The Resume and Headshot

When you audition for any show, make sure to bring a résumé with you. If it is your first performance, then at least bring a headshot to the auditions. The résumé and headshot are the two most valuable tools at your disposal to make a director remember both your name and your appearance. Since auditions require casting directors to view dozens or even hundreds of actors at a time, you want to make sure that you stick out in their mind when they review your information later. A well-organized and informative resumé, if you have one, can also show the director how skilled you are, and give them more confidence in your abilities.

A resumé is meant to show a casting director your acting history. When you make your resumé, there are a few key points you should cover on each performance you mention. Your resumé should include: the name of the play(s) you have been in, the name of your character, what role that character had in the show (chorus, supporting, main, etc.), what year the performance occurred, who directed the show, and where the show took place. You may wish to give more information on each show, but those are the most important points to mention. You can go to Google to find an appropriate format for your resumé, as well.

Headshots, unlike the resumé, require little formatting. Beyond getting your headshot taken with a good camera and in a professional setting, you only need to make sure your headshot is an appropriate size (around 8”X10”). A headshot shows the director what you look like, and while giving a picture of yourself may seem unnecessary (after all, they already saw you during auditions, right?), that image becomes invaluable after the audition. A director may forget the face of every single person who comes to an audition, but your picture will help that director recall your appearance, and connect it with your name when deciding on the cast. Also, if your audition was particularly impressive, your headshot will connect you to that audition more than your name will.