Glenn Alterman - n Actors Guide—Making It in New York City: Everything a Working Actor Needs to Survive and Succeed in the Big Apple

Praise for An Actors GuideMaking It in New York City

This book is filled with great advice and useful information for all actors. Those looking for the best ways to create, maintain, and strengthen their industry relationships should look no further. An important book. I highly recommend it!

Bernard Telsey, casting director, co-executive director of MCC Theater

Every actor who plans to move to New York should read this book.

Debra Monk, Tony, Emmy, Obie, Drama Desk,
and Helen Hayes Award winner

Having the talent is one thing; letting the right people know about that talent is quite another. Finally, here is a book that tells actors how to be both an artist and a businessperson. I recommend it to all actors who are serious about their careers.

Jonn Wasser, agent, Atlas Talent Agency

Copyright 2020 by Glenn Alterman

All rights reserved. Copyright under Berne Copyright Convention, Universal Copyright Convention, and Pan American Copyright Convention. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the express written consent of the publisher, except in the case of brief excerpts in critical reviews or articles. All inquiries should be addressed to Allworth Press, 307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10018.

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Published by Allworth Press, an imprint of Skyhorse Publishing, Inc. 307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10018. Allworth Press is a registered trademark of Skyhorse Publishing, Inc., a Delaware corporation.

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Cover design by Mary Ann Smith

Cover photograph by iStock/franckreporter

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Alterman, Glenn, 1946- author.

Title: An actors guide-making it in New York City: everything a working actor needs to survive and succeed in the Big Apple / Glenn Alterman.

Description: Third edition. | New York: Allworth Press, 2020. | Includes bibliographical references and index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2019050258 (print) | LCCN 2019050259 (ebook) | ISBN 9781621536963 (trade paperback) | ISBN 9781621536970 (epub)

Subjects: LCSH: ActingVocational guidanceNew York (State)New York.

Classification: LCC PN2055 .A453 2020 (print) | LCC PN2055 (ebook) | DDC 792.0/28023--dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019050258

LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019050259

Print ISBN: 978-1-62153-696-3

eBook ISBN: 978-1-62153-697-0

Printed in the United States of America

Contents

Acknowledgments

The author wishes to acknowledge the following for their assistance: Tad Crawford, Chamois Holschuh, David Zema, and Doug Barron.

Introduction

This book is more than just a revision of the first two editions. When I first began working on it, I had no idea how much things had changed in the entertainment business in the last decade. Much of the information in the last two editions needed to be totally updated. Many interviews from the previous edition had to be deleted, with many new ones added. The world, and certainly the entertainment industry, has changed dramatically since the last edition.

The Internet plays a far more significant role in all aspects of entertainment now, especially in how projects are cast. The chapter in this book on the Internet is extensive and completely updated. It includes a listing of many important websites of which actors need to be aware. Theres also a section on how to set up your own website.

My goal in this revised edition was to give actors the most up-to-date, comprehensive information on being a New York actor. I believe this edition will be of value to the actor just moving to New York City as well as to the seasoned pro. I wanted this to be the definitive industry sourcebook, the go-to book for any questions you may have about being a working actor in New York. There are a few other books out there that cover some of the same topics Ive covered in this book. I didnt want to simply rehash information thats already available. I wanted this book to be as current as possible, with information not available anywhere else.

When I began work on this book, I thought that my target audience would be primarily young actors coming to New York for the first time. But as so often happens when youre researching and interviewing, new areas opened. As I continued with my research, I began learning a great deal about an industry about which I thought I knew almost all there was to know. Ive been an actor in New York for more than forty years and have written many theatre-related books. I thought that by now, there was little I didnt know about this field. Boy, was I wrong! Truth be told, I probably learned more from the research and interviews that I did for this book than in any of my previous ones. I sought out the opinions, advice, and insights of many of the major players in the New York theatre, TV, and film communities. I think youll find their interviews particularly informative and helpful.

Because this book is for the New York actor, I felt that a chapter specifically on Manhattan and the outlying areas was necessary. Everything from whats where, to where to live (and how much itll cost you), to shopping, and even nightlife is covered.

I think that youll find the acting teacher interviews interesting and inspiring. I interviewed the top acting teachers in New York. Their focus was primarily on the craft of acting, not just the commercial aspects. Does everyone need to study acting? What is the best training? What should you be wary of when seeking out instructors? How long should you study with a teacher? When should you terminate your training with a teacher? How much training is enough?

The marketing and networking chapters are the flip side of the coin. Here, I wanted to explore the best ways to turn your talent into something marketable in todays economy. To succeed in this business, you need a strong game plan, a well-thought-out strategy. You need to know how to network effectively. I suggest different ways to set up shop and operate as a businessperson. You dont have to sit around waiting for that phone to ring anymore.

Learning how to work effectively with agents, casting directors, and personal managers was something I felt every actor needed to know. These are the people with whom you come into contact daily. They can have a major impact on how successful you are in your career. During the interviews, I asked very specific questions to which I felt all actors want to know the answers: How do you find an agent? Do you need a personal manager? Whats the best way to get a casting director to know you? Whats expected in the actor-agent or personal manager-actor relationship? What are the main pet peeves of agents, personal managers, and casting directors? I think that youll be surprised at some of the responses.

There are chapters on commercial print modeling, background work, and survival strategies. Very few actors come to New York and make it right away. I felt that these peripheral ways to earn a living were well worth investigating.