Bio's..what are they coming to?- Page 2

[BenSaysOiVey]

Posted: 2/9/08 at 2:11am

I saw the show when I guess she first started and read her bio and thought wow she can't be that stupid, I'm pretty sure its meant to be a joke/funny but I feel like for bway its a waist of space and just unprofessional, you can be funny and not mock it at the same time. and come off as "special", as in the short bus kind.

oh look im yet another person thats not me, way to fix a problem several moths old

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 2/9/08 at 2:51am

If I see the word THRILLED in one more bio, I'm gonna hurl.

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 2/9/08 at 2:55am

My one bio pet peeve, though: when people list their "favorite production" as their child.

Yes, that's rather annoying.

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 2/9/08 at 3:05am

Or 'Proud Union Member'.

Really?!

How many Union members do you who AREN'T proud?

[jordangirl]

Posted: 2/9/08 at 8:17am

While I usually like the more traditional ones, my favorite funny was Steve Kazee's from when he was in Spamalot:

Broadway: Edrward Albee's Seascape, Choad! A Rock Opera, Llams y Llams, Goulet!, The PaLlama Game, Moosecapades, Who's Afraid of Virginia Moose? Off-Broadway: As You Like It, I Married a Moose? Regional: TV/Film: "Conviction" (NBC), "As The World Turns" (CBS), "Dial M for Moose." Education: MFA, NYU Graduate Acting ('05); BFA, Moose U. Proud member AEA, proud member Moose Friends of Sweden. Moose love to Mom, Dad, Megan, Moose Depot... Those responsible for this bio have been sacked."

It makes me laugh. And was back to normal for 110.

And personally if the actor has a music career as well and has a website, I like it when they put that in there so it's easier to find.

(Oh, and theatrediva, I know several people who are union members (not necessarily acting but in other unions) who are NOT proud to be members but didn't have a choice. If you're not in a right-to-work state, you have no choice and they take your money anyway, so you might as well join to get all the benefits. But you don't have to like it.)

Updated On: 2/9/08 at 08:17 AM

[Flaunt It]

Posted: 2/9/08 at 9:01am

It is their time to express themselves tot he audience in a very few words... in the end they can say what they want... shout outs to Jesus and secret boyfriends and all!

ONE OF MY ALL TIME FAVES

Christian Borle* (Kangaroo, Cooking Stove, Bushbuck) WITH NSMT: Debut ELSEWHERE: Coincidentally, Christian played the dual roles of the Kangaroo and the Cooking Stove in the Broadway productions of Footloose and Jesus Christ Superstar, the National Tour of West Side Story, The Offenbach, Germany company of The Who's Tommy, and, most recently, the US Premiere of George Stiles' 3hree Musketeers in San Jose. Stranger still, he appeared as the Stove opposite Jerry Orbach's Kangaroo on TV's Law and Order. He graduated from Carnegie Mellon University with BFA's in both West Indian Cookware Studies and Australian Marsupial Lore. It must be fate.

ALSO
Jesse Tyler Ferguson had a great bio when he did ON THE TOWN:
"I appeared on Broadway - at the 84th and Broadway Starbucks - and Off Broadway - at numerous temp jobs."
Updated On: 2/9/08 at 09:01 AM

[musicalsFan]

Posted: 2/9/08 at 9:29am

Haven Burton's bio is written tongue-in-cheek humor and totally appropriate in the spirit of Legally Blonde.

I'm not her friend, fan, family, whatnot, and I could see that is what it is.

Oy! Being able to understand things in CONTEXT of something else seems to be another lost "art" in America!

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 2/9/08 at 9:31am

*smacks America in the back of the head*

Way to go, America!

[LePetiteFromage]

Posted: 2/9/08 at 9:37am

Updated On: 5/8/09 at 09:37 AM

[nmartin]

Posted: 2/9/08 at 9:52am

That Haven peron's bio (meant to be tongue-in-cheek or not) is bile inducing.

[tinkerscanne]

Posted: 2/9/08 at 10:23am

TheatreDiva,

I was going to say the same thing in regards to being "a proud union member."

I've seen this a lot in the past couple of years and I always question why this needs to be in the bio. If it's a Broadway show or an equity tour, aren't all the performers members of AEA?

As far as other things in bios, I like to read past credits and where they attended school.

[massofmen]

Posted: 2/9/08 at 10:36am

I understand about the "proud union member" thing in bio's..
A friend told me that when the new production contracts were being negotiated 4 years ago, there was a problem with "so many non-eq tours". They wanted to show audiences which shows were Union and which were not. So the actors were asked to write in their bios things like "Member of AEA since.." or "Proud Union/AEA member". So audiences could delineate from the non-union FAME tour and the broadway tour of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. Reaction hoping to be, "Oh Harold look. She is an AEA member, we are seeing a UNION show. I am so happy about that. Unions are wonderful and I am so happy now!"
:)

[jbdc]

Posted: 2/9/08 at 10:43am

That's true-- The unions are actively trying to get members to include union status in bios. In light of the recent strikes, union visibility is important.

I understand how people could interpret silly bios as disrespectful. But also, if you're in a silly show like legally blonde...feel free.

[erikaamato]

Posted: 2/9/08 at 10:49am

I was just about to post something similar to what massofmen did. For the past several years, Equity has been encouraging their members to include one of several phrases in their bio's, in hopes of raising awareness about the union.

From the Equity website:

Add Equity To Your Bio

Across the country, audiences are becoming more aware of Actors' Equity Association and the enormous contributions we make to the American theatre. They recognize the high standards of artistry and professionalism we bring to every production. Communities are interested in having Equity theatres because of the artistic and economic benefits to their local area. New generations of audiences and actors are inspired by what they see on Equity stages.

With this in mind, we ask you to add AEA to your playbill/program bio, mentioning that you are an Equity member.

Here are some suggestions:

AEA member
Equity member
Equity member since 19xx (200x)
Member of Actors' Equity
Proud member of Actors' Equity
Proud member of Equity

That being said, I personally prefer the straight-up credit-list type bio's, although I don't mind a little bit of "flavor" - maybe in the last line. And I think listing awards is wonderful. People have every right to be proud of their accomplishments.

And by the way, many theatres actually have requirements as to exactly the form they want you to use. Center Theatre Group in Los Angeles (Mark Taper Forum, Ahmanson, Kirk Douglas Theatre), for example, has very strict guidelines. (No personality allowed! lol)

[bk2china2chi]

Posted: 2/9/08 at 11:47am

I think that if you've fulfilled a life-long dream to appear in a Broadway show that the itty-bitty, 25-30 word bio you have is YOURS to do with as you please.

I personally think it's VERY important to thank friends, families, partners, wives, teachers, and give "shout-outs" to those who have helped you achieve that dream.

As for a mention of the union - I think the Equity campaign has been successful. "Proudly Equity" is two words in a bio (leaving plenty of room for thank you's and credits) and it raises conversation to the average theater goer... "What's 'equity?'"

... and I think that "Legally Blond" bio was very creative.

[Dover]

Posted: 2/9/08 at 11:55am

I think the situation with the girl in question's bio is that she apparently has fairly recently graduated and only has one credit to fill her 50-75 words, so she added something a little cute. It's still a short bio even with the extra stuff. It wouldn't annoy me if I came across that in a Playbill.

My personal take on bios is that they are primarily to list credits, and a modest mention of related awards, and I like it when there's a small something personal that makes the person more of an individual than just a list of shows. I try to save a few words at the end for something more personal.

As for the Equity thing, it was part of the big campaign in 2004 to raise awareness about union shows. It always sounds a little awkward, but I use it sometimes. At first it was because I wanted to see if the rumor was true that they'd send you a little piece of Equity swag for including it (they do!). If I have something else I want to say I'll leave it off, but often I wind up finishing my credits and having like 3 words left, and "Proud AEA member" is about the shortest complete thought you can fit in a bio, so I use that one a lot. And I do know people who are not proud AEA members, so they do exist.

[erikaamato]

Posted: 2/9/08 at 11:58am

I never got any swag... Maybe LA-area theatre doesn't count. :-P (And I do leave it off a lot, too.)

[mallardo]

Posted: 2/9/08 at 12:24pm

I have to say that what bothers me most in bios are the shout-outs to God that so many performers seem to include. I don't care what their beliefs are - I don't want to hear about them.

[DrTheatre]

Posted: 2/9/08 at 12:36pm

I don't know if this was mentioned or not, but sometimes the actor's don't write their own bio's. Mostly it is usually done by the press-agent, their manager or publicist. In rare cases the actor's write it, but it is mostly done by someone else.

So as before, if it is their manager or publicist or whomever, they are still considered a product. They are trying (and in most cases continuing to sell their product) so that the actor can continue to get work. The bigger awards and credits (mostly) the better the chances a producer or director or someone of knowledge to that will see that and want to bank on them (with out their resume)...it is all a biz, baby!!!

The small "personal stuff" is usually done by the actors, but like I said, I have seen many producers AND directors, look at bios and see credits and go "oh, she/he was in that or that and won that" and then turn to me and say "Bring her/him in for an audition, and I want to see a full resume".

So, again it's a biz!


The one thing that bothers me (and it not about bios but, releated to the playbill itself) is when some touring production don't include pictures of the actors. I hate it when I trying to place name with a face and can't, cause I don't know what the hell he or she looks like.

Updated On: 2/9/08 at 12:36 PM

[jordangirl]

Posted: 2/9/08 at 1:07pm

Just for future reference, plural nouns do not require an apostrophe. (actors, bios, directors, etc.)

And an s on a verb (bothers) definitely does not require one either.

Thanks! :)

[caitlinette]

Posted: 2/9/08 at 2:10pm

Thank you, jordangirl!

[jordangirl]

Posted: 2/9/08 at 2:12pm

You're welcome caitlinette!

[tinkerscanne]

Posted: 2/9/08 at 2:59pm

Thank you for the explanation of the "Proud member of Actors Equity." I get it now!

[me2]

Posted: 2/9/08 at 4:19pm

It's um . . . just a bio . . .
Broadway Blog: Broadway 2054

[nygrl23]

Posted: 2/9/08 at 4:27pm

HB's bio seems totally tongue in cheek, I agree. I kind of like those bios written somewhat in character. Although I have to admit, it's so light and frothy that it's easy to think that Hank is an actual rock.

I once put in a bio that "if you're reading these bios, you got to the theater too early."