DENNIS BAKER: Hey guys, my name’s Clara. I’m a long time reader, first time guest blogger (well, here, anyway). I’m friends with a bunch of amateur, semi-professional and professional actors and recently a debate was started over brunch. I think, and maintain, that an actor with a four-year degree (or better) should get a little extra consideration by those behind the table at auditions.
For argument’s sake, let’s say after callbacks two actors are in contention for a lead role. All other things being equal (implausible, I know), who should get the role: the actor with a degree or the yeoman?
1 comment:
Before reading this article I was thinking that a degree shouldn’t make a difference when it comes to casting. Richman did show a lot of skills actors gain from gaining a degree that might not be clear at auditions, but those traits aren’t necessarily exclusive to actors with a higher education. Considering how much information goes around about people within the theatre community, I would think what previous directors have said and experience would matter more than a degree. That being said, I originally thought that the skills gained from a degree would show on an actor’s resume and in the audition process, but this article shows many that wouldn’t surface until rehearsal. There are many skills, such as research, that would probably benefit an actor more during an actual show than during an audition. I am convinced that education is worth considering in the casting process, whereas before I thought it shouldn’t matter at all.
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