Another way for young actors to be seen

If you’re a struggling actor in LA or New York, chances are you want to get hired on TV, or movies, or commercials. In other words, jobs that PAY. Even Broadway, as prestigious as that is, can’t compare to being in the supporting cast of a Ryan Murphy TV series or helping Flo hawk Progressive Insurance.  

One of the (many) problems young actors face is being seen. How do they get on casting directors’ radar? I think the best way is through theatre. Even in Los Angeles, there are plenty of small theatres and productions, and more than one successful actor has been “discovered” doing a play in a black box theatre in Reseda.

Two problems though: Getting hired, and it’s a major undertaking to rehearse and memorize an entire full-length play for the 49-seat theatre it’s playing in. That generally requires a commitment of several months. And the compensation is nothing or table scraps. If the actor still has a full-time job to support himself it becomes an exhausting process. That’s dedication.

So I tip my hat to the actors who make that commitment, appear in full-length plays, and oh – improve as actors because they’re plying their craft.

Ah, but there’s an alternate theatre experience that solves some of these problems. Ten-minute plays have really become a thing over the last five/six years. Regional and community theatres are presenting festivals of ten-minute plays. The thinking is: there’s a lot of variety, if you see a play you hate it’s over in ten minutes, and there are usually a lot of actors on the program (and they each bring in audience members so it fills the house).

For the actor it means he only has to learn ten minutes of dialogue, not ninety. Rehearsals are only a few hours and generally you only need three or four of them. And if you’re in the right play at the right time and place you can really get the attention of casting directors, TV and movie folk. I have friends who are producers or agents or casting directors and they come to my plays frequently. Talk about a great showcase.

I’ve seen any number of these ten-minute festivals here in LA over the last few years. (I’ve been in a number of them). And if we’re doing the math – ten plays, probably 2-5 cast members – rounding it off it’s like 40 actors per show.

I must say the thing that struck me is how uneven the acting has been in these LA plays. There are some who are just terrible, amateurish, bordering on painful. And then there are some ringers – super talented young actors whose quality rises above the rest like a phoenix from the ashes.

Trust me, it’s apparent.

The other thing that struck me was how many fresh faces there are in this town. The competition is stiff and brutal. I’ll be honest – there are some struggling actors and actresses I know who should be stars by now. They have the looks, ability, youth – and yet they’re still bartending at night instead of riding on Rose Parade floats. So for all the acting classes, there is still a good deal of luck involved. But any of us in the “industry” know that going in.

I personally don’t have the talent or self-esteem to weather the constant rejection. So I’ve never wanted to be an actor. Believe me, Hollywood is not bereft. As I’ve said many times, my heart goes out to actors. Their dedication and perseverance and gift is to be admired.

Now at least they have more places to shine. Ten-minute play festivals. Look into them. And please be great. I’m always looking for terrific actors for my plays.

NOTE:  I have a play in the Peoples Choice Semi-Finals of the Hollywood Short + Sweet this Thursday night at 7.  You'll see two terrific actors in Tory Berner & Andrew Steel, and it's a play I'm really proud of called DATING THROUGH THE DECADES.   Here's where you go for tickets.   Since it's the semi-finals, ALL of the plays are standouts, including ones by my friends Dan O'Day and Andy Goldberg.  Come join the fun.

from By Ken Levine