Hi there, if anyone can help me out, I would really appreciate it.

When I was in high school, I did theater for three years. I jumped right into the "advanced" class (there was no "beginner" class), and we did five or six plays a school year. Now, even though it was through the school that I joined, it was an actual theater group that my teacher/director called "semi-professional" and used lots of members of the community, not just students. (He even mentioned several times that we were "World Famous" at one point in the 80's, although I've never been able to confirm that anywhere, beginning to think he just said that so we'd work harder, lol.) We also traveled and the group would get paid. I've asked this question before, elsewhere, and can't really get a straight answer. Are these credits I have ok to put on my resume? My last play was nine years ago, but I had some good roles.

If that answer is "yes", then I have one more question. We did a play one time, we performed it both locally and we traveled and did it again. The first time I did it, I had one role, and the second time, I got a bigger role, replacing the original actress. How would I list that on my resume?

I apologize if my questions sound dumb, lol.

~Rebekah

The only "dumb" question is the one you don't ask, Rebekah.

Personally, I wouldn't list high school credits on a professional resume.

Instead, list them as a "tour." That sounds better than, "the high school auditorium," doesn't it?

www.robertkim.com
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0453647/

Thank you for your advice. If these weren't such great roles, I wouldn't have considered adding them.

I do feel the need to say that we didn't just perform at the high school, we performed at a couple of local opera houses, very nice stages. One we did one at a Chinese food restaurant (dinner theatre).

I will be taking your advice.

I have a related question. My credits only include high school plays and, while it may be a bit unprofessional to list them, I'm only eighteen and in my first year of college. Should I continue listing them and assume that CD's understand the correlation between my age and my experience? Or, would I be better off removing the high school plays and just beginning again with my next acting job, whatever that may be?

quote:

Originally posted by TJDukeman:
I have a related question. My credits only include high school plays and, while it may be a bit unprofessional to list them, I'm only eighteen and in my first year of college. Should I continue listing them and assume that CD's understand the correlation between my age and my experience? Or, would I be better off removing the high school plays and just beginning again with my next acting job, whatever that may be?

Why not just list the name of the auditorium they were perfomed in? Then you are not really lying.

Yes, good point.
Thanks.

I guess ill step in and give you a different perspective. Both brutally honest and brutally positive

High School plays should never be listed on a professional resume. Period point blank.

Now, you say im 18 with no credits at all and I say "NO PROBLEM!!!" You are young enough to where it doesnt matter. If you are 35 with no credits then you have a tougher road ahead. But you should never be afraid of being the new person in town. No matter who they are now, every actor came to LA and was a nobody with no credits. This way, you can be a discovery to CDs (which most will tell you is still one of the best parts of their jobs..discovering someone new)

At 18, people just want to see you training and starting to build something. Having no credits at your age is not a problem at all.

Ok, here's another weird question then. (And I'm REALLY REALLY sorry if I'm being annoying, this is just a general confusion.)

What is the difference between "high school plays" and "plays you did when you were in high school"? I'm asking because I worked with a real theatre company, half of the actors were adults and completely out of school, we had rehearsals outside of school (four or five times a week, usually around 7pm and would last for two hours), we traveled, we got paid. (Of course, us snobs would use that money to get a charter bus and the best rooms when we traveled, lol) We were in no way involved in any high school competitions.

Ok, so just because I'm confusing myself here. One of my roles was Amelia in "Wild Oats" (John O'Keeffe). I played that role when I was 17. If I had played it when I was 19 and no longer in school, though it would have been with the same group of people, would it have gone on my resume?

(I'm not just asking this because we put on some great performances and I had a couple of roles that I'm majorly proud of, lol.)

Thanks. Oh, by the way, I'm no longer 18, lol

I think the amateur vibe comes from the listing of a high school production, not from doing a play at the age that you were in high school. If this theatre company was just run by or in association with the guy who happened to be your high school drama teacher I don't think it'd be a problem, especially since you claim that you got paid and people out of school performed along side you. Unless this theatre company has "high school" listed somewhere in its title, I don't see why you wouldn't list it.

I may be wrong, but that's how I see it from a logical standpoint.

Okay, got to jump in here...

High school productions are perfectly fine to list on younger actor's resumes. Experience is experience, especially if it was a lead or supporting role! I know young Broadway actors who returned to high school and listed their high school credits, as well, with their agents approval. The only thing you don't do is include the words high school. Just list the name of the theatre or the name of the school, without the words "high school." As you gain more credits, you can remove the high school credits. Check out the resume formats thread for more info. http://bbs.backstage.com/eve/f...?r=24410001#24410001

quote:

Originally posted by Mominbiz:
Okay, got to jump in here...

High school productions are perfectly fine to list on younger actor's resumes. Experience is experience, especially if it was a lead or supporting role! I know young Broadway actors who returned to high school and listed their high school credits, as well, with their agents approval. The only thing you don't do is include the words high school. Just list the name of the theatre or the name of the school, without the words "high school." As you gain more credits, you can remove the high school credits. Check out the resume formats thread for more info. http://bbs.backstage.com/eve/f...?r=24410001#24410001

So in other words, what I said.

Absolutely, Miss Stone! What you said!

I just added a bit more to explain to any newbies that high school credits are appropriate to list, since some posters imply those credits are not acceptable.

So what youre saying is list your high school plays but dont list "high school" cause then they might know its highschool? Sounds like a semi fib to me. If you are so sure that highschool credits are fine, why dont you denote George Washington High for example?

I stand by what i said. High School Plays have no business on a professional actors resume. CDs that I look to for guidance/mentorship are also of this same opinion. Just for the record.

DONT BE AFRAID TO BE NEW. Youre 18 and you wont have a problem getting auditions as long as you have training on your resume.

As some on these boards know, I also direct indie films, and cast them with and without casting directors.

I have NO problem with high school credits on the resume of high schoolers, or even college aged actors. For an actor who is much older than that, it's not a deal killer either, but I may wonder why there is no professional work.

If the headshot stands out, and the person is the right type for the role I am casting, I will --

definitely call them in if they are young without credits (high school or not); or

consider calling them in if they are older without credits (after all, they might be just starting out).

But, to reiterate, it's the picture that is looked at first. If it's not good, or not the right type, it doesn't even get turned over.

Good luck,

Ron

For high school theater, you can leave out the high school part of the theater name. For example, if you went to "Thompson High School," your production company name can just be "Thompson Theater Company." If they ask about it you can elaborate further.