| TH 413 - Acting Professionally |
| Instructor: Bruce Cromer TTH 1-2:50, T131 CA Office Hours: MWTHF 12-1 (other times available by appt.); T148K CA E-Mail: bruce.cromer@wright.edu Office Phone (Messages): 775-2430 Course Web Page: www.brucecromer/ActingProfessionally.html Course Objectives: To enable BFA acting majors to make informed goals, plans, and first steps toward their future acting careers. Marketing tools (headshots, resumes, cover letters, postcards, audition packages, etc.), marketing strategies, and relocation plans will be discussed, researched, and prepared. Significant aspects of the profession will also be discussed and/or researched, including primary market areas, unions, contracts, agents, combined auditions (SETCs, OTAs, MWTAs, URTAs, etc.), stage work, film and t.v. work, industrials, etc. A major emphasis of the course is making students aware of helpful information sources regarding the profession --- especially the "inter-network" of PATP alumni across the country. Tentative Course Outline: Week One (9/4, 9/6) Professional Objectives, Obstacles, and Tactics Week Two (9/11, 9/13) More on Professional Objectives, Obstacles, and Tactics; Aud. Package 1 Week Three (9/18, 9/20) Relocation Considerations Week Four (9/25, 9/27) Personal P.R. (Headshots, Resumes, etc.); Aud. Package 2 [Research Paper #1 due] Week Five (10/2, 10/4) Major Market Areas Week Six (10/9, 10/11) Auditions and Interviews; Audition Package 3 Week Seven (10/16, 10/18) Agents, Contracts, Unions Week Eight (10/23, 10/25) Unemployment, Taxes, Civilian Jobs; Audition Package 4 Week Nine (10/30, 11/1) Additional Training [Research Paper #2 due] Week Ten (11/6, 11/8) Personal Considerations/ Final Exam Grading Criteria: Professional Skills (Attendance and Attitude) - There are 20 classes in this quarter; missing 4 will earn you an F for the course. Missing 3 = D, 2 = C, 1 = B, and 0 = A. There are no excused absences for this course. Two lates constitute one absence. You are expected to be prompt, prepared, and professional in attitude: active in discussions and exercises, open-minded, quick to take notes and to give opinions, considerate of the instructor and your peers. Criticism should be constructive and specific, rather than negative and general. Written Work, Research Papers, Final Exam - Aside from written assignments you will do in class, you are expected to turn in typed copies of your acting and non-theatrical resumes, your general cover letter, textwork for four audition packages (two contrasting monologues, each 1 minute long), and two research projects: Research Project #1 (due 9/27) - This will contain collected research regarding the area of theatre you'd like to pursue. These should be contemporary research sources, about American acting/performance work done in the past two years. The more specific the topic for the paper, the more valuable it will be to you in the future. (Children's Theatre, Chicago Theater, Children's Theatre in Chicago, Stand-Up Comedy in New York, the Renaissance Faire circuit, Industrial Films in Los Angeles, Feminist Theatre in San Francisco, Gay Theatre in Seattle, Film Production in Atlanta, the Voice-Over Market in Minneapolis, etc.) A four-page summary (typed, double-spaced, 12 point font), which includes your foot-noted sources, must preface your collected materials. Research Project #2 (due 11/1) - This will contain collected research regarding the metropolitan area where you plan to relocate to pursue your professional career. You should research the current cost of living (rent, utilities, groceries, etc.) there, the desirable neighborhoods, professional districts, driver's license laws, theatres, film production companies, talent agencies, etc. You should consider buying a map of the city, getting a copy of the major newspaper there, browsing through regional magazines in the library, perhaps purchasing a tourist's guide... A four-page summary (typed, double-spaced, 12 point font), which includes your foot-noted sources, must preface your collected materials. ****Both projects should be professionally presented in binders, with indexes; both should contain at least thirty pages of research. Required Textbooks: ACTING PROFESSIONALLY, by Robert Cohen. GETTING THE PART, by Judith Searle. REGIONAL THEATRE DIRECTORY 2007-2008. Cohen Reading Assignments (you will also be assigned reading from GETTING THE PART): Week One (9/6) - COHEN: Chapter 1 “The Way It Is” Week Two (9/11) - COHEN: Chapter 2 “What You Will Need” Week Three (9/18) - COHEN: Chapter 3 “The First Decisions” Week Four (9/25) - COHEN: Chapter 4 “Establishing Yourself” (first half of chapter, up to Unions) Week Six (10/9) - COHEN: Chapter 5 “On The Move” Week Seven (10/16) - COHEN: Chapter 4 “Establishing Yourself” (second half of chapter, Unions to end) Week Nine (10/30) - COHEN: Chapter 6 “Other Opportunities” Recommended Reading (* = in bookstore): SUMMER THEATRE DIRECTORY. CHOICES, by Shad Helmstetter. BEING AN ACTOR, by Simon Callow. THE ARTIST'S WAY, by Julia Cameron. THE ACTOR'S BUSINESS, by Reilly. CAUGHT IN THE ACT, by Don Shewey. SHOW BIZ BOOKKEEPER, by Anne Chadwick. CREATIVE VISUALIZATION, by Shakti Gawain. *HOW TO BE A WORKING ACTOR, by Henry and Rogers. *DIRECTORY OF THEATRE TRAINING PROGRAMS, edited by Jill Charles. BACKSTAGE, AMERICAN THEATRE, THEATRE WEEK, and ARTSEARCH --- publications available in the Theatre Dept. office. THE PATH OF LEAST RESISTANCE, by Robert Fritz. THE ACTOR'S PICTURE/RESUME BOOK, by Jill Charles. BACKSTAGE HANDBOOK FOR THE PERFORMING ARTIST, edited by Sherry Eaker. THE ACTOR: PRACTICAL GUIDE TO A PROFESSIONAL CAREER, by Eve Brandstein. *THEATRE DIRECTORY, edited by Theatre Communications Group. *HOW TO AUDITION FOR TV, MOVIES, COMMERCIALS, by Hunt. *AUDITION, by Michael Shurtleff *ACTORS' LIVES, edited by Holly Hill. *CAMERA SMART ACTOR, by Brestoff. *AN ACTOR PREPARES TO LIVE IN NYC, by Craig Wroe. *THE ART OF VOICE ACTING, by Alburger. *ACTING IS EVERYTHING, by Kerr. *THE BACKSTAGE GUIDE TO WORKING IN REGIONAL THEATRE, by Jim Volz. *THE ACTOR'S HANDBOOK TO NEW YORK, by Silverberg. *ACTING AS A BUSINESS, by O'Neil. |
