So a few of you asked me along the years to compile a basic list of plays that every theatre major should be conversant in/familiar with. I have finally compiled that list, with the help of various professors and professional (most of the credit goes to Daina!).
This list is in no way exhaustive, but more of a starting point. Plays are listed by playwright (when playwrights are listed alone, it just means you should be familiar with their work in general.) You'll notice the absence of Shakespeare...that's because he's Shakespeare...yeah, you should pretty much know him.
So here's the task:
What are your essential plays/playwrights? Let me know, and I'll add them to the list!
Here Goes!
Albee, Edward
- The Zoo Story
- Three Tall Women
- Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf
Anouilh, Jean
- Antigone
- The Lark
Auburn, David
- Proof
Baraka, Amiri
- Dutchman
Beckett, Samuel
- Waiting for Godot
- Endgame
Behn, Aphra
- The Rover
Blessing, Lee
- A Walk in the Woods
Bond, Edward
- Saved
Brecht, Bertolt
- The Caucasian Chalk Circle
- Mother Courage
- The Good Person of Setzuan
- The Threepenny Opera
Brown, Carlyle
Chekhov
- Uncle Vanya
- Three Sisters
- The Cherry Orchard
- The Seagull
Churchill, Caryl
- Top Girls
- Cloud Nine
Childress, Alice
Congreve
- The Way of the World
Coward
- Private Lives
- Hayfever
Cruz, Nilo
- Anna in the Tropics
Durang, Christopher
Dürrenmatt, Friedrich
- The Visit
- The Phycisians
Edson, Margaret
- Wit
Fo, Dario
- The Accidental Death of an Anarchist
Fornes, Maria Irene
- Fefu and Her Friends
Friel
- Translations
- Philadelphia, Here I Come!
Fugard, Athol
- Master Harold…and the Boys
Gay, John
- The Beggar’s Opera
Genet, Jean
- The Maids
- The Balcony
Gibson, William
- The Miracle Worker
Giradoux, Jean
- Tiger at the Gates
- The Madwoman of Chaillot
Goethe, Wolfgang von
Goldoni, Carlo
- The Servant of Two Masters
Goldsmith, Oliver
- She Stoops to Conquer
Gorky, Maxim
- The Lower Depths
Gotanda, Philip Kan
Gozzi, Carlo
- The King Stag
Gray, Simon
- Butley
Greenberg, Richard
- Take Me Out
Guare, John
- Six Degrees of Separation
Hansberry, Lorraine
- A Raisin in the Sun
Hart, Moss and George Kaufman
- The Man Who Came to Dinner
- You Can’t Take It With You
Hauptmann, Gerhart
- The Weavers
Hecht and MacArthur
- Front Page
Hellman, Lillian
- The Children’s Hour
- The Little Foxes
Henley, Beth
- Crimes of the Heart
Howe, Tina
- Coastal Disturbances
Hwang, David Henry
- M. Butterfly
Ibsen, Henrik
- Hedda Gabler
- A Doll’s House
- Wild Duck
- Peer Gynt
Inge, William
- Bus Stop
- Picnic
Ionesco, Eugene
- Rhinoceros
- The Chairs
- The Bald Soprano
Jarry, Alfred
- Ubu Roi
Kane, Sarah
- Blasted
Kennedy, Adrienne
Kopit, Arthur
Kushner, Tony
- Angels in America
Letts, Tracy
- August: Osage County
Linney, Romulus
Littlewood, Joan
- Oh, What a Lovely War
Lorca, Federico Garcia
- Blood Wedding
- The House of Bernarda Alba
Lucas, Craig
Mamet, David
- Glengarry Glen Ross
- American Buffalo
- Sexual Perversity in Chicago
Mann, Emily
- Execution of Justice
Margulies, Donald
- Dinner with Friends
Martin, Jane
- Keely and Du
McDonagh, Martin
- The Pillowman
McNally, Terrence
- Love! Valour! Compassion!
Miller, Arthur
- Death of a Salesman
- The Crucible
- All My Sons
Moliere
- The Misanthrope
- Tartuffe
- The Imaginary Invalid
- The Miser
Mrozek, Slawomir
- Tango
Mueller, Heiner
- Hamletmachine
Norman, Marsha
- ‘night Mother
Nottage, Lynn
- Intimate Apparel
- Ruined
O’Casey, Sean
- Juno and the Paycock
O’Neill, Eugene
- A Moon for the Misbegotten
- Long Day’s Journey Into Night
- Desire Under the Elms
- Ah, Wilderness!
Odets, Clifford
- Waiting for Lefty
- The Golden Boy
- Awake and Sing!
Orton, Joe
- What the Butler Saw
Osborne, John
- Looking Back in Anger
Parks, Suzan-Lori
- Topdog/Underdog
Pinter, Harold
- The Birthday Party
- The Homecoming
- Betrayal
Pirandello, Luigi
- Six Characters in Search of an Author
Rabe, David
- Hurlyburly
- Streamers
Rivera, Jose
- Marisol
Ruhl, Sarah
- Eurydice
Saroyan, William
- The Time of Your Life
Sartre, Jean-Paul
- No Exit
Schnitzler, Arthur
- La Ronde
Shaffer, Peter
- Equus
Shange, Ntozake
- for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enough
Shanely, John Patrick
- Doubt
Shaw, George Bernard
- Arms and the Man
- Man and Superman
- Saint Joan
- Major Barbara
Shepard, Sam
- Fool for Love
- True West
- Curse of the Starving Class
- Buried Child
Sheridan, Richard Brinsley
- The School for Scandal
Sherman, Jason
Simon, Neil
- Lost in Yonkers
- The Odd Couple
- Barefoot in the Park
Smith, Anna Devere
- Fires in the Mirror
Son, Diana
- Stop Kiss
Stoppard, Tom
- Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead
- Arcadia
Strindberg, August
- Miss Julie
Syne, John Millington
- Riders to the Sea
- The Playboy of the Western World
Taylor, Regina
- A Night in Tunisia
Terry, Megan
Thompson, Judith
- Perfect Pie
Treadwell, Sophie
- Machinal
Vogel, Paula
- How I Learned to Drive
Walker, George
Ward, Douglas Turner
- Day of Absence
Wasserstein, Wendy
- The Heidi Chronicles
- Uncommon Women and Others
Wedekind, Frank
- Spring’s Awakening
Wertenbaker, Timberlake
- Our Country’s Good
Wilde, Oscar
- The Importance of Being Earnest
Wilder, Thorton
- The Skin of Our Teeth
- Our Town
Williams, Tennessee
- A Streetcar Named Desire
- The Glass Menagerie
- Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
Wilson, August
- Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
- Fences
Wilson, Lanford
- Talley’s Folly
- The Fifth of July
Wolfe, George C.
- The Colored Museum
Wycherley, William
- The Country Wife
Now send me your suggestions and start reading!
R
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Monday, May 18, 2009
Breakfast Adventures #3 – Chocolate Chip Buttermilk Pancakes
I never really enjoyed pancakes as a child. They were always too heavy, too sweet, and too cliché for my tastes. But somehow, after moving an ocean away from a decent pancake, I began to pine after a fluffy stack of buttermilk goodness.
Unfortunately for me, in Ireland “pancake” means “crepe” (or something embarrassingly similar) and though I searched for an American pancake mix, the only result was a 9 Euro box of Aunt Jemimah. I decided to go in search of my own recipe…
Interestingly, homemade pancakes are just about as easy to make as store-bought pancake mixes. I came up with this surprisingly light and fluffy batter. The first few bites hit the spot but, as I have found in my youth, I wasn’t able to finish a stack. Oh well, maybe next time. Still, for those pancake fans who CAN finish a stack, I highly recommend this recipe.
I used chocolate chips because I was feeling nostalgic, but the recipe can be adjusted with berries, nuts, or just left plain!
Chocolate Chip Buttermilk Pancakes
(Altered from The Cookworks on foodnetwork.com)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
21/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
2 cups buttermilk
1/4 cup melted unsalted butter, plus some for frying
1/2 cup chocolate chips
whipped cream and maple syrup
In a large bowl sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Beat the eggs with the buttermilk and melted butter. Combine the dry and the wet ingredients into a lumpy batter, being careful not to over mix. Fold in chocolate chips.
Heat some butter in a skillet over medium heat. Spoon 1/3 cup of batter into the skillet. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes on each side.
Serve with a dollop of whipped cream and maple syrup.
Enjoy!
Unfortunately for me, in Ireland “pancake” means “crepe” (or something embarrassingly similar) and though I searched for an American pancake mix, the only result was a 9 Euro box of Aunt Jemimah. I decided to go in search of my own recipe…
Interestingly, homemade pancakes are just about as easy to make as store-bought pancake mixes. I came up with this surprisingly light and fluffy batter. The first few bites hit the spot but, as I have found in my youth, I wasn’t able to finish a stack. Oh well, maybe next time. Still, for those pancake fans who CAN finish a stack, I highly recommend this recipe.
I used chocolate chips because I was feeling nostalgic, but the recipe can be adjusted with berries, nuts, or just left plain!
Chocolate Chip Buttermilk Pancakes
(Altered from The Cookworks on foodnetwork.com)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
21/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
2 cups buttermilk
1/4 cup melted unsalted butter, plus some for frying
1/2 cup chocolate chips
whipped cream and maple syrup
In a large bowl sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Beat the eggs with the buttermilk and melted butter. Combine the dry and the wet ingredients into a lumpy batter, being careful not to over mix. Fold in chocolate chips.
Heat some butter in a skillet over medium heat. Spoon 1/3 cup of batter into the skillet. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes on each side.
Serve with a dollop of whipped cream and maple syrup.
Enjoy!
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Breakfast Adventures #2 – Corned Beef Hash
I love a savory breakfast. Don’t get me wrong, pancakes and French toast are nice, but I always like them to be accompanied by an egg or a few strips of bacon. I also love corned beef…sliced, diced, you name it…it’s probably my favorite meat. And for those who know me well, what is my all time favorite food? You guessed it – potato. So what wonderfood did Alton Brown strike me with this time? Three words…
Corned. Beef. Hash.
Oh yum. Oh my word yum. My mouth was watering throughout that entire episode. But hold on, that was over a year ago? Why has it taken me this long to hold that spatula?
Corned Beef Hash connoisseurs will undoubtedly give a cry of revulsion as I reveal my recipe at the end of the post. Corned Beef Hash is intended to be made strictly with LEFTOVERS. Unfortunately, I have a fear of making Corned Beef, so I don’t have any leftovers hanging around my house. I do, however, have a few deli slices tucked into my refrigerator as well as a potato or two in the pantry. Time to get creative. For those hardcore Corned Beef Hash fans, look away now, lest you be subjected to culinary sacrilege…such tasty, tasty sacrilege.
Corned Beef Hash
(Altered slightly from The Crooked Creek Saloon and Eatery recipe on foodnetwork.com)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
8 ounces sliced corned beef, chopped
1 white onion, finely chopped
1 red pepper, finely chopped
2 medium baking potatoes, peeled, shredded, and drained (about 2 cups)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 large eggs
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
4 slices cheddar cheese (about 2 ounces)
Heat the oil in a medium skillet over high heat. Add the corned beef and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, until it releases some fat and browns slightly, about 3 minutes. Stir in the onion, red pepper and potatoes and cook, undisturbed, until brown and crisp on the bottom, about 6 minutes. Continue cooking, turning the hash as it browns evenly, about 15 more minutes.
Meanwhile, heat the butter in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Fry the eggs sunny-side up or over easy; season with salt and pepper.
Place the cheese slices on top of the hash, reduce the heat and let sit until the cheese melts, about 1 minute. To serve, top each portion of hash with a fried egg
Enjoy!
Corned. Beef. Hash.
Oh yum. Oh my word yum. My mouth was watering throughout that entire episode. But hold on, that was over a year ago? Why has it taken me this long to hold that spatula?
Corned Beef Hash connoisseurs will undoubtedly give a cry of revulsion as I reveal my recipe at the end of the post. Corned Beef Hash is intended to be made strictly with LEFTOVERS. Unfortunately, I have a fear of making Corned Beef, so I don’t have any leftovers hanging around my house. I do, however, have a few deli slices tucked into my refrigerator as well as a potato or two in the pantry. Time to get creative. For those hardcore Corned Beef Hash fans, look away now, lest you be subjected to culinary sacrilege…such tasty, tasty sacrilege.
Corned Beef Hash
(Altered slightly from The Crooked Creek Saloon and Eatery recipe on foodnetwork.com)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
8 ounces sliced corned beef, chopped
1 white onion, finely chopped
1 red pepper, finely chopped
2 medium baking potatoes, peeled, shredded, and drained (about 2 cups)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 large eggs
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
4 slices cheddar cheese (about 2 ounces)
Heat the oil in a medium skillet over high heat. Add the corned beef and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, until it releases some fat and browns slightly, about 3 minutes. Stir in the onion, red pepper and potatoes and cook, undisturbed, until brown and crisp on the bottom, about 6 minutes. Continue cooking, turning the hash as it browns evenly, about 15 more minutes.
Meanwhile, heat the butter in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Fry the eggs sunny-side up or over easy; season with salt and pepper.
Place the cheese slices on top of the hash, reduce the heat and let sit until the cheese melts, about 1 minute. To serve, top each portion of hash with a fried egg
Enjoy!
Breakfast Adventures #1 – Steel Cut Oats
When I was younger, authority figures - and smart ass kids - would tell me that breakfast was the most important meal of the day. As I never ate so much as a bowl of Lucky Charms in the morning through my teenage years, I would scoff heartily at these fools!
Growing up has come to me in the form of little revelations. The pleasure that is homemade breakfast is one such revelation. Perhaps it was the boxed pancake mixes and the sugary cereals of my youth that made me shun the meal. More than likely, it was the trade off of sleeping in as late as possible before heading off to school. But in my senior year of college, I came around.
That year, I decided to make a fresh start. I thought that since I was heading into the adult world soon, I should act like a professional. I wore blouses, slacks, and heels to class every day, I changed my posture and conversation etiquette, and I assumed a leadership role whenever I could. I figured that this change would have to begin with a solid start to every day.
Now, I have never liked oatmeal. Oatmeal to me was a gloopy, mushy, disgusting pile of flavorless semi-liquid punishment. Unless it came in the form of my mom’s oatmeal cookies, I wouldn’t touch the stuff. However, my favorite TV chef, Alton Brown, turned my interest on Steel Cut Oats. Steel Cut Oats are oats that have only been cut a few times, giving them an appearance somewhat akin to rice or birdseed. When cooked, Steel Cut Oats are al dente, though the typical oatmeal slime still accumulates around them. One of the biggest differences between these oats and Quaker (or instant) Oats is the cooking time. While you can bang out a bowl of Quaker Oats in 15 minutes, it takes around a full hour to prepare a nice bowl of Steel Cut Oats.
This was perfect for me. I woke up in the mornings of my senior year, put on a pot of oats, took a shower and got ready, then poured some cream, cinnamon, and brown sugar into the oats, and sat down to a filling and delicious breakfast. A friendship was formed and I haven’t looked back since.
When I came to Ireland, I began making Scrambled Eggs and Toast for breakfast because I can’t find Steel Cut Oats here and, well, I didn’t know how to make anything else! Bit by bit, I’ve gotten more adventurous…Fried Eggs and Toast, Poached Eggs and Toast, Poached Eggs, Toast, and Baked Beans…etc Finally, I’ve gotten to a full Ulster Fry- (Fried Egg, Fried Potato Bread, Fried Soda Bread, Sausages, Raschers, Baked Beans) – minus the blood and intestine puddings and the tomato.
So here’s my ambition: blog my breakfast adventures as I delve deeper into intricate recipes and because a breakfast diva! Give me ideas for your favorite breakfasts and I’ll try my hand at them. Sound good? Let’s begin…
Steel Cut Oats
(Altered slightly from Alton Brown’s recipe on foodnetwork.com)
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup steel cut oats
3 cups boiling water
1/2 cup+ 2 tablespoons whole milk or cream
1 heaping tablespoon brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Pecans (optional)
In a large saucepot, melt the butter and add the oats. Stir for 2 minutes to toast. Add the boiling water and reduce heat to a simmer. Keep at a low simmer for 25 minutes, without stirring.
Combine the milk or cream with the oatmeal. Stir gently to combine and cook for an additional 10 minutes. Spoon into a serving bowl and top with remaining milk, brown sugar, cinnamon, and pecans.
Enjoy!
Growing up has come to me in the form of little revelations. The pleasure that is homemade breakfast is one such revelation. Perhaps it was the boxed pancake mixes and the sugary cereals of my youth that made me shun the meal. More than likely, it was the trade off of sleeping in as late as possible before heading off to school. But in my senior year of college, I came around.
That year, I decided to make a fresh start. I thought that since I was heading into the adult world soon, I should act like a professional. I wore blouses, slacks, and heels to class every day, I changed my posture and conversation etiquette, and I assumed a leadership role whenever I could. I figured that this change would have to begin with a solid start to every day.
Now, I have never liked oatmeal. Oatmeal to me was a gloopy, mushy, disgusting pile of flavorless semi-liquid punishment. Unless it came in the form of my mom’s oatmeal cookies, I wouldn’t touch the stuff. However, my favorite TV chef, Alton Brown, turned my interest on Steel Cut Oats. Steel Cut Oats are oats that have only been cut a few times, giving them an appearance somewhat akin to rice or birdseed. When cooked, Steel Cut Oats are al dente, though the typical oatmeal slime still accumulates around them. One of the biggest differences between these oats and Quaker (or instant) Oats is the cooking time. While you can bang out a bowl of Quaker Oats in 15 minutes, it takes around a full hour to prepare a nice bowl of Steel Cut Oats.
This was perfect for me. I woke up in the mornings of my senior year, put on a pot of oats, took a shower and got ready, then poured some cream, cinnamon, and brown sugar into the oats, and sat down to a filling and delicious breakfast. A friendship was formed and I haven’t looked back since.
When I came to Ireland, I began making Scrambled Eggs and Toast for breakfast because I can’t find Steel Cut Oats here and, well, I didn’t know how to make anything else! Bit by bit, I’ve gotten more adventurous…Fried Eggs and Toast, Poached Eggs and Toast, Poached Eggs, Toast, and Baked Beans…etc Finally, I’ve gotten to a full Ulster Fry- (Fried Egg, Fried Potato Bread, Fried Soda Bread, Sausages, Raschers, Baked Beans) – minus the blood and intestine puddings and the tomato.
So here’s my ambition: blog my breakfast adventures as I delve deeper into intricate recipes and because a breakfast diva! Give me ideas for your favorite breakfasts and I’ll try my hand at them. Sound good? Let’s begin…
Steel Cut Oats
(Altered slightly from Alton Brown’s recipe on foodnetwork.com)
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup steel cut oats
3 cups boiling water
1/2 cup+ 2 tablespoons whole milk or cream
1 heaping tablespoon brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Pecans (optional)
In a large saucepot, melt the butter and add the oats. Stir for 2 minutes to toast. Add the boiling water and reduce heat to a simmer. Keep at a low simmer for 25 minutes, without stirring.
Combine the milk or cream with the oatmeal. Stir gently to combine and cook for an additional 10 minutes. Spoon into a serving bowl and top with remaining milk, brown sugar, cinnamon, and pecans.
Enjoy!
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Tips for Undergrad Theatre Students
So I know this is supposed to be a "Reagan's Travels" blog but, well, there is very little traveling going on in my life at the moment - merely piles of Theatre Philosophy books to burrow through by Friday. Of course, you can't get the full experience of stressing over a 6000 word essay without a steaming pile of procrastination. As a connoisseur of this dish, I know that a time like this begs the old stanby procrastination...giving useless advice while complaining. Ah yes, a dish best served warm...Here are some bits that I've learned, observed, and discussed with people in the field. Take them or leave them...
REAGAN'S TIPS TO UNDERGRADUATE THEATRE STUDENTS (preliminary procrastination edition)
1. Network! Yes, I know - you are very talented. You've graduated with a skip in your step and now you want to take this industry by the horns! But wait - why do directors keep giving jobs to other people? Don't they know you're out here, fresh and ready to work? Well, no. When you were ignoring all of those guest lectures, opening nights, and workshop opportunities mentioned in your arts newsletter and American Theatre Magazine (see #3), your fellow go-getters were inserting themselves into the vein of the industry. If Tony Kushner is speaking in your town...GO. And read up! You may not get to meet him, but you will sure as anything be mingling with theatre veterans in the lobby afterwards.
2. Don't burn bridges! Skipping out on a few rehearsals of "Kiss Me, Kate" is no big deal, I mean it's only college, right? And who cares if you snap back at the ASM every once in a while. Well, I do. And so do your fellow aspiring directors, stage managers, and actors. Remember, this industry is small and people talk. One faux pas in college may not cost you a job in the future, but don't earn the reputation of being hard to work with - it will follow you.
3. Subscribe to American Theatre Magazine! I think the above two points have said most of it, but this should cement it...if you are planning to work in the industry, you have to know what's going on in the industry. American Theatre Magazine is up to date on news, jobs, and new writing. If you don't live in a big theatre city, this is your link to the outside world - USE IT!
4. Make a reading list! Just because you get a reading list for your classes doesn't mean you should stop there. You are expected to know plays, theory, current companies, etc that are not part of your required reading. Ask around for plays and books that will serve you well in the real world - your professors (and American Theatre Magazine, New York Times Theatre Section, Playbill.com, etc) will know!
5. Talk to your professors! They aren't just there to teach your classes. They know the business, they have connections, and they want to help you.
6. Prepare for your auditions/job interviews! Please, please do this! There is nothing more disheartening than hearing an auditionee ask "So what's this play about?" In college, excusable. In the real world, insulting. This is a job. We want to see people who care about it enough to at least "google" a synopsis (if it's a well known play) or the producting company (if it's a position or new writing). If you don't, there are a bunch of people just as talented as you who do. Sorry, them's the ropes!
7. "We don't have a part that's right for you!" Ok, so of course this isn't always true, but be prepared to hear it. And believe it! So you didn't get the lead in the play...come to think of it, you didn't get any part in the play. Come on, you had to be better than the woman who got the servant, right? "Better" is a subjective term. Maybe you were a "better" actor, maybe not. The point here is that you weren't "better" for the role. You may be a good Ophelia, but you don't fit Gertrude. Don't take it personally and keep auditioning for roles you can play.
8. Know your job and trust your coworkers! Theatre is a collaboration, not a dictatorship. Designers, trust your director. Director, trust your designers. Of course there's room for a clear vision and critical feedback, but in the end, you're each experts in your own field. This goes for actors and techies too - I'm tired of the "I'm better than you" mentality on both sides...knock it off!
9. See theatre! Be honest, how many productions have you been to outside your college this year? I would risk saying for most of you not living in New York, it's not more than 3 or 4. Now, how many of those weren't mandatory? Uh-oh...this could be a problem. Come on, there's only so much you can do in the class room. You need to know what is going on outside of your own turf. Don't make excuses. I know a lot of it is bad. Take a risk. Learn from it or you will repeat it.
10. Keep going! It's your first year out of school. You aren't going to make money, you may not get any roles, you may not get accepted to grad school...don't give up! This industry takes time. Get a second job, go to as many auditions as you can, and reapply next year!
Any comments? More tips? Disagreement? I'm all ears!
R
REAGAN'S TIPS TO UNDERGRADUATE THEATRE STUDENTS (preliminary procrastination edition)
1. Network! Yes, I know - you are very talented. You've graduated with a skip in your step and now you want to take this industry by the horns! But wait - why do directors keep giving jobs to other people? Don't they know you're out here, fresh and ready to work? Well, no. When you were ignoring all of those guest lectures, opening nights, and workshop opportunities mentioned in your arts newsletter and American Theatre Magazine (see #3), your fellow go-getters were inserting themselves into the vein of the industry. If Tony Kushner is speaking in your town...GO. And read up! You may not get to meet him, but you will sure as anything be mingling with theatre veterans in the lobby afterwards.
2. Don't burn bridges! Skipping out on a few rehearsals of "Kiss Me, Kate" is no big deal, I mean it's only college, right? And who cares if you snap back at the ASM every once in a while. Well, I do. And so do your fellow aspiring directors, stage managers, and actors. Remember, this industry is small and people talk. One faux pas in college may not cost you a job in the future, but don't earn the reputation of being hard to work with - it will follow you.
3. Subscribe to American Theatre Magazine! I think the above two points have said most of it, but this should cement it...if you are planning to work in the industry, you have to know what's going on in the industry. American Theatre Magazine is up to date on news, jobs, and new writing. If you don't live in a big theatre city, this is your link to the outside world - USE IT!
4. Make a reading list! Just because you get a reading list for your classes doesn't mean you should stop there. You are expected to know plays, theory, current companies, etc that are not part of your required reading. Ask around for plays and books that will serve you well in the real world - your professors (and American Theatre Magazine, New York Times Theatre Section, Playbill.com, etc) will know!
5. Talk to your professors! They aren't just there to teach your classes. They know the business, they have connections, and they want to help you.
6. Prepare for your auditions/job interviews! Please, please do this! There is nothing more disheartening than hearing an auditionee ask "So what's this play about?" In college, excusable. In the real world, insulting. This is a job. We want to see people who care about it enough to at least "google" a synopsis (if it's a well known play) or the producting company (if it's a position or new writing). If you don't, there are a bunch of people just as talented as you who do. Sorry, them's the ropes!
7. "We don't have a part that's right for you!" Ok, so of course this isn't always true, but be prepared to hear it. And believe it! So you didn't get the lead in the play...come to think of it, you didn't get any part in the play. Come on, you had to be better than the woman who got the servant, right? "Better" is a subjective term. Maybe you were a "better" actor, maybe not. The point here is that you weren't "better" for the role. You may be a good Ophelia, but you don't fit Gertrude. Don't take it personally and keep auditioning for roles you can play.
8. Know your job and trust your coworkers! Theatre is a collaboration, not a dictatorship. Designers, trust your director. Director, trust your designers. Of course there's room for a clear vision and critical feedback, but in the end, you're each experts in your own field. This goes for actors and techies too - I'm tired of the "I'm better than you" mentality on both sides...knock it off!
9. See theatre! Be honest, how many productions have you been to outside your college this year? I would risk saying for most of you not living in New York, it's not more than 3 or 4. Now, how many of those weren't mandatory? Uh-oh...this could be a problem. Come on, there's only so much you can do in the class room. You need to know what is going on outside of your own turf. Don't make excuses. I know a lot of it is bad. Take a risk. Learn from it or you will repeat it.
10. Keep going! It's your first year out of school. You aren't going to make money, you may not get any roles, you may not get accepted to grad school...don't give up! This industry takes time. Get a second job, go to as many auditions as you can, and reapply next year!
Any comments? More tips? Disagreement? I'm all ears!
R
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