As Ms. Clemons said, community theatre is not a "golden ticket to Broadway" (nothing is), but it's a proper first step for a fledgling actor.

The first step is to locate your local community theatres. They used to post auditions in the newspaper, but this practice is becoming increasingly rare. My suggestion is to Google "[name of your town] community theatre," and do some exploring. Find out if your town has a theatre alliance. Here in Baltimore, we have the Baltimore Theatre Alliance, a collection of over 70 professional and community theatres in the greater Baltimore area. The BTA publishes an e-mail newsletter with audition notices, job and volunteer opportunities, class and workshop announcements, and more. Find out if your town has a similar organization, and get on their mailing list. Also join the e-mail lists of your local community theatres so you can be kept up-to-date on their auditions.

See shows at these theatres. Find out which ones do quality work you enjoy. Talk with other actors in your area. Find out which theatres have a reputation for being friendly and drama-free, and seek to get involved with these theatres. Besides auditioning, if you have time, volunteer. When I first got involved in Baltimore theatre, I did so by joining the Baltimore Theatre Alliance, which provided me with all the audition information I could wish for. I also began interning there, and volunteered to work box office at a local theatre. Both of these investments of time turned into paid jobs, as the office administrator for the BTA and as an instructor at the theatre's high school acting academy. I also met and made friends with the local directors I met through these jobs, and have been called by them when they're casting.

Now that you've gotten involved and starting meeting people in your local theatre community, make sure you're ready to audition. At this stage you don't necessarily need to have a headshot and resume, although it's good to put them together as soon as you can. (I won't go into the requirements for a good headshot and resume here, as you can easily find that information elsewhere.) Do make sure you have a good monologue (preferably 3 or 4). Most community theatre auditions require a monologue, and it's a basic requirement for any actor. Go to your local library and Barnes & Noble and read plays. Make sure the monologue is appropriate in terms of your age and gender, and that it's a piece you'd enjoy performing over and over. Then work on it, bring it to solid performance readiness, and go audition!

You should also get into class. If your goal is Broadway, you won't want to stay in community theatre forever. Use class to improve your scene study, auditioning, and vocal skills, while you continue to audition. Do as much local theatre as you can. Volunteer, go to events in your local theatre community, see people's show. Continue to build your network, so that when people are looking for an actor of your type, they'll call you.

When you feel like a big fish in a small pond, feel confident in your skills, and are regularly being cast, re-evaluate. At that point it may be time to move to the vast ocean that is New York.

The big advantage of working in regional community theatre is that is helps you build your confidence, skill set, and resume, leading to regional paid work, which leads to the ability to compete in larger markets like Chicago, D.C., and New York. If you start out trying to compete for professional theatre roles in these larger markets, it's going to be tough, and you're going to work rarely if at all (unless you're extraordinarily lucky). In community theatre, you can work a lot, and, supplemented by regular classes, build a foundation for a successful professional career.

Being involved in a community theatre group is your first step to broadway, but it is not a goldent ticket.

Community theatre can be amazing or it can be painful to watch, depending on the group who is running the theatre. "Community" means that non-professionals may be directing and putting on the play so you are never guaranteed an excellent education.

I LOVE community theatre, but I've seen huge contrasts in the way they operate. YES, get involved in community theatre, but back that up with education. Broadway actors know how to act, sing and dance. You'll need to be great at all of these so start looking into classes now and combine those with the experience on the community stage. You'll then have to move out of your market into a larger market to get more experience and to get involved with a professional theatre group.

You need to build your talent and your resume before heading to broadway, but community theatre is a great start.

Sandy Clemons
President
Ain't It Good Productions
Talent Development Company