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Acting Lessons for
Everyday Life

a poem by John Lehman

The Woman:
Feed his ego, laugh at his jokes, order something expensive from the menu. You're a prize worth paying for.

The Man:
Act handsome and clever, as if you and she were both young, and it's you who are the desirable one.

The Scene:
Create something that transcends the sadness of this bar. It's Last Call, folks, what's so hard?

Regional theatres (also called resident theatres) in the United States are professional theatre companies, located outside of New York City, that produce their own seasons of plays. The term regional theatre is most often used to refer to members of the League of Resident Theatres (LORT). LORT theatres are non-profit organizations and agree to use special contracts made in agreement with the Actors' Equity Association, the professional organization and labor union for actors working in the United States.

LORT represents more than 80 not-for-profit theaters nationwide. Equity's special contract with LORT is one of Equity's most important agreements. It generates more than 8200 individual employment contracts each year, more than any other contract including Broadway and the Road. According to the Union's annual study of membership and employment trends, statistics show the LORT contract generated 55,270 workweeks in the 2003-2004 season.

Regional theatres often produce new plays and recent revivals from Broadway, Off-Broadway, and London's West End. Seasons are often rounded out with selections from classic dramas, popular comedies, and musicals. While most LORT theatres focus on producing "straight plays", it is not uncommon for a regional theatre's season to include one or two musicals.

Many resident theatres operate two stages: a main stage for shows requiring larger sets or cast, and a second stage (often a studio theatre or black box theater) for more experimental or avante-garde productions. Regional theatres rely on donations from patrons and businesses, season ticket subscriptions, and grants from organizations, in addition to ticket sales. Some have criticized regional theatres for being conservative in their selection of shows as theatre staff must consider the demographics of their subscribers and donors. Due to audience feedback, artistic staff, and a theatre's history, each theatre may develop its own reputation both in its city and nationally.

Some regional theatres make a commitment to developing new works and premiering new plays. Theatres that develop new work, like La Jolla Playhouse and Manhattan Theatre Club, often work to move their productions to professional venues in New York. Educational outreach programs and cooperative programs with nearby university theatre programs are also common programs found at regional theatres.

In recogniztion of the importance of regional theatres in America, the American Theatre Wing gives a Regional Theatre Tony Award to one regional theatre each year during the Tony Awards. LORT, which represents more than 80 not-for-profit theaters nationwide including Lincoln Center, the Ahmanson, Long Wharf and the Guthrie, is one of Equity's most important bargaining agreements. It generates more than 8200 individual employment contracts each year, more than any other contract including Broadway and the Road. According to the Union's annual study of membership and employment trends, statistics show the LORT contract generated 55,270 workweeks in the 2003-2004 season.

(Information from Wikipedia.com - The Free Encyclopedia and Equity.)

LORT theatres employ Equity members for most of the bigger roles. However, most LORT theatres also employ non-Equity actors for roles.

How can you join EQUITY? There are several ways to join. You can be signed to an Equity contract by a producer, you can join by virtue of prior membership in one of Equity's sister unions (the 4As), or you can earn eligibility by completing the Equity Membership Candidate program.

How do you get a chance to be signed to an Equity contract if you are not an Equity member? You can attend a non-Equity audition, and perhaps be offered an Equity role - which gives you the opportunity to join. Or you can attend an Equity auditon (EPA - Equity Principal Audition.)

Simply go to an EPA audition. Make sure you arrive 1 hour before the audition time. Add your name to the non-Equity sign-up list. Start a list if there isn't one started yet. Let the audition monitor know you are there.

The monitor will let you know if non-Equity people might be seen or not. If the audition seems like it will be quite busy, you might be told no or you might be told to come back later in the day.

Make sure you take your professional headshot and resume' with you. Even if the casting director is not seeing non-Union people that day, they will usually take your picture and resume'.

Do not attend an EPA unless you are skilled, experienced and ready to compete against seasoned, professional actors.

See the Equity website for more details: http://www.actorsequity.org/Services/join.html.

Below is a list of LORT theatre websites. Some theatres post audition info on their website, some do not. Non-Equity actors should contact the LORT theatres directly to inquire about audition times and procedures for non-equity actors.

ACT Theatre Seattle
Washington
Actors Theatre of Louisville
Louisville
Kentucky
Alabama Shakespeare Festival Montgomery
Alabama
Alley Theatre Houston
Texas
Alliance Theatre Company
Atlanta
Georgia
American Conservatory Theater San Francisco
California
American Repertory Theatre Cambridge
Massachusetts
Arden Theatre Company Philadelphia
Pennsylvania
Arena Stage Washington
DC
Arizona Theatre Company Tucson/Phoenix
Arizona
Arkansas Repertory Theatre Little Rock
Arkansas
Asolo Theatre Company Sarasota
Florida
Barter Theatre Abingdon
Virginia
Berkeley Repertory Theatre Berkeley
California
Berkshire Theatre Festival Stockbridge
Massachusetts
Capital Repertory Theatre
Albany
New York
Center Stage Baltimore
Maryland
Center Theatre Group Los Angeles
California
The Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park Cincinnati
Ohio
City Theatre Company Pittsburgh
Pennsylvania
Clarence Brown Theatre Company Knoxville
Tennessee
The Cleveland Play House Cleveland
Ohio
Coconut Grove Playhouse Miami
Florida
Court Theatre Chicago
Illinois
Dallas Theater Center Dallas
Texas
Delaware Theatre Company Wilmington
Delaware
Denver Center Theatre Company Denver
Colorado
Florida Stage Manalapan
Florida
Ford's Theatre Washington
DC
Geffen Playhouse Los Angeles
California
George Street Playhouse New Brunswick
New Jersey
Georgia Shakespeare Festival Atlanta
Georgia
Geva Theatre Center Rochester
New York
The Goodman Theatre Chicago
Illinois
Goodspeed Musicals East Haddam
Connecticut
Great Lakes Theater Festival Cleveland
Ohio
The Guthrie Theater Minneapolis
Minnesota
Hartford Stage Company Hartford
Connecticut
Huntington Theatre Company Boston
Massachusetts
Indiana Repertory Theatre Indianapolis
Indiana
Intiman Theatre Seattle
California
Kansas City Repertory Theatre Kansas City
Missouri
Laguna Playhouse Laguna Beach
California
La Jolla Playhouse La Jolla
California
Lincoln Center Theater New York
New York
Long Wharf Theatre New Haven
Connecticut
Maltz Jupiter Theatre Jupiter
Florida
Manhattan Theatre Club New York
New York
McCarter Theatre Princeton
New Jersey
Merrimack Repertory Theatre Lowell
Massachusetts
Milwaukee Repertory Theater Milwaukee
Wisconsin
Northlight Theatre Skokie
Illinois
The Old Globe San Diego
California
Pasadena Playhouse Pasadena
California
The People's Light and Theatre Company Malvern
Pennsylvania
The Philadelphia Theatre Company Philadelphia
Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh Public Theater Pittsburgh
Pennsylvania
PlayMakers Repertory Company Chapel Hill
North Carolina
Portland Center Stage Portland
Oregon
Portland Stage Company Portland
Maine
Prince Music Theater Philadelphia
Pennsylvania
The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis St. Louis
Missouri
Roundabout Theatre Company New York
New York
San Jose Repertory Theatre San Jose
California
Seattle Repertory Theatre Seattle
Washington
The Shakespeare Theatre Washington
DC
South Coast Repertory Costa Mesa
California
Studio Arena Theatre Buffalo
New York
Syracuse Stage Syracuse
New York
Theatre For A New Audience New York
New York
Trinity Repertory Company Providence
Rhode Island
Virginia Stage Company Norfolk
Virginia
The Wilma Theater Philadelphia
Pennsylvania
Yale Repertory Theatre New Haven
Connecticut

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