Basic Information for beginning Actors

Professional Actors

Getting An Agent

New Membership Information

Conclusion

So You Wanna Be An Actor?

So ya wanna be an actor? Well, you're not alone. From community theatres to Broadway, and from major motion pictures to public-access cable, it's estimated that more than 350,000 adults act every year, according to the American Theatre Association. Most of that number are amateurs - performers for whom acting is a passionate, lifetime avocation. The word "amateur", after all, is from the Latin meaning "to act out of love," and many find great satisfaction in acting for love --- and doing something else to pay the rent. And for good reason. The truth behind the cliches of struggling actors awaiting their "big break" for countless years are only too painfully true. According to SAG statistics, in 1996 more than 85 percent of SAG's 90,000 members earned less than $5,000. While seven-digit movie deals make headlines for some stars, creating a false impression that all actors are highly paid, the reality is far less glamorous. As the Bureau of Labor Statistics describes, "Acting demands patience and total commitment, because there are often long periods of unemployment between jobs. While under contract, actors are frequently required to work long hours and travel. For stage actors, flawless performances require tedious memorizing of lines and repetitive rehearsals, and in television, actors must deliver a good performances with very little preparation. Actors need stamina to withstand hours under hot lights, heavy costumes and make-up, physically demanding tasks, long, irregular schedules, and the adverse weather and living conditions that may exist on location shoots. And actors face the constant anxiety of intermittent employment and regular rejections when auditioning for work." Yet in spite of these discouragements, the "passion to play," as Shakespeare called it, still motivates many to make acting a professional career. So, for those spirited perfomers (like you, perhaps ...?) who will not be dissuaded from traveling this path, we have provided some information that may prove helpful. Go to Basic Information. Or, for those already SURE, read New Member Information for specifics about SAG's joining requirements..