but nothing major as I haven’t had any opportunities living in a irrelevant city. When i am 18 i hope to pursue my dreams and try to become a Broadway actress but i don’t have an in-depth idea on how to start. Some guidance would be much appreciated. I am vocally trained, and I am confident in my acting abilities, I am very passionate and serious about this dream of mine.

[taylortrensch]

Posted: 4/8/18 at 12:06am

You can find this information with a google search.

[haterobics]

Posted: 4/8/18 at 12:18am

CadenceBrown said: "i have been in several plays, but nothing major as I haven’t had any opportunities living in a irrelevant city. "

Step one is to become the best thing ever in an irrelevant city. Or a minor deal in the closest slightly more relevant city.

[Speed]

Posted: 4/8/18 at 8:03am

Or we could help her.

Cadence- move to NYC, subscribe to Backstage online, and go to as many auditions as you can.

[freewilma]

Posted: 4/8/18 at 10:25am

You could start by learning about educational opportunities around you.  There are lots of groups that offer master classes and workshops for young artists.  Many colleges offer camps and "intensives" over the summer months.  Find every opportunity to perform / audition in your home town and surrounding communities.  Take dance classes and voice lessons so you can be a true triple threat.  Lay the ground work for your passion so when you are old enough to apply for colleges / conservatories / move to NYC, you will find greater success.  

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 4/8/18 at 11:13am

First and foremost, to audition and work on Broadway you need an Equity card.  Simple as that.  Study and learn your craft in the meantime.  Simple as that.  Becoming obsessed with obtaining an Equity card will give you the drive and ambition as THIS is what you will need to attend Broadway auditions (yes, an Equity membership IS required) and if you already have an Equity card upon your arrival into NYC when you're older, the hurdles many young artists struggle with, you'll have already covered.  Many actor friends I know made their ensemble Broadway debuts a short month after moving to NYC and beginning to audition because they arrived with their Equity card situation already dealt with.  Their first NYC auditions were already Equity auditions.  You need to be calculated.  Once you learn about what it takes to obtain an Equity card, solely seek out theatre productions in your area that will qualify you for Equity points.  Even if its a horrible theatre company and you're basically just doing nothing, take that job if it gets you  Equity points.  Pay your dues, so to speak.  Do those horrible jobs if you're getting Equity points.  That should be your goal.    

[AEA AGMA SM]

Posted: 4/8/18 at 1:03pm

Just to correct something, you do NOT have to have your Equity card to audition. Having your card makes your access to auditions much easier, but it's not a requirement, and I do know some people who got their cards on their first Broadway show.

EPAs and ECCs both have wait list options and non-Equity people do sometimes get seen at those. Most shows will also hold appointment auditions where your Equity status won't matter, though having an agent will be very helpful in snagging one of those.

In addition it is not uncommon for shows to hold open auditions where again your Equity status won't matter, just how early you can get there to sign up.

[bwaylvsong]

Posted: 4/8/18 at 1:51pm

^As a non-union actor from NYC, it has actually in my experience been easier to get seen for Broadway shows than for theatres that give EMC points, since the latter is seen as a more "realistic" job and more actors attend during a shorter audition period. As Brody said, if at all possible, get your card or at least lots of points before moving to NYC.

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 4/8/18 at 2:00pm

I’d say go to school and study theatre

[NotTheComfyChair]

Posted: 4/8/18 at 5:28pm

Going to a good training program, be it a conservatory BFA or long-term acting studio course, would be a good step. It will give you new skills and should hone what you already know. It should also prepare for working in the "business" in the US and will hopefully give you an agent showcase - though the showcase is no guarantee of subsequent representation. It's quite possible to have a good and fulfilling acting career and never work in NYC.

NB, it is not easy for Canadians to get work in the US. Immigration law makes it hard, but not necessarily impossible, to get work as an actor down here. You need to do some research into that as well

[CadenceBrown]

Posted: 4/8/18 at 8:53pm

Thank you! is joining the equity in canada, the same as the american one?

[perfectlymarvelous]

Posted: 4/8/18 at 11:50pm

No, they are separate organizations. 

[MemberName2]

Posted: 4/9/18 at 11:24am

CadenceBrown said: "Thank you! is joining the equity in canada, the same as the american one?"

They have a reciprocal agreement. If you're a member in good standing of Canadian Actors Equity Association, you're eligible to join Actors Equity Association in America IF you are a dual citizen or legal resident alien (green card holder), you just have to pay the initiation fees. As a member of CAEA you can also attend AEA ECC's and EPA's in the U.S. without any green card or citizenship requirements, but your chance of being hired without legal work eligibility in the U.S. is slim; it happens in very specific circumstances, but it's rare.

Immigrating to the U.S. is very difficult if you're not a dual citizen. I'd recommend looking into U.S. college theatre programs. They're substantially more expensive than attending school in Canada, but after you graduate, your student visa grants you an extra year to stay in the States and try to book work. If you start booking work, you can begin a path to a merit-based green card ("Hey look, U.S. companies keep hiring me so I must be really good. You should grant me a green card! " 

In the meantime, look for community theatre groups near you to get some practice. 

Updated On: 4/9/18 at 11:24 AM

[imdreamingbig]

Posted: 4/9/18 at 11:48pm

The above is a misunderstanding of the extent of the reciprocal agreement between CAEA and AEA. If you are a member of CAEA, your union will help you secure the appropriate work permit (in this case, a P2) if you are hired under AEA's jurisdiction. The green card (or an O-1 visa) is not necessary.

From CAEA's website:

"Actors' Equity Association in the United States (AEA) and Equity established a Reciprocal Agreement upon our amicable separation in 1976, which pledges cooperation in matters of common interest, and free interchange of members across the border, including helping members to get the appropriate work permits from the government. The agreement protects each association's members against possible undercutting that could be potentially be caused by visiting artists. Under US Public Law 102-232, you are allowed to enter the United States to look for work within American Equity’s jurisdiction, thanks to our reciprocal agreement. Once you have been offered a job, you must apply for a P-2 Visa: write or call AEA, inform them of your intention to apply for the aforementioned P-2, and request that they send a letter to your engager. The engager must then provide the immigration office with your name, and the name and dates of the production."

Cadence, I would recommend that you begin thinking about pursuing theatre in post-secondary education. Yes, you may be able to get work in the United States on your student visa either in your summers off or in the year post-graduation as MemberName2 mentions, but it will likely not be enough work at a high enough caliber for the US gov't to want to grant you an artist visa (O-1) or a green card. Having been a Canadian who had aspirations very similar to yours, who went to the US to get a degree in musical theatre (I don't regret my choice at all), I was fortunate enough to work a LOT between years and then booked a very substantial non-equity job shortly before graduation. I then had to return home when my work authorization expired. It was a hard adjustment, having spent so much time in the US, moving to Toronto where my connections to big US theatres and theatremakers mattered little. It was a little like starting over, and the people my age who had gone to Canadian theatre schools had a leg up on me when I arrived in Toronto. Keep that in mind. Like I said, I don't regret my choice to go to school in the US--I got a lot of opportunities I wouldn't have had access to otherwise--but just know that there are also fantastic post-secondary insititutions (some are colleges, some are universities, some confer degrees and others do not) to train in MT all across Canada as well. In BC, there's Capilano, in Alberta, there's MacEwan, in Nova Scotia, there's Dalhousie, in Ontario, there's Sheridan, Queen's, St. Clair, St. Lawrence, and Randolph. I've had friends and colleagues go through each of these programs and they've all emerged successful, well-rounded artists, which proves that you really can "make it" coming from anywhere. If you're interested in going to college/university for Musical Theatre, I would recommend you start reading the Musical Theatre subforum on College Confidential now. It's going to be far more helpful to you than these boards. Getting into school for MT is very difficult; by and large, it is harder than getting into Harvard. Preparation is essential and you can never start too soon, as the process gets more and more competitive every year.

Where are you from? You don't have to give any personal details, a province would suffice. Most provinces have theatre networks (e.g. Theatre Ontario, Theatre Alberta) that provide support and oversight for the theatrical ecology within that province. Many of those organizations also provide training (or scholarships for training) for young people who are residents of that province. Let us know where you're from and I can try and dig up some opportunities for you. I used to think I lived in an "irrelevant city," too, but now I realize there were so many opportunities that I missed growing up, and that there are even more now!

[CadenceBrown]

Posted: 4/9/18 at 11:59pm

Thank you very much for this generous reply! I am in Alberta, but would love to go to a Canadian MT school after high school. I have been doing a ton of research and i am quite aware how difficult this business is sadly. I’m crossing my fingers it all works out well, as i am going to be putting a bunch of hard work into this the following three years. I’m not so sure Broadway will end up working out for me unfortunately (not that i’m not going to still try and see what will come of it) it might be more realistic at this point to see where Canada will take me.

[Impeach2017]

Posted: 4/10/18 at 12:07am

If you're serious you must be in New York.  Don't wait too long and get bogged down elsewhere wasting away in some hinterland berg.  Youth must be served, and if you really do have the talent you say you do go for it, no matter what.  Good luck.

[imdreamingbig]

Posted: 4/10/18 at 1:19am

Cadence, check out this link and see if there are any programs in your area that you can take advantage of: http://www.theatrealberta.com/playbill/youth/. Consider also applying to ArtsTrek: http://www.theatrealberta.com/artstrek/. If you are anywhere near Edmonton, consider applying to the Foote School when you are of age: http://www.citadeltheatre.com/artists-learning/the-academy/young-companies/submit-to-the-program, and if you are near Calgary, keep an eye on what Theatre Calgary is doing--Stafford Arima, the new artistic director, is a Canadian with several Broadway direction credits and his appointment is very exciting. There will likely be some interplay at that theatre in the next several years between Arima and his US colleagues. Theatre Calgary is also hosting a Broadway Dreams summer intensive this summer, and the deadline is approaching: https://www.theatrecalgary.com/artists-and-learning/broadway-dreams. I've had many friends who have said they have had a good time at Broadway Dreams intensives across Canada and the US. I know this isn't in Alberta, but also consider applying for some intensives at the Stratford Festival in Ontario: relevant to your interests, there is a Musical Theatre intensive for grades 9-12, and a Theatre Performance Intensive for grades 11-12. I have friends who did both when we were high school students, and they said those programs really prepared them for theatre school auditions (those same friends went on to matriculate at Windsor's BFA acting program, Sheridan MT, and many US theatre schools). You would also get the chance to see many Stratford Festival productions by attending these intensives, and you'll really be able to see that working at some of the top Canadian theatres is just as good as being on Broadway. The Stratford programs provide room and board, so it's almost like theatre summer camp.

Also, please ignore anyone who says you need to be in New York. There are many places in the world where it's possible to be successful in theatre, and trying to be successful in commercial theatre (i.e. Broadway, primarily) is not for everyone. The good news is that you can absolutely have a healthy, fulfilling career in Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Halifax... Canadian musical theatre is also experiencing a really interesting period of growth following the success of Come From Away. It's an exciting time to be a Canadian theatre artist.

I've been where you are. I went to theatre school in the US at 17 thinking "Broadway is all I'll ever want." Theatre school made my dreams change a little. Now, my biggest dream is to be a company member at the Shaw Festival. Absence from Canada really has made my heart grow fonder, and I'm so excited to be home and working in this vibrant community of artists.

[VintageSnarker]

Posted: 4/10/18 at 1:59am

Have you thought about starting a youtube channel? I mean an engaging one, not just one where you post show clips and recitals. It might be a good creative outlet if there really aren't a lot of opportunities around you since you have a few years until college. And developing a small fan base never hurts.