Starting a Career as a Professional Actor

[angel_vixen]

Situation: Young man from Good Family goes to school to study International Business at the urgings of his family. After graduation and working at a good job for about three years, he decides to follow his passion and study to become a professional actor. He does have experience in acting and working backstage (general stage hand), from school

Comments

[doriscrockford2]

My background: I was a stage manager for 10 years, I've worked at theatres that had very well-respected drama schools attached and my husband was an actor who graduated from drama school.

1. OK, regarding the first question about taking classes: he probably wouldn't go back and get another BA, in which case if he's getting an MFA his age wouldn't matter so much. Most of the schools I know of prefer not to take new graduates, and I personally knew some MFA acting students in their 40s. If he's just "taking classes" (which is what most people do, MFAs are expensive and time consuming) age definitely doesn't matter. MFA courses require some acting experience as well as auditions but he could sign up for a number of acting/improv classes without an audition. MFAs, depending on the school, could have anywhere between 10-100 people auditioning for each space.

2. Regarding the training for different mediums: that depends on the school, too. One I worked at was strictly theatre training (although most of the alumni I know have gone into film and TV) and another I worked at taught both. Both of those taught voice and movement as well as technique and text classes.

3. If he gets his MFA, anything is possible. I know one guy who landed a TV role just before graduation and quite a few others who never worked professionally and became teachers.

4. Almost every professional production I worked on had a one month rehearsal period with the final week being for technical rehearsals. Then a week or two of previews (this varies greatly depending on the theatre and their schedule). If it is a travelling show, the prep time would be different from a show in rep or part of a season. He could most definitely do 3 shows a year; one year I alternated between stage managing and crewing shows and did 6 productions. I wouldn't recommend it :P because I was rehearsing one show in the daytime and performing a different one at night, but it is possible. These days it might be more likely for him to be doing web series rather than small productions, which would allow him more time.

I hope this helps you!

Edited to add: Just saw the above and I don't have any experience/knowledge of DC in particular. My experience was primarily NYC area and LA.