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bimbobambam asked:
I want to be an actor but the only voluntary jobs at theatre are box office, would i ever be near or on the stage. I have no experience at acting apart from school plays about 10-13 years ago. I am 21
Sphere: Related ContentI want to be an actor but the only voluntary jobs at theatre are box office, would i ever be near or on the stage. I have no experience at acting apart from school plays about 10-13 years ago. I am 21
Tags: 13 Years, Acting, Box Office, Office Volunteer, School Plays, Voluntary Jobs
August 4th, 2008 at 11:59 pm
Probably not close enough, but tell everyone you meet that is nearer the stage you want to get invovled, they will tell you when they are having auditions.
August 6th, 2008 at 4:52 am
No, you’ll be in the box office, or possibly the office attached to it.
However, you’ll be in occasional contact with the various people who are instrumental to the play becoming a reality–the director, the set designers and dressers, the dramaturge, the sound people, etc. Let them know you have a bit of experience and would welcome more volunteer opportunities. Sometimes being the extra pair of hands over and over can lead to being the guy who fills in for a walk-on when half the cast is out sick–and the costume fits.
A better opportunity exists in community theatre, especially if you live in a metro area which has high-quality theatre. (If you don’t, consider moving.) While the roles don’t pay, they’re invaluable experience which can lead to paid jobs if you’re outstanding.
A casting director is going to look at you, decide whether you’re right for a role, allow you to audition if you are, and if you did fine, he’ll compare you with other guys who’ve done the same thing. You don’t want to be the aspiring actor whose credits read Junior High Play and Box Office Volunteer. You want to be the one who’s played a dozen different characters at two or three theatres.
FWIW, a friend is the first director to hire Phillip Seymour Hoffman–for an unpaid role in a black-box community theatre.
August 8th, 2008 at 11:04 am
Many beginning actors work box office because they want to be working “in” the theatre and that is all they can get. However volunteering is another story. As a box office volunteer ( or even employee) you will not be near or on the stage. But depending on the size of the theatre and the company, you possibly will have interactions with the people that are. However this is far from a guarantee. Some theatre box offices are pretty far away from the backstage area, the stage and the green room and in most larger theatres you may never even have contact with the director or anyone else directly involved with the production. You will however get to know the house manager and you never know what connections they may have.
If this is a smaller theatre then this may be a good opportunity to make connections and get your face recognized as well as showing your dedication to the company. If this is a large theatre you most likely will be wasting your time.
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