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Every actor knows that agent representation is crucial in establishing a professional presence in the city. Representation is the key to commercial, film, and television work around town, and I’ve already had some wonderful opportunities through my agent at Lily’s Talent. Below are some tips on submitting as well as contact information for all of the prominent agencies in Chicago.
First, the tips: 1. Unless an agency requests emails, always provide a hard copy submission. 2. Include a cover letter, professional headshot/resume, and SASE (self-addressed stamped envelope). 3. If available, provide an acting reel on DVD; the agent is able to pop that disk into their laptop, which is an automatic audition upon receipt. 4. Keep every submission neat, concise, and professional. 5. After submitting, remain relaxed and optimistic. Next, the agencies: actors talent group inc. Fine Arts Building 410 South Michigan Avenue, Suite 733 Chicago, IL 60605 www.actorstalentgroup.com Ambassador Talent Agents, Inc. 333 N. Michigan Ave. Suite 910 Chicago, IL 60601 Attn: New Talent www.ambassadortalentagentsinc.com Big Mouth Talent, Inc. 900 N. Franklin Street Suite 403-1 Chicago, IL 60610 www.bigmouthtalent.com BMG Talent 456 North May Street Chicago, IL 60642 www.bmgtalent.com Gill Hayes Talent Agency 2558 W 16th Street, 2nd Floor Chicago, IL 60608 www.gillhayestalent.com Gray Talent Group, Inc. 727 S. Dearborn St., Suite 312 Chicago, IL. 60605 www.graytalentgroup.com Grossman & Jack Talent 33 W Grand Avenue Suite 402 Chicago, IL 60654 www.grossmanjack.com Lily’s Talent Agency 1017 W. Washington Blvd., Ste. 4F Chicago, IL 60607 www.lilystalent.com Paonessa Talent Agency, LLC 3354 N. Paulina Suite 202 Chicago, IL 60657 www.paonessatalent.com Shirley Hamilton Talent 333 East Ontario Street Suite 302 Chicago, IL 60611 www.shirleyhamiltontalent.com Stewart Talent 58 W Huron Street Chicago, IL 60654 www.stewarttalent.com Agencies receive stacks of submissions every week, so it may take some time to hear a response. And success might not arrive upon the first round of submissions, so stay enthusiastic and resubmit every year until an agency is interested. Continue building the acting resume and gain as many connections as possible. Opportunities will arise with persistence and positivity. Stay positive, Andrew
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Auditions don’t have to be stressful. When you really think about it, casting directors WANT you to succeed; it makes their job easier! Directors and actors are on the same team, so there’s absolutely no need to feel intimidated. On the contrary, the best piece of advice I’ve ever received on auditioning is the following: enter the room as if you are presenting a gift.
Upon walking into your audition, give directors the gift that they are looking for: yourself. When you possess that secret – that gift – you will enter the room with confidence and ease, knowing that you are satisfying their every need. This graceful presence will calm the room, creating a comfortable atmosphere in which everyone feels safe. If you’re acting professionally, you already know that you’ve got talent, so remain honest and relaxed. Your gift to the room is yourself. Enjoy giving it. Stay positive, Andrew Early in my theatrical career, I often relied upon exaggeration to tell a story. This overcompensation certainly stemmed from my improvisational and children’s theatre background, and it was over the top and exhausting. I quickly learned that an actor simply doesn’t need to overwork during a performance. Instead, one should utilize two words to shape and define their technique: economy and ease.
By employing economy, actor can focus on succinct, specific choices to define their character. The goal is simplicity. One need not be boisterous in order to sell a performance. Working from the core, an actor can truthfully play their character’s objective, wearing the character as a thin veil. The actor should make specific choices and maintain a razor-sharp focus on them. In working with ease, the goal is to achieve an essence of grace. An effective, constructive kinesthetic awareness grants a relaxed and graceful state of being. Thus, the actor is free to create a truthful character and honestly react to their acting partner in moment-to-moment responses. Economy and ease will free the actor, granting them the ability to effectively communicate a play’s message without getting in the way of it. An actor will simply declare their objective within a scene and speak their lines with pure intention, relaxing and allowing the play do all of the work. Remember, keep it simple and easy. Stay positive, Andrew |
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April 2017
FootnotesSome thoughts on art, life, and theatre. Stay positive. Categories |
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