Expert: Peter Messaline - 6/2/2008

Question
I've been in the performing arts pretty much since grade school but more so on the musical side of things. Through a term of events I'm 24 years old and a college freshman majoring in theatre performance. I am paying for this 100% out of my own pocket and am doing night classes to maintain that 4 year plan so i can graduate before I'm 30. I've been reading lots and lots on website like backstage.com, acting biz.com and various other sites as well as bio's of successful actors. My question is what can I expect after i graduate college? am i supposed to move to NY? I already ruled LA out because my car won't wake it till next year let alone out there. I'm very insecure and worried because I am so far behind in life as far as academics go that I'll graduate and be a waiter for 10 years until I'm 40 and have nothing to show for it. I'm not a star jumper or anything like that I just don't know what to do.

Answer
Congratulations on your research sources so far. You might also look at the many sites featuring advice from Bonnie Gillespie. Also read books like Micheal Shurtleff's Audition, and other books in the 790 or 792 area of the Dewey decimal system featuring actors talking about the life of an actor. Take all the advice you can, then make up your own mind.

You don't say where you are going to college. If there is professional theatre within travelling distance, you should start by writing regularly to the artistic directors. If there is film and tv work, search out the casting directors and write to them. No clearly you won't get work from any of them just yet, but by talking about what they are doing and what you are doing you will start to build up a presence. To start with, concentrate on how good they are, how interesting, how successful. Don't say this, but comment on the successes in their publicity, the coup of landing the NY actor as their Hamlet, the success of their first series casting.
Search for things that don't hit the big newspapers -- look at the local and university papers for news items that are important to the theatre or casting director, even if they aren't national stories.
Talk about your own progress and opinions cautiously, starting small. You have plenty of time before beginning to push yourself as a possible hire. What you are aiming at is being thought of as an insider, not just another out-of-work graduate.

While you are at college, look for outside things to do. Your course may use a conservatory approach which will leave you little outside time, but do try. Look for things completely outside your course, because there is nothing more incestuous than a drama faculty, but also look for outside places to act, even if it's just voicing the local charity commercial, or being the announcer at a church fete, and look for experience in non-acting performance-related jobs. Your school will probably demand that you work backstage on seniors' productions, but offer yourself as a gopher whenever possible. You will learn all sorts of useful skills (nothing is more valuable to an indie producer than a person who can deal with problems), and more people will think of you as A Good Thing (making it more likely that someone in future will say  'Oh, yes, Matt. He's a good guy', which may get you casting against a stranger.

Stay active in your career. Don't forget that it's Show BUSINESS. You don't get the magic unless you get the jobs.