Resources for Actors
“I have known Rita Litton for many years. She is a pioneer in the area of helping young people get the best kind of acting training to prepare them for a career in film, TV and theatre. I have featured Rita in a chapter in the book I co-authored “How to Be a Working Actor.” If anyone knows how to give young people an overview of what it takes to audition and be prepared for the world of show business, Rita does. Her alums are featured in series, films, and of course on stage.”
Scripts / Plays / Monologues
The Drama Book Shop, Inc., 250 West 40th St. NY, NY 10018. (212)-944-0595
A source for materials on all aspects of the performing arts, plays, biographies and monologue collections.
Sheet Music Plus
Over 366,000 sheet music titles including classical sheet music, guitar tabs, and songbooks.
Dramatists Play Service, Inc.
Provides the finest plays by both established writers and new playwrights of exceptional promise for nearly 70 years.
Concord Theatricals
Concord Theatricals is the world’s most significant theatrical company, including the catalogs of R&H Theatricals, Samuel French, Tams-Witmark and The Andrew Lloyd Webber Collection. Providing comprehensive services to the creators and producers of plays and musicals, including theatrical licensing, music publishing, script publishing, cast recording and first-class production.
MonologueArchive
A complete guide of downloadable monologues (with ads!)
The Complete Works of Shakespeare
The Web’s first edition of the Complete Works of William Shakespeare. Courtesy of MIT.
PlayShakespeare.com
The best free Shakespeare source for plays, news, reviews, and discussion.
Shakespeare’s Monologues
Free resource of monologues for men and women, by play, category (comedic or dramatic.).
Recommended Reading
The New Sitcom Career Book, by Mary Lou Belli and Phil Ramuno.
Acting for Young Actors: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Mary Lou Belli and Dinah Lenney.
Audition: Everything an Actor Needs to Know to Get the Part, by Michael Shurtleff
Challenge for the Actor, by Uta Hagen, Scribner Book Co.
How to be a Working Actor, by Mari Lyn Henry and Lynne Rogers. Learn about audition techniques, regional markets, tools of the trade, and more.
More? See Reading List
Resources for Actors
Actors’ Equity Association, the ‘theater actor’s union’, has negotiated minimum wages and working conditions, administered contracts, and enforced the provisions of our various agreements with theatrical employers across the country for ninety years.
SAG-AFTRA, is a labor union recently merging Screen Actor’s Guild with the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists. Both unions were formed in the 1930’s with rich histories of fighting for and securing the strongest protections for media artists.
The Internet Movie Database has, since 1990, provided useful and up to date movie information freely available online across as many platforms as possible.
The Internet Broadway Database, (www.ibdb.com) IBDB archive is the official database for Broadway theatre information. Details include pertinent people involved as well as interesting facts and production statistics.
Backstage.com—An online resource for actors, providing insights and casting news.
Showbusinessweekly.com—news, articles, casting information, and features for the aspiring or working actor.
Educational Theater Association, an organization for theater educators, artists, arts advocates, andy anyone else involved in theater as a lifelong learning activity.
National Endowment for the Arts —The National Endowment for the Arts supports exemplary arts projects in communities nationwide through grantmaking, initiatives, partnerships, and events.
YoungArts —Founded in 1981, YoungArts provides award winners with a lifetime of creative and professional development opportunities as they pursue a career in the arts.
American Theatre Wing— American Theatre Wing sponsors both the Tony Awards, the Obie Awards and the Andrew Lloyd Weber Initiative, which expands the Wing’s commitment to theatre education by supporting under-resourced U.S. public schools to create new, or strengthen existing, theatre programs. See also: Andrew Lloyd Webber Initiative University Scholarships
Quest Bridge — QuestBridge is a national nonprofit based in Palo Alto, California that connects the nation’s most exceptional, low-income youth with leading colleges and opportunities.
Reelgood— Use Reelgood for searching, browsing, watching, and tracking TV shows and movies across all their streaming services in one app.