Help!
My child is stuck in the body of an actor!
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I encourage you to use this site to ask fellow actors and parents, questions!
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I received a lot of questions about agents again, so I want to address that first and then do a follow-up with a response I received from ADAM LIEBLEIN who was the President/Owner of Acme Talent & Literary before moving into Business Development at Casting Networks, Inc. And then end with a standing ovation for THE BELASCO THEATRE COMPANY!
QUESTIONS: How do you know when it’s time to leave and switch agencies? My child has been with the same agency for 5 years and gets calls few and far between. When we do go on auditions, I see friends who always ask why we weren’t at such and such castings and auditions? Am I being loyal or plain stupid? I have been told on several occasions to send out resumes to other agencies or even managers. Help please….
ACTORS: Look at yourself as the pilot of your career and your agent as the co-pilot. You understand the importance of working together and you both have one mission… to get your career off the ground. The pilot has to trust his co-pilot to take over by handing him the controls, however, if the situation starts to get turbulent, it’s up to the pilot (the actor) to stay on course so he can reach his final destination!
Getting an agent that supports you is what we all want, but having an agent that doesn’t send you out is no different than NOT having one… except you can write their name on your resume.
So, it’s up to YOU to know when it’s time to change direction and start interviewing again.
I would first contact my agent and find out why I wasn’t sent on the auditions that I heard about. It’s important to have an open dialogue with your agent. However, we must also trust that our agent is looking out for our best interest, and if you feel they are not, then it’s time to get back on course and take over the controls from the co-pilot!
FOLLOW-UP: In my last column I mentioned, “It is always best to have an agent who is registered with The Screen Actor’s Guild. (SAG)” My intent was not to exclude other agents. When I received the following response from Adam Lieblein, I thought it would be important to share his response.
RESPONSE: Ordinarily, in the not-too-distant past, that advice would be 100% correct. Agencies like Abrams, Buchwald, CAA, Diverse, Gersh, ICM, Innovative, William Morris Endeavor, and so many others, big and small, are members of the Association of Talent Agents (ATA) or the National Association of Talent Representatives (NATR). ATA agencies are therefore not “registered” with SAG, so this could be an even simpler source to find legitimate talent agencies.
So, as importantly as it is to see your final destination, it is equally important to keep your engine updated while staying flexible to change course while en route!
And then, your final destination becomes a lay over to your next destination!
QUESTIONS: My daughter loves to sing, dance and act, maybe it’s all this American Idol and Dancing with the Stars? But, she is too young for that! Do you know of any good schools in Los Angeles?
ACTORS: This would be a great question to ask other parents and actors on the Facebook page! With American Idol, America’s Got Talent and Dancing with the Stars, I have noticed more and more opportunities for those that want to hone in on these skills! Even I have been looking into taking some Swing dance lessons!
As far as a great school for young actors, I am a big fan of THE BELASCO THEATRE COMPANY.
In 1981 EDDIE BELASCO founded The Belasco Theatre Company to introduce theater arts to young people. He is one of the most passionate children theatre directors I have ever met! In 2004, SHANTI BELASCO GLYNN, Eddie’s daughter, followed in his footsteps as a very passionate director and founded the Southern California division.
These young talented actors become skilled to sing, dance and act in Broadway-style productions often moving on to prestigious colleges like NYU and the University of Michigan.
The company believes in teaching children the power of their own potential and to never let them forget that the most important thing is to love what they do.
It is a wonderful company for young actors!
I encourage you to visit their next production, Anything Goes! Which runs from June 24th-July 10th.
MY BEST ADVICE: Choose the best flight for your career, enjoy the “lay- over” and make sure you like your co-pilot!
Otherwise, it will be a very bumpy ride!
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