Expert: Kenneth D. Plonkey - 4/16/2010

Question
Kenneth,

Hi, I am going to be 26 in a couple of weeks and I am thinking of starting a career in acting. I have done research on what I need to do and I have been looking into a few colleges in Minnesota. I am kind of worried if it would be worth it for me to attend acting school, cause I have 2 daughters, ages 7 and 2. Would I still be able to become an actress, even though I have a family? Would I not be able to see my kids for months at a time? And one more question, about auditions, would they allow you to bring kids with to the auditions? I figured it would be a while before I would get an audition since I still have to go to school and find jobs. So, they would probably be older than they are now. I wasn't sure if I could even get into acting cause I have to young kids. I look forward to reading your response. Hope to hear from you soon!

Sincerely,
Tanya Thurmes

Answer
Hi Tayna, actually it is not necessary to go to college or acting school to be an actor, but your have other problems hindering your idea as well. MN is not a great place to become an actor and unless you have someone who can take care of your daughters when you go on auditions and for work, I don't see how you can manage. The first step would be to audition for some community theatre plays and find out if you have the talent and personality needed for acting.  These are free and in the evenings, so you would need a sitter.  Well, if you can deal with these problems, let me know and we can move forward. God bless Doc