Exhibits, Shows and Displays

How do you get an equity card for actomg (broadway shows)? and what is an equity actor?

I really want to be on broadway and ive been acting and singing forever, i dont have an agent but i know i need to get one, i also heard you need an equity card too, but i have no clue how to get one! If you have any idea about this or have any ideas that could help me get a broadway audition for (ex: rent, hairspray, momma mia, etc.) that would help also, any info you have please tell!! Much Appreciated!

Public Comments

1. To perform on broadway, you'll need plenty of professional experience. Audition for local theater, study in a serious acting program, and develop your craft as an actor. Equity is the union for professional actors. You earn an equity card by acting in professional theater.
2. You should strongly consider enrolling in a good university program and earning a BFA degree in acting. They'll not only polish your craft and expand your skills so that you can qualify for more than one kind of role, but they'll teach you the ins and outs of living in New York or LA, working odd jobs while keeping yourself in shape and finding/hitting all the auditions. Some of the top university programs (Yale and Maryland are two I know of) will earn you an equity card upon graduation, which can be a BIG help--lots of auditions are closed to anyone except equity members. Otherwise, you earn points toward equity membership by acting in paid roles in professional companies. Your best chances would be to audition at regional or local professional theaters (community companies will not count). As a goal, auditioning for Rent, Hairspray, etc. on Broadway is great, and it suggests you have the kind of ambition, desire and and guts that a professional must have. But you will not start out that way; most new actors pay their bills by working in restaurants or travel agencies or some such. Then their first important roles are in trade shows (auto shows, boat shows, etc.) or commercials (I met someone once whose career really took off after his nose was on a nasal spray ad). While you're getting your career started, you want to keep enrolling in actor's workshops and master classes in the best schools you can afford. That's where you might make contacts--getting parts in shows depends in part on who knows you as much as how good you audition. Some of the most talented people I ever met--performance majors from when I was in grad school--went to New York and worked as a microwave cook in a restaurant or a receptionist in a corporate office for a couple of years until the roles started coming in; now they're established but nowhere near famous, their resumes have lots of little parts on TV series and off-Broadway or regional shows. I think they're happy. Best wishes for your career.
3. If you have no idea how to get an equity card, then i'm assuming you have little to no acting experience. Your best bet at getting an Equity card is working the necessary hours on a professional production as required. I'm sorry, but the gentleman above is wrong. You will not and cannot earn an Equity card by going to school. I do however strongly encourage you to go to school to learn more about the business and gain valuable acting experience. No Agent is going to give an actor with a blank resume the time of day. You need to perform in any community production you can, get that experience, then move on to auditioning for professional shows while seeking an agent. There are thousands and thousands of actors who can sing, dance, and act their hearts out all trying to get on Broadway. It is a vicious industry and one that requires relentless pursuit. So, start/keep training.
4. Actually, yes, there ARE ways to get an equity card by going to school. For example, if you're a student at the MFA program at the University of San Diego, you're guaranteed summer work as part of the "young Globe" company at the Old Globe theatre. Over the course of your MFA training, you would earn enough weeks of work for that Equity company to join the union. USD isn't the only MFA program to offer that kind of an opportunity.