Can non-union actors do union work?

Sure. But you will likely have to join the appropriate union before or sometime after actually performing.

(see the following: http://www.aftra.org/HowToJoin.htm and http://www.sag.org/content/getting-started-actor-faq)

• Any person who has performed or intends to perform professional work in any one of AFTRA's jurisdictions is eligible for membership. Contact your Local office for specific information about AFTRA membership and its benefits.
• The SAG (Screen Actors Guild) collective bargaining agreements provide that membership in SAG is required, in most cases, either (a) 30 days after the first principal employment or (b) 30 days after a background actor has received his or her third voucher.
• Keep in mind, you must be ready and willing to follow SAG’s rules and regulations and to accept ONLY union employment once you become a member of SAG.
• Also, joining Screen Actors Guild, members also agree to abide by Rule 9, which states that members of one of the Four A performers' unions (SAG, AFTRA, Equity, AGVA, AGMA) will not accept non-union work in another union's jurisdiction.

Can a union actor do non-union work?

Not usually. There are some exceptions, so the actor should contact their union. If a union actor is caught performing in a non-union production - even in the jurisdiction of a union in which the actor is not a member, there could be serious financial consequences and/or loss of union membership.

A Condensed History of Acting - How did acting (or theatre) begin?

Acting originated on Pelican island, which is an island in the middle of the Missouri river, north of St. Louis. It began there in the year 5003 BC.

Of course there was no written record of what play these first thespians produced, but the recent discovery of ancient drawings on the basement walls of Rudolph J. Penderbottom's quaint little Victorian home in Cahokia seems to indicate the first play (a musical) was a clever cross between Gilligans island and Promethius Bound. Odd as it may seem, this combination proved highly successful and toured up and down the Missouri river, playing to appreciative Native-American audiences. Eventually, the little troup hit the big-time, playing all the villages along the shores of the mighty Mississippi.

The theatre was built upon several, tethered rafts made of bulrushes and river mud. Torches were used for lighting the acting area. Lights were dimmed by various stage hands (raft hands as they were known back then) standing in front of the torches, thus blocking the full intensity of the lights at the appropriate moment. There is no record of what the raft hands were paid, but it is a good bet that union rules would have required extra allowance be paid for working with fire.

The play lasted three and one half days without intermissions. Audiences back then apparently had a lot more stamina then today's pampered play goers. Unfortunately, a mishap initiated by a disgruntled raft hand resulted in the entire production going up in flames somewhere between Hannible and the Lock and Dam near Saverton. The troup was devastated by the financial loss as insurance had not yet been conceived.

Times being as they were, it was impossible to find a financial backer willing to assume the risk. After several unsuccessful attempts to mount lesser productions on neighboring Cora island, the group disbanded. Acting fell into a deep, deep slumber. Upon the charred remains of the bulrush rafts, acting drifted down the Mississippi and out into the uncharted Gulf.

When acting awoke, it found itself in ancient Greece. But that's another chapter in our Condensed History of Acting.

There's no business like show business.

Which subjects do I need to study in order to be an actress?

Being a professional actress is not like being a doctor, where you go to pre-med then med school, get a residency and internship at a hospital, take an exam and if all goes well you are a doctor. There is no "career path" to becoming a professional actress. It is simply not a sure thing that you will ever actually earn a living as a professional actress. However, there are things you can do to increase the chances of becoming a professional actress.

At the top of the list of things is training. Not just acting training, but also training in voice, singing, dancing (ballet, tap, jazz, ballroom, etc.,) music and other perfoming arts. Early in a career, aspiring actresses never know where their first jobs will come from. An actress who is a competent actress but doesn't know how to sing or dance will have far, fewer job offers than a "triple threat" actress who is a trained actress, singer and dancer. Being reasonably competent in as many of the performing arts as possible will make an actress much more likely to get professional work, be it in the theatre, TV, commercials, radio, theme parks, cruise ships, touring shows, voice-over, trade shows, etc.

At this stage in your development as an actress, I suggest you take as many music, dance, voice, singing, etc. classes as you can in your school or in workshops or classes outside of your school. If there are no acting classes available, don't worry about it. You can start your own performance group (either as a solo performer or with other like-minded folks in your area) and arrange performances at local venues. This will be great experience for you and you will learn a lot. It will also teach you how to get your butt out there in front of an audience and get comfortable with performing - which is what actresses do for a living.

If it is financially possible, check into attending an acting/performing arts summer camp to get additional training and performance experience - http://www.redbirdstudio.com/AWOL/camps.html.

Study hard and get good grades in school because that will give you an opportunity to get into a college with a good actor training program (start researching those now so you can be ready to apply when the time comes.) If you do all that, you will have a good start

I have had my first encounter with a manager who really wants to sign...

From Concerned Mom: Hi, I have had my first encounter with a manager who really wants to sign my 12 year old daughter. I have to say, he was a very nice guy, but I felt as if I was talking to a car salesman. Can I expect all of the managers I meet to behave in this fashion? He wants to sign her for 3 years which he says is standard, is this true?

Also, I've read that it can be very helpful to have a manager at the beginning of your career or later on if your career becomes too busy to manage on your own. How important do you think a manager is to get started vs. going for meeting with agents instead? I feel I have a very good sense of where my daughter needs improvement and additional experience but I lack the business contacts.

Additionally, this manager is as I said, is a very nice guy, very full of energy but has only been in business 2 years. I get the impression he would work very hard for my daughter, but is it a big disadvantage that he is new and may not have a lot of contacts in the business???

Hi Concerned Mom. I am not sure why you are seeking the services of a "manager". If you live in a large market like LA or New York, and your daughter is talented, has training in acting and performance skills, and has acquired some solid professional or semi-professional experience, then a manager might be helpful in further developing a career. If you are in a smaller market like Chicago, or Seattle or Pittsburgh, then there is no need for a manager - there are a small number of agents through which most paying work goes and getting a manager would be no real advantage. In a smaller market, there should be no problem "signing" with a legitimate agent if your daughter is talented, skilled, eager, hard working and has some experience (local theatre, local newspaper/magazine modeling experience, extra in a film.)

But if you feel you still could benefit from the services of a talent manager, I would not sign a three year contract. That is not "standard" and it will cost you a lot of money to try and get out of if you find out the "manager" is ineffective or not really doing much for you. Also, you will have to pay the "manager" a percentage of your daughter's earnings - for three years - even if this "manager" turns out to be a dud.

If you do decide to sign with a "manager" the contract should be very specific about what services are to be performed, how often and during what time frame. For instance, the manager will arrange X number of appropriate agent or casting director interviews or auditions within X number of months.

Also, the contract should be very specific about under what circumstances the contract can be terminated.

I strongly suggest you take a copy of the contract to a lawyer who is familiar with entertainment law, and have that lawyer look over the conditions of the contract. This will cost you several hundred dollars, but it will cost you many thousands of dollars to sign a contract (especially a 3 year contract) that turns out to be a bad mistake to have signed.

If the "manager" balks at letting you have a copy of the contract for a lawyer to review, then immediately leave the office and don't go back.

BTW, "very nice guys" are the best scammers. If they were creepy, no one would trust them enough to fall for their scam.

I do not live in the United States, but would like to come to the States to become an actor.

There are literally thousands of well-trained, experienced and well connected American-born actors in LA, NY and elsewhere in the US. They understand the system. They live in it day after day. They are knowledgeable about the industry and, believe me, they have spent many years studying, struggling and "paying their dues". They do not have any visa problems or restrictions and they have great personalities and talent - innate and practiced.

These people are your competition. What are your chances? Very slim. I suggest you spend a few years where you live; auditioning, taking classes, building a solid body of good acting work and developing knowledge of the industry and some industry connections before you make the leap across the pond.

To find out the visas you need to study acting or to work as a paid actor in the States, contact the 

US Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services 

re: student visa and visas for working as a performer in the U.S.

My parents won't support my decision to become an actor. What can I do?

Here are a few negotiating strategies that can help:

ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS remain calm, respectful and rational. You cannot expect your parents to change their attitudes overnight. Angry outbursts as a reaction to your disappointment will only set them more firmly against the whole idea. Building support from reluctant parents is complex and must be approached objectively and calmly.

Tantrums, shouting matches, defiance, anger and whining are not acceptable behaviors for a professional actor. Show your parents you are mature, responsible, trustworthy, and can handle disappointment gracefully, like a pro. These are important traits for an actor to possess.

Negotiations frequently involve setbacks. How you handle those setbacks is an important part of continued success. Keep in mind that your ultimate goal, your long-term goal, is to help your parents feel comfortable, be accepting and be supportive of your desire and efforts to study and do acting.

You need your parents on your side. This is new for them. Work on the idea slowly. Don't shove it at them all at once. It could take months or a year or more to make headway. Success take its own time. Those who are prepared and ready recognize it when it arrives. Don't rush blindly toward some imagined wisp of stardom. Prepare yourself for success.

In the mean time, demonstrate your interest in acting by:

• Attending local plays - not just movies.

• Find out about your local community theatres and subscribe to their newsletters.

• Read lots and lots of books about acting so you can learn something about acting and the business of acting, even if you cannot attend classes. You can find acting books in the library or you can purchase some through AWOL's Book Search.

• Take any performance skill classes you can in and outside of school. This includes acting, dance, singing, voice, music, even such things as forensics, juggling, martial arts...These are very valuable skills for an actor to have. You never know what you will called upon to do for a role. The more skills you are competent in, the more employable you are - and better able to pay the monthly bills when you are on your own as a struggling actor in NY or LA.

They will still be making movies when you are prepared and ready - and when you have your parents on your side.

My question is about using a stage name.

My last name is long, nobody can pronounce it correctly, and to be truthful I don't care for it much. I am wondering if to use a stage name do I have to legally change my last name? If not do I have to explain to directors etc. that it's only a stage name? Thank you very much for your help.

You do not have to legally change you name. However, if you choose a stage name that a professional actor already has, you would not be able to use it if you ever hoped to join an actor union and get paid for your acting work. So choose carefully. You do not have to mention that you are using a stage name. However, if you get paid, you will have to make sure your checks are made out to whatever name you use for your bank accounts and that you don't run into mix-ups with social security and taxes. Talk to your bank about setting up your accounts to make that possible.

I've seen and heard countless times that it's taboo to, on an audition, sing a song from the show you're auditioning for.

However, I have an upcoming audition for a play that the casting notice requests actresses going for the lead to play 16 bars of a piano piece if they choose. I read the play and realized that the lead plays a specific (and somewhat recognizable) Nocturne by Chopin. I know how to play piano, and I know 16 bars of this piece, so I suppose my question is... would you recommend I play the piece that will be in the play, or should I play something else? Thank you so much in advance for your reply, and have a lovely rest of August!

Go ahead and play the Chopin piece. In case they ask, be prepared with a couple of others to play as well. Demonstrating to the auditors that you can play the piece is different than performing with a song from a play. They will likely be happy to know you indeed have the ability to satisfactorily play Chopin and will be in your favor. 

BTW, unless specified in the audition notice, it is OK to perform a song from the play for which you audition. If the auditors happen to like your rendition, it will build interest in you for the part (or another part.) If they don't like it (they might have a rather specific, preconceived notion of what the song is supposed to sound like) it might cast a bit of a shadow. If you are unsure, ask. You should always be prepared to sing an appropriate, alternate song.

What is most important is that you do not simply "sing" the song. The song is designed (usually) to propell the character development and plot along. So the song is "acted" (like dialog) - the actor must convey motivation, subplot and all those other good actorly things. Break a leg.

If you think you might be too old to get into acting...

It is never too late to start acting. However, your chances of earning a living as a professional actor are extremely small. Of course this is the same for just about anyone who wants to become a professional actor. Take a look at the AWOL lesson, AN ACTOR'S LIFE... on the AWOL homepage.
 
If acting is something you feel driven to do, I suggest you take some classes and get involved in community theatre and whatever local film, TV and industrial productions you can find. This will help satisfy your creative desires and earn you a few dollars once in a while. Who knows, after awhile, things might lead you in a professional direction after all. Just don't quit the day job yet.

Considering how competitive the business is and how many actors have a big training and experience jump on you, you will have to be quite focused and work hard to get trained, develop experience and learn about the business. You should not wait any longer to prepare yourself to compete. This means lots of workshops, classes, auditions and reading every acting book you can find. It means classes in singing, dance, literature (even poetry), music, improvisation, etc. It means a lot of hard, focused work.

How do you make yourself cry?

Here are my best thoughts on crying. If you are having a difficult time crying in a performance, then the problem is with your acting technique, not your crying technique. Which is why you are having such a hard time fixing it. You are trying to correct the wrong thing.

Don't try to develop some mechanical technique to make yourself cry. Your character, in the context of the play, isn't using some technique to make himself cry. The conflict or release of conflict within the character, intentions, etc. is making the character cry. If you focus your attention on a mechanical technique, or focus on some imagined, out-of-script sad event, then you are no longer focused on your character. Your mind is not on the character and the circumstances. Your mind is now on the actor trying to cry. Not the character, thinking, remembering, desiring, reacting, feeling the urge to cry, resisting the urge to cry.

Focus on your character and in playing the moment believably. Focus on the through-line, subtext, intentions, timing and all that other acting stuff (see the FREE Acting Lessons on the AWOL homepage .) If you did your job well, the tears will be there when they are supposed to be there. Why? Because if it is believable that the character should cry, and if you are fully absorbed in playing the character, then you will cry.

What if you are not fully absorbed in playing the character? The stage is not so predictable performance after performance. For camera work, take after take. What if the tears don't come? If you are doing your acting job well, then don't sweat the tears. Heck, most members of the audience will swear you actually cried even though you did not. Why? because your belief in the character becomes their reality. That's the magic of acting.

For camera work, if all acting efforts fail, the closeness of a shot and the level of "realism" required might indicate other measures be taken. The director simply shoots the scene without your tears, cuts, places some fake tears on your face and shoots the scene again but from another perspective, then edits the two shots together melding the moment just before you were supposed to cry with the moment you began"crying"with the fake tears in place - to make it appear as if you cried real tears. The different perspectives cover for the fakery - just like it does with the other thousands of edits which make up a film. You can cheat a lot in camera work.