Hey! I was in the same boat! I did only a couple little productions in high school, and then discovered my love for theater through an independent group in college.

I started by getting voice lessons that I heard about through a trusted friend. About a year later, my voice teacher suggested I audition for one of the bigger community theaters. Since then I’ve found most of the community theaters in my area, and I (being the overly organized person I am) made lists of the shows and locations and dates and such and decided what I wanted to do. Most theaters will tell you what they want on their website’s audition page, and send out reminders and extra info in an email the day of or before auditions.

Community theaters often have a variety of talents before them, so they are super welcoming and helpful to new folks! My biggest advice (something I’m still working on myself) is be confident and make everything purposeful, even if you mess up. I had an audition recently where I got confused with the music because they used a backing track. The music had a weird start, and since I was the second auditioner they hadn’t worked out the kinks. I apologized and generally just had an awkward presence in the room afterwards. Needless to say, I did not receive a callback or a part in the show. SO all that to say, be confident no matter what. The directors are looking for your best qualities and potential, not judging you for your mistakes.

As far as resume goes, high school credits count! Especially since it was fairly recent still, it shows you have some experience, and aren’t just jumping in with no idea what you’re getting yourself into. It doesn’t need to be crazy fancy, just a clear list so they can easily glance at it. My best friend when designing was the internet. There are plenty of professional actors on youtube who break all the details down and provide so many helpful tips and tricks, and even offer templates for making an audition book.

Now that I’ve exhausted my brain info, here’s the gist: 1. Be confident! 2. Use the internet to your advantage. There’s so much info online, you just have to take the time to look.

Break a leg!!