How to Make a Professional Resume for Your Drama School Audition

Must have information

Below are some important details that are integral to a resume:

1. Start with your name, contact info, and stats

As in any other resume, your drama school resume should begin with your full name. Use big and bold letters for the name and place it at the topmost part of your resume page.

Follow your name with the information for contacting you which should include your

• Email address

• Mobile number

• The contact number of your manager or agent, if present, can replace your contact info.

• And avoid entering your age unless your age is under 18.

• If you are part of any of unions such as AEA, SAG or AFTRA include them here.

• If singing is part of your repertoire, add the voice type like for instance, Voice: Tenor

After your contact address state all your statistics including :

• Height
• Weight
• Eye and hair color. (If you have included a professional color photograph of yourself, which should be a headshot, by the way, you can skip this part.)

2. Credits go here

List all the credits you have added for your film voice-over, theater, television and other performance.

The order of listing the credits is important. If you think your theater credits supersede your other credits, list it first. Most casting directors begin with theater, so this can turn to your advantage.

If you are quite particular about your TV and film credits, by all means, give them first preference in the credits list.

Instead of making your credit list a long one that includes every part you have done, including the insignificant ones, try picking out the roles that highlight your acting and which you can do better when given another chance. 

Remember, your list is a way to show the roles that you can excel in and is a way of telling how the school can use your skills.

Once you have included the theater credits include other mediums that you possess acting experience in such as commercials, voice over, television, film etc.  But make sure you are concise and subtle about your credits and preferences.

3. Your qualifications

After your name, contact info and credentials, list your specific qualifications related to art. This can include all the workshops and classes you have taken in acting. 

If you had taken the acting classes while in college add them too. Even acting in your high school or middle school drama club activity counts as qualification, so add everything you could here.

4. Hidden talents

Include your skills in other areas like for instance dialects, standup comedy, amateur contortionist and similar other talents. Sometimes your special or hidden talents may be the single deciding factor in landing a role. 

Casting directors often search for actors who can perform a juggling act or enact a handspring backward or just someone who owns a passport. The hidden talents increase your chances of success.

Formatting the resume

1. The right order of information

Your drama school audition resume structure is based mostly on your specific preference. However, there is a common pattern that is followed which you can apply to your resume. Here is the right order of listing the information pertaining to you:

• Professional name(stage name)

• Contact details, measurements, and personal information

• Agency and union affiliations if present

• Credits and work experience

• Training and education

• Special skills (hidden talents)

2. Length of resume

While you are creating an impressive resume listing all your credentials and other details take care about how long your resume is. Avoid writing a resume that extends more than two pages. 

The information you have may even stretch to five pages or more but a hiring manager will not have the patience to scroll through all your data. They would like to view the most relevant information right away. Only when they are impressed with what they learn in your concise resume will they be ready to know more. So make it short and sweet.

3. Photograph

Make your photograph an eight by ten shot.  The photograph remains the best introduction to who you are for talent scouts and directors. They refer to your photograph when considering you for a particular role.

And make sure your photograph is a professional headshot as it can help immensely whether you are looking for a local role or a Broadway role. And color photographs give a more candid image. If you find your appearance is dramatically altered in the headshot, change it to one with a more striking resemblance.

4. Be concise

It always helps to keep things simple. Instead of overcrowding the resume with every bit of acting information pertaining to you, choose the ones that matter most and will impress the casting directors, and will reduce the number of mundane questions asked during the drama school audition. 

5. The special touch

• Highlight most relevant acting experience, professional training you have invoice skills and skills like acrobatics, dance etc. For instance, under the theater experience list down the show name, your role, name of the theater company and production location. For films or TV shows, list film or show name, your role type, Production Company or network and show or film director name.

• Choose an appealing font and elegant design: Clean designs that are legible and professional work better. So instead of going for dramatic flair with Comic Sans or Mistral stick to Times New Roman, Helvetica or Ariel. 

• Focus on the cover letter: If you are just beginning your acting journey without the support of an agent or professional reference, a good cover letter can make your resume and headshot more potent. Be specific about your target audience and research about the school and the specific department you want to be a part of. Choose a note size paper that fits with your 8 by 10 photograph and add details that are shot and to the point. Let the cover letter content reveal your passion and your main objective.  And last but not least, sign off the letter with a personal expression that displays your natural flair. Making a style statement pays off.

• Letters of recommendation: Make sure you get a recommendation letter that is customized to meet your specific needs.  The letter can include for instance, your acting ability and your additional skills like dancing, singing, acrobatics etc. Insights on the likelihood of your success in performing arts in future and your hidden talents can also help.

Conclusion

A customized resume that highlights your specific skills and focuses on the particular roles you are looking is certain to grab the attention of a casting director. So go ahead and follow the above steps and tips, but add in your special touches and make your resume unique and appealing.