So I moved here in June of this year and have just become SAG (was Taft Hartleyed on a project). I have a mtg. with a commercial agent next week. My question is how do I go about attracting a theatrical agent? I've attached my resume for you guys to tell me if I'm anywhere NEAR up to snuff. thanks guys!

Melissa D Banks
SAG
(859) 361-8251
Mdbanks2@gmail.com


Film
Ready To Die Female Lead (Jenny) John Azpilicueta
Caught Female Lead (Sarah) Alfredo Leal
Tangerine Sky Supporting (Lulu) Frank Lopez

Theatre
Steel Magnolias Annelle Mack Gilliand
It’s Christmas Charlie Brown Peppermint Patty Emily Himmonidis

New Media
The Paper Year Chloe Xavier Moreno
Cannibal Run “Cute Girl” Kyle Newman
Chad & the Alien Toupee Woman In Bed Peter Paul Basler

Commercials
Honda CRV Ad Campaign Los Angeles, CA 2009
Bluegrass Airport Ad Campaign Lexington, KY 2008

Training
Cold Reading Images Talent Agency Lexington, KY
Women’s Program
Commercial Technique Images Talent Agency Lexington, KY
Advanced Technique
Improvisation University of Kentucky Lexington, KY
Preparing to Improvise
Scene Study Actor’s Theatre of Louisville Louisville, KY
Advanced Scene Study
Special Skills/Abilities
Improvisation, Dialects, Medical Terminology/Wardrobe, Registered Dietitian, Barista, Science Degree, Manual Transmission Operation, Swimming, Volleyball, Yoga, Scuba Diving, CPR certified, Pilates

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Originally posted by melissabanks:
So I moved here in June of this year and have just become SAG (was Taft Hartleyed on a project). I have a mtg. with a commercial agent next week. My question is how do I go about attracting a theatrical agent? I've attached my resume for you guys to tell me if I'm anywhere NEAR up to snuff. thanks guys!

How 'bout take it one step at a time? You have a meeting with a commercial agent! That's great. Most can't even get that far. If it's a success and you sign with them, it will undoubtedly give you some more legitimacy in attracting a theatrical agent, especially when you book jobs and they start seeing you on television. It's much harder to get a theatrical agent, but actors who make money are considerably more attractive than those that don't.

Your resume looks pretty good, particularly for someone who just got to town. But you gotta remove those commercial credits. Some people put "Commercials: Conflicts on request", but I think you can remove that entire category from your resume. Ask your commercial agent how they like to do it. You don't want to list a Honda commercial, even if it's current, because the folks at Toyota won't want to consider you for their commercial. (If you have a current conflict, your agent can't send you for that Toyota commercial anyway, but if you only list those two commercials, then it's clear that you've only done those two commercials. Might as well let them assume you have done LOTS of commercials.) If you're submitting to a TV/Film agent, they won't care if you have that category anyway.

I'd rearrange your Training section. Put the REAL acting stuff first. (Cold Reading may be useful to you, but Scene Study at the Actor's Theatre of Louisville is the most impressive acting training you have listed (for people that are impressed by that sorta stuff... and they're the only ones that will look at that section anyway.) I'd list the training in the exact reverse order of how you have it.

I'm picky about Special Skills sections. Yours isn't bad. I don't think "Barista" is going to ever get you a job as an actress, and isn't necessary information. (Likewise with "Manual Transmission Operation".) Dialects? Which ones? Listing some of the ones you are eSPECIALly SKILLed at might make a difference. (...especially if you are skilled at several. Your resume already might unnecessarily raise some (Confederate) flags for people who might think that you only do a Southern dialect, and maybe have a limiting Southern accent. Listing some other dialects could help.) "Science Degree"?? Um, that's pretty special, and may even influence someone's decision to see you for 'science-y' roles, but it might help to list the school (but not the year). For example: "B.S. in Chemistry, University of Kentucky" (or whatever) would look better than just "Science Degree". (Group all the 'science-y' stuff together.) Medical Terminology is great. Medical Wardrobe is only going to get you "extra work". If you get a real acting job, they supply the wardrobe.

And that's what I think. You'll get many other opinions. Consult your new commercial agent when you sign with them.