Quickly, for those who don't yet know, a theatrical agent doesn't necessarily find you theatre work. Rather, they seek primarily to book you auditions in the world of film and television. There are a number of ways to gain a theatrical agent to help you with your acting career, including:
- Showcases. These are a lot of work, and I find that a majority of the guests are people who can't really help you with your career.
- Workshops that feature agents instead of casting directors. These have resulted in some interviews that I know of, but very few signings. I myself went in to an interview with one agent that I met and cold read for at a workshop, and she had me do a monologue and show her some tape. She still wanted to "see more work," which is a euphemism for come back to us when you're booking and we can make more money off you with less work. Another friend of mine, the one with whom I did the agency scene that you read about last time, had a great interview, and our scene went over very well, but he was not signed, most likely due to the uncertainty of the SAG/ATA conflict that has the acting world in another tizzy so soon after the painful strike aversion. After January 20th, ideally, actors and large agencies will have a better idea where they stand with one another.
- Sending query letters along with your headshot. These submissions are sometimes never seen, though people with unique looks, credits and/or training may be called in. Referrals give you better odds.
- Referrals. I've had a lot of referrals, to managers and agents, and while some of them were nice meetings, they never resulted in anything. This was probably due to my lack of experience at the time, though there are always other mitigating factors.
Recently, however, I met a producer through a workshop that, upon seeing the quality of my cold reading, checked my resume and wondered out loud why I didn't have theatrical representation. On the spot, she referred me to four agents. I contacted all of them with a professional letter and headshot with attached resume. All bore the words "Referred by (the producer)." I later followed up on all of them. Of course, agents can receive hundreds of submissions every day, and no one knew who I was, and one didn't even care who referred me. She simply treated me like any other actor, saying she'd call me if they saw my package and was interested.
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