So today I went to my first audition that I was actually able to AUDITION at! It for a non-equity off-Broadway production of CABARET. Heather and I went together, so that made it a lot of fun. It's one of my favorite shows, so it would be really cool to make our NYC debut in it. Not that it really matters what the show is though, we just want to be in something! Keeping our fingers crossed!
I also got all situated with one of the casting companies here in the city. They cast primarily background actors (extras) for television shows. I submitted my info to several job listings for this week, so we'll see how it goes. Heather should be registered tomorrow, so hopefully this is something we can do together sometimes! That would make it a lot more enjoyable. Background work is probably the bottom of the barrel for acting jobs, but at least it's a step in the right direction. We will both benefit from spending time on sets. It doesn't pay much, but at least it's something. And it's always possible that it can lead to bigger and better things!
Monday, January 25, 2010
Saturday, January 23, 2010
My first Broadway audition
So I decided not to waste any time and went to an audition three days after we got here. There was an audition for the Broadway production of Phantom Of The Opera and I thought that I'd begin with it.
The audition was at 10 am, but I figured the earlier I got there the better, so I got up at 6 am. Also, the auditions were at the Equity Audition Center, and since I hadn't been there yet, I needed to leave early in case I had trouble finding it. I made it to the audition site around 7:30, which was right about the time the doors were opening, so that was lucky. I signed up on the non-equity list and started to wait. For those who don't know, equity is the union for professional stage performers. Broadway productions are all-equity, so as a non-union member, I can only audition if they have time AFTER all equity actors have been seen. They announced to us to return at 10 and they would be able to tell us then if they going to have time for non-equity people.
I saw a lounge area near the sign up. I started to head that way when I was stopped and informed that the lounge is for equity members only. So, I went outside to brave the cold. The building is right by Times Square, so I went and walked around for a while. Times Square is really nice that early in the morning. It's pretty quiet, compared to usual at least.
Despite how excited I was, the time went by pretty fast. I returned to find that they were not going to be able to see non-equity this time. They did take my headshot and resume though, and said the casting director really will take the time to review them all, and some people have been called in that way and booked jobs from it. So, I realize it's a long shot, but I'm much closer than I was last month when I lived in Utah!
The audition was at 10 am, but I figured the earlier I got there the better, so I got up at 6 am. Also, the auditions were at the Equity Audition Center, and since I hadn't been there yet, I needed to leave early in case I had trouble finding it. I made it to the audition site around 7:30, which was right about the time the doors were opening, so that was lucky. I signed up on the non-equity list and started to wait. For those who don't know, equity is the union for professional stage performers. Broadway productions are all-equity, so as a non-union member, I can only audition if they have time AFTER all equity actors have been seen. They announced to us to return at 10 and they would be able to tell us then if they going to have time for non-equity people.
I saw a lounge area near the sign up. I started to head that way when I was stopped and informed that the lounge is for equity members only. So, I went outside to brave the cold. The building is right by Times Square, so I went and walked around for a while. Times Square is really nice that early in the morning. It's pretty quiet, compared to usual at least.
Despite how excited I was, the time went by pretty fast. I returned to find that they were not going to be able to see non-equity this time. They did take my headshot and resume though, and said the casting director really will take the time to review them all, and some people have been called in that way and booked jobs from it. So, I realize it's a long shot, but I'm much closer than I was last month when I lived in Utah!
The big move
The first thing I learned when starting this crazy process was how difficult moving to New York could actually be. Obviously when you try to move over 2000 miles away, there are the challenges you would expect; learning about the neighborhoods, having to look at places online instead of in person, etc. However, the most difficult thing wasn't finding a place we liked, but finding a place we could qualify for.
Maybe this happens in other large cities too, maybe it's just a New York thing, but most places we looked at required our yearly salary to be at least 40 times the monthly rent. Now, as most people know, rent in New York is extremely high. Combine that with the low wages of southern Utah, and you've got a problem. They also want you to have a well paying job lined up before you get there, so you can imagine how excited our potential landlords were when we told them that not only did we NOT have jobs lined up, but we were actors and we just planned to audition for a while. Now, this at least makes sense to me. The surprise came after I told them that we had money to pre-pay our ENTIRE lease with, and most places still couldn't get past these requirements.
We're here now, so obviously we found a place to work with us, but it took some time. I'm sure the further out from the city you get, the easier the requirements, but we were determined to be close to the action. We ended up settling on Roosevelt Island, which turned out to be a great find. It's really nice here, and you get a bit more for your money than you do in most of Manhattan. And the location is pretty convenient. It's one subway stop from midtown east, three stops from Rockefeller Center, four from Bryant Park, five from Herald Square, and so on. Everything we wanted is right at our fingertips. And the views are hard to beat!
Now that we're settled, it's time to get out and enjoy the city!
Maybe this happens in other large cities too, maybe it's just a New York thing, but most places we looked at required our yearly salary to be at least 40 times the monthly rent. Now, as most people know, rent in New York is extremely high. Combine that with the low wages of southern Utah, and you've got a problem. They also want you to have a well paying job lined up before you get there, so you can imagine how excited our potential landlords were when we told them that not only did we NOT have jobs lined up, but we were actors and we just planned to audition for a while. Now, this at least makes sense to me. The surprise came after I told them that we had money to pre-pay our ENTIRE lease with, and most places still couldn't get past these requirements.
We're here now, so obviously we found a place to work with us, but it took some time. I'm sure the further out from the city you get, the easier the requirements, but we were determined to be close to the action. We ended up settling on Roosevelt Island, which turned out to be a great find. It's really nice here, and you get a bit more for your money than you do in most of Manhattan. And the location is pretty convenient. It's one subway stop from midtown east, three stops from Rockefeller Center, four from Bryant Park, five from Herald Square, and so on. Everything we wanted is right at our fingertips. And the views are hard to beat!
Now that we're settled, it's time to get out and enjoy the city!
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