Covid-19 has once again taken over Broadway, in such a big way, you’d think Covid would get its own Equity card.
With Jagged Little Pill, Thoughts of a Colored Man and Waitress shutting down for good, and an unprecedented number of shows canceled due to the Coronavirus, what’s an actor to do when the show abruptly ends?
Here are three tips to keep your acting chops sharp and your boredom at bay in between jobs:
NEVER STOP TRAINING
Working 12-16 hours a day can take a toll on you. That doesn’t mean that just because you suddenly have off from work that you can take a million year break. While you may not have to get up at the crack of dawn, or go to bed at the crack of dawn, you still need to train.
Staying on top of your game is how you will benefit when it’s time for your next round of auditions.
You’ve heard the phrase “use it or lose it”…
Work on monologues. DirectSubmit from NYCastings has a database of monologues to choose from. Fit for all ages, now’s your time to take advantage of these FREE single character speeches!
BE A GUEST ON A PODCAST or START YOUR OWN PODCAST
Now is your opportunity to be in the spotlight and bring attention to yourself and any causes or words of wisdom you may want to share with the world.
You need to be proactive and put yourself out there. Look for a video or audio podcast run by someone who is known for interviewing people in show business.
The hosts aren’t going to come to you… you need to go after them.
Be a Guest on a Podcast
To give you a start, below are a few podcasts to set your sights on. Listen to them while you workout, clean, are in the subway or car. Learn from them, and then contact the hosts to see if you can be a guest. You may not get a “yes”, so think of it as an audition!
That One Audition Podcast with Alyshia Ochse
Little Known Facts with Ilana Levine
Brian Breaks Character with Brian Patacca
Start Your Own Podcast
If you’re brave enough to start your own podcast, head over to the Smart Passive Income Podcast by Pat Flynn, who claims to be the #1 Back to the Future Fan, to learn about equipment, lighting and business in general. There’s enough information to make your head spin double the amount of times that Linda Blair’s head spins!
WRITE YOUR OWN SCRIPT
You’ve been playing characters that everyone else has written. How about playing your own character? No one can write a better character for you than yourself. It’s about knowing who you are inside and out; how you’ll react to certain situations; how you’ll behave during happy and dark times.
Did you know that Shonda Rhimes has a MasterClass on how to write for television?
Wikipedia says that Shonda Lynn Rhimes is an American television producer, screenwriter, and author. She is best known as the showrunner—creator, head writer, and executive producer—of the television medical drama Grey’s Anatomy, its spin-off Private Practice, and the political thriller series Scandal.
There are bunches of other online resources to learn how to write a script. You can Google a simple search and wah-la!
The above three tips on what to do when the show ends should keep you very busy until you land your next job.
Feel free to share your acting podcasts with us at @DirectSubmitNYCastings!
