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  How's Your Dance?
Stefanie O'Connell

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  Checking It Twice
Nicolette Violet Sweeney

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  The Ghost Light History
Tim Realbuto

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  Playwright's Advice for Playwrights by
Joe Simonelli

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  A Life of Creation by
Richard Botto CEO of Stage 32

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  Q & A with Playwright
David Rimmer

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  Q & A with Comedienne and Writer
Darlene Violette

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  STAGEBOUND
True stories from the life of a musical performer in New York City
by Rori Nogee

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  Q & A with Neomi Brockwell
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  There's No Business IN Show Business
by Steve Bluestein
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  "Q & A WITH ACTRESS YELENA SHMULENSON"
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  "A BAD NAME "
Article by Playwright Tyler Jakes
 
  Mid-contract one night, I lay in bed. I'm normally an incredibly heavy and easy sleeper, but that evening, instead, all I could think of were those Looney Tunes where late at night, a faucet would drip and Daffy...(READ THE FULL ARTICLE)  
 
 
  "MASTER CLASS TO EMPOWER THE ACTOR "
Q and A with Rance Wright
 
 

...Rance now helps others find their own unique individuality and niche in the performing market.  Check out what advice he has to say about auditions and empowering yourself as an actor...(READ THE FULL ARTICLE)

 
 
 
  "HOW A COSTUME COMES TO LIFE "
Betty Kreisel Shubert
 
  A costume designer helps tell and propel the story so that the writer, director, choreographer and actor can visualize their character. It has been said by major acting talents like Carol Burnett and Johnny Depp...(READ THE FULL ARTICLE)  
 
 
  "MAKE YOUR DAY JOB WORK FOR YOU"
By Ruby Preston
 
  It's no secret in theater that a day job is often necessary to pay the bills while we all wait for our big break. In many cases, even after you get to Broadway the money is slow to follow. However, there's no reason you can't seek out a day job in "showbiz"... (READ THE FULL ARTICLE)  
 
 
  "Q & A WITH BROADWAY DRESSER ELIZABETH FLOYD"
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  "Q & A WITH ACCIDENTAL BROADWAY DANCER RUBY RAKOS"
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  "Q & A WITH TRACY MCDOWELL "  
  Tracy McDowell! Tracy has had a very successful career performing in many different casts of ?Rent? whilst still balancing school, a tv career and performing in tons of other projects. Check out Tracy?s advice on international tours, auditions and so much more! (READ THE FULL ARTICLE)  
 
 
 

"I WAS BORN FOR IT!"
By Ian Patrick Gibb

 
  I have always been a huge fan of Les Misérables.  I love to joke that I was ?born? to be in this musical because I came into this world in 1985 which was alsothe year Les Misérables first opened in London.  I happen to be a few months older but it was cool being 25 on the 25th anniversary National Tour!  Seems the like the stars aligned for that one.  ...(READ THE FULL ARTICLE)  
 
 
  "YOU CAN BOOK WORK FROM AN EPA OR ECC!"
By: Melissa Robinette
 
  There is a dirty rumor on the street and I?m here to tell you that rumor is not one bit true!  I have heard it, not only in New York, but all over the United States!  The dirty rumor:...(READ THE FULL ARTICLE)  
 
 
  GET RID OF GERTRUDE!
By: Suzanne Dressler
 
  Several years ago, I was out for drinks with a close friend and a friend of hers, whom we shall call Gertrude for the sake of privacy.  I can?t remember the context of the conversation, but the fact that I didn?t have insurance came up. As an actress and singer, this is something I?ve come to terms with and am not ashamed of (most of the time). Nor do I believe others should condescend to me because of this reality.  Not so.  Gertrude?s reaction was priceless. With eyes blazed wide open and a horror...(READ THE FULL ARTICLE)  
 
 
  WAITING TIME
By: Evan Edwards
 
  Being an actor is a slow, ever evolving process. It?s counter to the current societal concept of ?fast?: fast food, fast cars, fast connections, fast everything.  The media makes up for Show Business? lack of instant gratification by saying ?so-and-so is an overnight sensation?, ?new comer so-and-so?? The truth is,...(READ THE FULL ARTICLE)  
 
 
  MANHATTAN MONOLOGUE SLAM
By: Philip Galinsky
 
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  WHAT YOU DO MATTERS!
By: Tom Lapke
 
  Forget the vacant stares from people not ?in the know? when they find out that you are an actor and ask if, ?you?re on the Broadway.? Forget your douche-bag boss who gives you a hard time when you tell him you will be late for a shift because you have a callback for which you could not have possibly known... (READ THE FULL ARTICLE)  
 
 
  SURVIVAL JOBS
By: Michelle Dyer
 
  I can still remember sitting on the floor of AEA asking friends for temp agency recommendations. I just got back into town from a gig, and didn?t want to leave again for a while - which meant, I needed a Survival Job. I went home ... (READ THE FULL ARTICLE)  
 
 
  IMPROV PHOBIA
By: Kris Keppeler
 
  I?ve been a singer since Jr. High School but I got tired of choir in my early 20?s.  So, I quit singing for awhile.  A blind date took me to a Gilbert & Sullivan production several years later and I noticed the program indicated the company needed chorus members.  I wanted to sing...
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  REELS, WHAT'S THE DEAL?
By: Nyle Lynn Maritch
 
  In today?s viral video age not having footage of your talents online is like not having a headshot!
Many projects are now casting directly from video submissions. As we know auditions for film and television roles have always been recorded. And now with hits like Glee changing the game,...(READ THE FULL ARTICLE)
 
 
 
  THE ROAD TO WINNEMUCCA...ER, I MEAN, BROADWAY
By: Angela Theresa Egic
 
  The most important lesson I?ve learned as an artist, a performing artist is: You must make your own opportunities. An agent negotiates your price, you negotiate your worth. A manager gives you his or her observation of your type, your venues and how you present yourself. Nevertheless, in the final analysis...(READ THE FULL ARTICLE)  
 
 
  "THE AUTISM ANGLE"
By: Lynette Louise
 
 

When I first began doing standup back in the early eighties it was mainly because I couldn?t clear enough time in my schedule to do a play. Standup allowed me to work on stage but still organize my time according to my family?s needs. My family had a lot of needs. (READ THE FULL ARTICLE)

 
 
 
  "SUPPORT IS FOR JOCK STRAPS AND BRAS- NOT SINGING!"
By: Sally Morgan
 
  Have you ever had nightmare-ish voice lessons? Boy, I have! One of the issues that constantly came up in my voice lessons was ?support.? I was punched in the stomach to make sure I was ?supporting?, had 2 male teachers try to shove hands down my pants to make sure I was ?supporting,? told to lift up the piano while singing to engage the support, go into a clothes closet and sing as loud as I can to, well? (READ THE FULL ARTICLE)  
 
 
  "PASSION CAN TAKE YOU WHERE YOU ARE ABLE TO SUCCEED"
By: Dara Bragg
 
  People are passionate about many different things, singing, dancing, bowling, juggling, writing, playing golf, or even about a garden in the backyard. My passion is the Performing Arts, especially theater. How did this all begin? My first introduction to theater...(READ THE FULL ARTICLE)  
 
 
  "IT'S ALL ABOUT CONTROL "
By: Allison Mosier
 
 

I find the Actors Access tagline to be rather ironic. There is so much in this business and in life that is out of our control, and when we try and force things to happen our way, it usually has an adverse effect.

You can?t control if the Casting Director is choosing to see non-Eq?s at the EPA. You can?t control ... (READ THE FULL ARTICLE)

 
 
 
  A GYPSY CHANGED MY LIFE ? 30 years ago
By: Kevin Ireland
 
  A CHORUS LINE opened on Broadway thirty-six years ago, on July 25, 1975. That anniversary has brought many memories to mind, so I'm sharing this story to remind my musical theatre friends the impact they will likely have for years to come. Pay it forward, gang. You will change lives too. (READ THE FULL ARTICLE)  
 
 
  Performance Anxiety
By: Jennifer Hamady
 
  Performance anxiety is an elephant-in-the-room sized issue for everyone who spends time on any kind of a stage. Its management is the subject of a thousand books, workshops and programs that teach how to deal with and mitigate its effects... how to ride its wave rather than have it come crashing down upon you. (READ THE FULL ARTICLE)  
 
 
  Never Again Work a Day in Your Life
By: Cameron Munson
 
  Thinking about making a career for yourself in the entertainment business is something I?ve heard many non-creative types laugh at. It?s almost impossible to consider the avenues and correct rejections and/or praise to take. But as an actor/director and entrepreneur, I?ve pondered these thoughts and never given up on them. It?s always about the big picture... (READ THE FULL ARTICLE)  
 
 
  The Evolution of Success
By: Nichole Donje?
 
  So many young performers start out in New York City full of energy, excitement and dreams.  They walk into an audition or an agent seminar ready to be ?discovered?.  For over a year I auditioned and went to seminars when in one, an agent said ??don?t wait for me, do it yourself!?. That stuck!  I want to share with you...(READ THE FULL ARTICLE)

 
 
 
  TRUST
By: Kimberly Faye Greenberg
 
 

Never in my life would I have ever imagined that I would be starring in 2 shows Off-Broadway at one time! One being a Solo Show, ?One Night With Fanny Brice?, written/directed/arranged by Chip Deffaa and the other being the two hander, ?Danny & Sylvia, the Danny Kaye Musical?. 

Honestly, I never even knew that was even remotely a possibility for any actor who was already currently playing in one NY show?.my thought would be..?Are you crazy? Two at the same time? Completely impossible!??.. Or so I thought. (READ THE FULL ARTICLE)

 
 
 
  10 Lessons
By: David Fink and Kim Clark
 
 

About eight years ago, we started a live performance space in a small farm town about 75 miles from downtown Chicago.  We grew organically and learned many lessons along the way.  Here are 10 observations that we are willing to share.  The journey has been rough and rewarding and continues to progress.  Our website is www.acorntheater.com.

10 Lessons from starting a new theater... (READ THE FULL ARTICLE)

 
 
 
  CONSTANT IMPROVEMENT
By: Marcus Conerly

I guess you could say it fits with any career. But the need to be constantly at the top of your game is especially necessary in the show biz world. Whether you?re an actor, singer, dancer, hand model or all of the above, you always want to make sure you?re doing everything you can to set yourself apart from the other people of your ?type?....(READ THE FULL ARTICLE)

 
 
 
  THE MYTH OF THE STARVING ARTIST
By: Brian Myers Cooper

I cringe whenever I hear the words ?struggling actor? or ?starving artist.? The implication that to be an artist you have to starve, or that unless you have a star on Hollywood and Vine you are ?struggling? is bogus! Looking at it from the outside, a theatre actor?s life and career can seem crazy, but struggling and starving are definitely not the way to stay sane in this wacky business.

When I met my agent,...(READ THE FULL ARTICLE)


 
 
 
  A Dream of Being
By: David Green

I had dreamed of being a Musical Theater actor since I played the title role in Miss Locke's 4th grade production of  ?Winnie-the-Pooh? and I was 17 years old the first time I faced the choice of living a life of security or pursuing my dream.  Having heard all the stories of unemployed actors I decided the ?Starving Artist? life wasn't for me, so...(READ THE FULL ARTICLE)

 
 
 
  Box Office Friday
By: Lisa Gold

Wonder why I?m calling this ?Box Office Fridays??  Well its because movies usually premier (with some exceptions) on a Friday AND my  company is call Act Outside the BOX.  Seemed a natural fit and I love to do things with alliteration, number sequences, colors?you know marketing CAN be creative!

One of the movies opening today is called
..
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  Play it Again Sam
By: Brian Childers

At dinner the other night I was asked, "As an actor, don't you get tired of saying the same lines and singing the same songs over and over everyday?" My immediate response was "Not at all". She responded "Really, Why?". I instantly thought of Yul Brynner who played over 3000 performances of The King and I...(READ THE FULL ARTICLE)

 
 
 
  Becoming the Architect of Your Own Production
By: Deborah Jean Templin

A production is like a building, you have to prepare the plans, lay down the base and from there you can build it up.  But first you have to think.  And you have to have a great subject.   What happened to the people in the lifeboats? 

I have been creating one person shows since I was a teenager thanks to programs through the 4-H program in my home state of Minnesota. While covering seven roles in the national tour of Stone/Yeston?s Tony Award winning musical Titanic from 1998 to 2000, I experienced ... (READ THE FULL ARTICLE)

 
 
 
  Dare to Dream
By: Stephanie Battle


When I was 12 yrs old I was told by an orthopedist that I would never be a professional dancer. I had severe scoliosis (curvature of the spine) and had to be braced from neck to hip until I was 21. Well, I had already done 3 Nutcrackers and had been taking ballet from the time I was 6. I knew my path early and was an extremely determined child. So I exercised...
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  Making a Living, or a Life, in the Theatre
By: Michael Edwards

Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne, America's first couple of the American Stage spent many of their years on the Broadway stage. Their home, however, was not NYC. It was at "10 Chimneys" in Wisconsin. Their advice to young actors getting started:"If you want success in theatre...avoid both coasts"... (READ THE FULL ARTICLE)


 
     
  Stage Management
By: Ernie Fimbres

It?s autonomous, it?s definitely behind the scenes, there?s no applause, the cast either likes you or they hate you, it?s a double edged sword, lots of responsibility and very little recognition from the outside world.  But it has it?s moments.  Stage Managing live theatre gives real meaning to ?Putting it Together.? (READ THE FULL ARTICLE)

 
     
  The Sky's the Limit
By: David-Matthew Barnes

I remember sitting in a classroom three summers ago at a playwriting conference in Southampton, New York. Marsha Norman was our instructor and it was difficult for me to pay attention to the personal story she was sharing with us, because I was so awestruck by her presence. Somehow, the phrase "the moment I felt my entire life change" filtered in through my daze of adoration as she told us about the first performance of her play 'night, Mother. (READ THE FULL ARTICLE)
 
     
     
  The Show Business Lifestyle
By: Justin Boccitto


When actors first move to New York it can be easy to get lost in the shuffle of the city.  Everyday life has a way of distracting you from your goals of becoming a professional ?working? performer.  Most actors find themselves living on couches and working late restaurant jobs till two in the morning when they have to be their best for the early morning auditions....(READ THE FULL ARTICLE)
 
 
 
  Non-Traditional Casting
By: Christine Toy Johnson


When I was one month out of college, I made my Off-Broadway debut as the leading lady in a (very) short lived musical called OH, JOHNNY. In spite of being an Asian American actor in a profession that offered little to no role models at the time, I was thrilled by the possibilities that lay ahead and fueled by the honor of being a working actor. One day during rehearsals I chatted with a (Caucasian) cast member ? we?ll call him ?George? -- about the roles we each dreamed of playing one day. This conversation has been burned indelibly into my brain:

Me: I?ve always wanted to play ?Guinivere? in CAMELOT.
?George?: ?Guinevere? in CAMELOT?! Well, I guess you could do that ? in theatre for the blind...... (READ THE FULL ARTICLE)

 
 
 
 

?George M. Cohan & Me...?
By CHIP DEFFAA

They called him ?the Man Who Owns Broadway.?  And not just because  he  owned or controlled seven theaters.  In his day, George M.  Cohan  (1878-1942)  dominated American theater to an extent never  duplicated by  any other individual, before or since.  Born into a  poor family, and with  virtually no formal education, he rose to the  top of his field as an  entertainer, songwriter, playwright, director,  and producer.  He wrote or  co-wrote
some 50 shows, produced or  co-produced some 80 shows. (READ THE FULL ARTICLE)

 
 
 
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