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Where are the Acting Jobs?

Writer: Jeffrey Dreisbach
Jeffrey Dreisbach
Nov 1, 2022
2 min read

Where are the Acting Jobs?


Air Date: October 27, 2022


I am sure you’ve askes this question at some point. You’ve looked at Backstage, Actors Access and other online job sites, only to become discouraged and frustrated at the prospects for gainful employment. If you have an agent and they are not sending you out on auditions then your might be asking yourself, “now what!”. Although there is no magic answer to help you, I think it a good idea to, perhaps, add some insight regarding the frustration you feel when asking, “Where Are the Acting Jobs!”. I’m Jeffrey Dreisbach ant this is Casting Actors Cast!


Some things to consider:

There is work going on right now. The issue is where to find them

Checking one resource is less effective than exploring many avenues consistently

Word of mouth is still a great tool to use (fellow students/Casting Directors/teachers)

Make job searching part of your job description as an actor

Be consistent and constant with the process

Be leery of pay for play sights or job bulletin boards for money


Things you might not thought of…

Unions have postings (SAG/AFTRA & Equity)

Direct contact with theatre (seasons are posted on their websites)

Mayors’ office of film theatre and TV

Reconnect with your rep or use a prospective rep to inquire about submitting you

Casting Directors don’t publish what they are working on but IMDB is useful for research


What works for finding work:

Consistency

Research (agents’ movement/ Casting resources/ show and tell)

Look for opportunity and stay professional


One technique that works for many actors I know is to keep the business part of being an actor separate from the creative being you are. Business is essential and important but if you attach emotion to the process of finding work, you will soon exhaust yourself with discouragement. Constantly finding new ways to discover acting gigs can actually be positive and fruitful if you are open to it. Sounds cliché but forward movement will always create the right kind of waves. You won’t be afraid of storms if you know how to sail your ship. Metaphor’s over.

 
 
 

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Why Jeff?

Jeff Dreisbach has spent a professional lifetime on both sides of the audition table.

First as a working actor in theatre, film, television, commercials and voice-over—and later as a casting director, educator, author and host of Casting Actors Cast—Jeff brings actors something increasingly rare: perspective.

His approach isn't about tricks for "beating" an audition. It's about helping actors become more prepared, more truthful, more confident and better equipped to navigate a profession that can be both exhilarating and unpredictable.

Jeff is a Casting Partner with McCorkle Casting Ltd., author of Booked It! The Actor's Playbook for Getting Cast, creator and host of Casting Actors Cast, and an experienced educator working with actors at colleges, universities, conservatories and professional training programs.
 

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