Audition Prep with Rebecca L.

I've worked as a professional singer and actor for almost twenty years, performing on Broadway in Lincoln Center's Tony-winning Revival of "South Pacific" (with Danny Burstein and Laura Osnes) and touring the country in the First National Tour of "Avenue Q" (with Rob McClure and Anika Larson). I have an MFA in Performing Arts from Savannah College of Art and Design, graduated summa cum laude, and was the only female recipient of the Presidential Scholarship for Vocal Performance. My BA is in Arts and Education from Hobart and William Smith Colleges and I served as the Education Director at Timber Lake Playhouse, where I designed an entire online curriculum for both emerging and working professionals. I designed and taught the Musical Theatre curriculum for Iconos Kids Performing Arts School in New York. I was an assistant director under Tony-winner Sharon Ott and have written and produced my own work, including several short films. Even though these credentials might feel very formal, I started my career by simply attending open call auditions. Getting a copy of Backstage (the actual newspaper, since there was no online version yet) and showing up at the crack of dawn to sing my 16 bars and hope for the best, was how this all began. After about a year of doing community theatre and auditioning in New York, I got cast in my first musical at an Equity playhouse on Long Island. It seemed to me from early on that learning to audition well was the skill that would take me the furthest in the shortest amount of time. I worked at a variety of non-union theatres and tours for the next five years, earned my EMC card, and postponed my union membership twice, until I booked the First National Tour of "Avenue Q" from an open call at Ripley Grier Studio. That seemed like the right time for me to make the big leap and join Actors' Equity. I did all of this without representation yet. Upon returning to New York from my tour, I attended an ECC for "South Pacific" which eventually led to my Lincoln Center debut on Broadway. I also found an agent through Equity's Agent Access EPAs, which are like an open audition for union actors seeking representation. Eventually I realized that the next step in my artistic growth involved getting more training. After auditioning for the program, I was offered a full scholarship to Savannah College of Art and Design where I got an MFA in Performing Arts, specializing in Film Acting. I knew what I didn't know and that if I wanted to level up, I needed to get out of my own comfort zones and embrace a new medium entirely. The reason I feel this backstory is valuable is because I've had the benefit of both formal instruction as well as a decade in the "school of hard knocks." I've been taught pedagogy and technical terms, but also learned by observing spectacular actors just doing what they do eight times a week. Climbing up the ladder to earn my Equity Card on a production contact taught me a lot and I believe gave me nuanced perspectives as both a performer and as a human being. I distinctly remember what it was like to be the new kid, feeling like I was "behind" everyone else in the cast, wishing I had somehow started earlier, just trying to do my best to learn as much as I could without embarrassing myself. And that just as important as your "hard skills" are (like singing on pitch), so are your "soft skills" (like maintaining a healthy mindset as you put yourself out there every day to get rejected over and over, trying to stay positive but also acknowledging your disappointments). Attaining a high level of craftsmanship and feeling like you are doing well are not always the same thing, but I believe that both are important to do authentic work and to be a healthy human, so you can have a sustainable career that brings you joy. I do my best to balance pragmatism and ambition with grace and forgiveness. To stretch your boundaries in the artistically interesting ways, but respect your personal ones so you feel respected and safe. As someone who still auditions and works, I believe that the learning never ends. Please feel free to reach out with any questions, to see my teaching style might be a good fit for you! I teach online and also in my home studio on Long Island. BIO: Broadway: South Pacific (Dir. Bartlett Sher), Avenue Q (Tour, Dir. Jason Moore). Selected Theatre Credits: Barbie Live in Fairytopia (First National Tour, OCR, Dir. Eric Schaeffer), Disney's Twice Charmed (World Premiere, OCR, Dir. Joe Calarco), Avenue Q (Ogunquit Playhouse, Dir. Keith Andrews/ Cape Fear Regional Theatre, Dir. Nicolas Minas), What a Wonderful World (World Premiere, Timber Lake Playhouse, Dir. Paul Stancato), Rent (Westchester Broadway, Dir. Patricia Wilcox), Jewtopia (Florida Company of Off-Broadway Production), The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Actors' Playhouse/ St. Michael's Playhouse/ TheatreZone/ Waterfront Playhouse), Miss Saigon (Westchester Broadway/ Gateway Playhouse), The Wedding Singer (Gateway Playhouse). She has performed in cabarets and concerts at the Metropolitan Room, the Duplex, Don't Tell Mama, the Laurie Beechman Theatre, and Urban Stages. She wrote, co-produced, co-directed, and starred in a short film, "The Rub," which is in post-production. Selected Film Credits: Amadi Comes Home, Melissa & Dave, The Mariner's Revenge, Understanding Conflict. Proud member of Actors' Equity and represented by Frontier Booking International.