Ask A Stage Goddess - I Booked It! What's Next?

Congratulations you booked your first acting job!! Now the real fun begins.

Here’s what you can expect next:

You’ll get a couple of calls from production. One to check your email so they can send you a script and one from wardrobe to get your sizes for the clothes you will wear for your character. They will probably also set up a wardrobe fitting at that time.

When you get your script, read it! When you get to set, know your lines like the back of your hand. No one has time to help you with your acting. That’s your job. You will quickly find out how many people are involved for a particular production. They are all doing their specific jobs simultaneously so you have to be able to hold your own. There’s lighting people, set decorators, assistant directors, production assistants, producers, hair stylists, make up artists, background players, script supervisors, transportation and of course the director and your fellow actors. Just think of the credits at the end of the last movie you saw. It took all those people to tell this one story and you’re all working together.

Continue to develop your character but don’t create anything drastically different than what you did to get the job. When I was on the set of the movie The Terminal, I thought I would just try something big and crazy in one of our rehearsals and Steven Spielberg looked at me and said, “Carlease, you already got the part.” I will never forget that! As a matter of fact, the best training is on-the-job training. Acting & audition classes cannot truly prepare you for what you will experience in a sound studio or on location. I often suggest doing background work for my rising star clients (especially the young ones) who are just starting out because I think it’s beneficial to know what to expect on a set. It’s a whole new world of make believe but for the hours you are there it’s your reality.

Keep your work ethic high. Be remembered for being pleasant, professional and talented, so you will continue to book more fabulous acting jobs.

Ask A Stage Goddess - What Is A Table Read?

A table read is when actors sit around tables and read through the script aloud. We don’t have to have our lines memorized or act full out, but energy and giving the flavor of the character is important. Our audience is typically made of the entire creative team: writers, producers, studio & network executives, many other departments and of course the director.
The reason for a table read is so that everyone can hear how the project plays and often adjustments are made afterwards. Writers will often re-write scenes to improve the flow of the script or discuss how to punch-up the dialogue in a comedy. 

Personally, I love being invited to table reads. There’s always a nice meet and greet with a yummy lunch.  Then you look around the table for the placard with your name on it which designates where you sit. There you will find your script, a highlighter, pencil, bottle of water and a notepad. It’s a good idea to get there early to go through the script and highlight your lines in case there are any changes. Before we actually start reading, the director introduces everyone and then we’re off! It usually takes no more than an hour and it’s a lot of fun.
Two of my most exciting table reads so far have been the one that led to an offer for a recurring role and the first one I attended as a series regular.  It’s a great way to connect with all of your co-creators on any film, play or television show.

P.S. - Norman Buckley directed me in an episode of Switched At Birth.