How To Assemble the Best Team For Your Career (Part 1)

I never met an athlete who wanted to be on a losing team. They know that being good at what you do may get you in the game, but it won’t win you a championship trophy. The same is true for actors. Your team matters.

Picking the right agent and/or manager, the “team,” may be just what you need to help you succeed in this business. Your team can be comprised of you (the player) and your agent; you and your manager; or all three of you. Knowing the right questions will help you determine what is best for you.

How do you best prepare for the interview? First, make sure you know the roles of both agent and manager. In a nutshell, the agent is franchised with the union and able to procure auditions for you. The manager plays a more supportive role as they help you cultivate your career. A manager can be an integral part of your team when you are just entering the business or when you become more successful. They tend to work with fewer clients than the agent and have more time to guide and advise you. You want to find someone who believes in you wholeheartedly and will do whatever it takes to move your career forward.

Get familiar with the company you are interviewing with beforehand. Research them on the web, and ask colleagues what they know about them. You may feel more self-assured if you prepare ahead of time with some questions for your interview. Here are a few tips to get you started.

1. What is the difference between an agent and a manager? You did a general mailing or you were seen in a performance, and both managers and agents wanted to meet with you. You may think you know the difference, but finding out how they define their role will be very informative. What is the agent's role? What will the manager do for you that the agent doesn’t? How do they work together? Each agent or manager has their own style. Listen carefully. It’s not only what they say but how they say it that will help you know if they are the right match for you.

2. If I sign with a manager, do I need to be signed with one agent or will I freelance with many? Years ago, managers submitted directly on projects without an agent and used an attorney to negotiate the contract. This is still a grey area. Some continue to work this way. In the world of child actors, it is very common to work with a manager and freelance with a few agents. Whichever agent calls the manager for the client first, wins. Today, many managers sign their clients to one agent and collaborate as a team. Find out how your prospective rep works and make sure it will meet your needs.

3. What is the difference between a freelance agreement and signing with one agent? It is typical to sign a one-year exclusive contract with an agent and a three-year contract with a manager. It is also possible to work on a handshake or freelance with several agents. Offering you a contract may give you a sense of security knowing your rep is committed to you. Ask the company you are interviewing with how they operate and see if it will work for you.

I’m sure you are flattered and excited to be interviewing with the agent and/or manager, but remember, you are hiring them. Ask questions, get informed, and listen carefully. This is an important decision, and you want to make sure that it’s a good fit.

Tune in next week for Part Two on how to best prepare for your interview.

An Acting Coach on Becoming Your Child's Manager or Agent

Do you want to join this list of moms? 

• Melanie Johansson

• Teri Shields

• Dina Lohan

• Tish Cyrus

• Kris Jenner

What do they all have in common? They are the mothers of some of Hollywood’s biggest stars and they managed their kids’ careers—at least for a while. Some parents are famous for successfully managing their children’s careers, while others become infamous when their child sues to remove them as their manager.

Before you decide if you will manage your child’s career, it’s important to understand the role of a manager and what it requires. The definition of a talent manager is an individual or company who cultivates and guides the professional career of artists in the entertainment industry. The most important word in this definition is guide. Guiding a career means that you can give professional advice and counseling on many aspects of the entertainment industry including 

• Selecting and presenting an appropriate image

• Choosing headshots

• Tweaking resumés

• Consulting on demo reels

• Reviewing scripts

• Securing feedback after auditions and using that feedback appropriately

• Consulting on appropriate team members

• Working closely with agents on role submission and negotiating contracts

• Making connections with casting directors and producers

Working as a manager is a very demanding role. It requires a deep understanding of the industry, keen organizational skills, marketing savvy, strong communication skills, and the ability to develop relationships with key industry players. Most parents don’t have the industry knowledge or contacts to be effective managers unless they worked in the industry personally.

READ: How to Manage Your Child Actor

If you are thinking of managing your child’s career, ask yourself these questions:

• Do you have industry connections and experience?

• Are you able to negotiate contracts knowledgeably?

• Can you separate your emotions from your child’s and help him or her cope effectively with rejection?

• Will you be able to care for your other family members and stay involved with them if you are devoting all your time to career management?

In my experience, the most important role of a parent is being a parent. You provide an important role for your child entertainer. You can monitor emotions, health, balance, and enjoyment of the industry because you know your child better than anyone else. You can provide support, ensure that your child still has regular childhood experiences, and advocate for your child with other team members. Your love is an anchor that helps child actors cope with the demands of working in an adult world. 

Unless you are an industry insider, my recommendation is that you focus your efforts on being your child’s best parent and advocate. Work with a manager you trust alongside the other members of your child’s team. Your contribution will be extremely important and valuable to your child’s success. Acting careers can come and go, but your role as a parent lasts forever!

Where to Look During an Audition

You’ll hear lots of conflicting advice about where to put your focus when you audition. Do you look at space? The auditor? An empty chair? There are no hard and fast rules, so it can be confusing. The type of audition also impacts this decision, as well as the preferences of the person conducting the audition.

Let’s break this thorny question down. First, if you’re auditioning with a song for musical theater, it’s standard procedure to focus your eyes directly over the head of the auditor. As you gaze there, create a world in your mind that fits with the message of the song, whether it’s thinking of your grandmother or your first love. In musical theater, actors are expected to create a world and focus their singing and acting to people in that invisible world.

For film, television, or stage, you’ll audition with a scene or monologue. Auditioning with a reader for a scene is pretty straightforward: Look at the reader and create a connection with him or her. It is essential to maintain a focused connection with your reader for the entire audition so you have something real to react to. 

The choice of where to focus is most challenging when you’re auditioning with a monologue since you’re essentially speaking to an invisible person. Some young actors look at the floor or up at the ceiling, which can make it a challenge to create an emotional connection. Others look directly at the auditor, which can also be a problem.

READ: 9 Elements of a Great Monologue

I’ve spoken to many casting directors and audition auditors who feel uncomfortable when an actor focuses directly on them during a monologue. The auditor has to take notes, perhaps looks through paperwork, and maybe even whisper feedback to another person and breaking eye contact with an auditioning actor to do so can feel odd. When I’m casting a production, I want to be wowed and impressed by the performance, and it’s difficult to evaluate a performance if I’m part of the scene.

As a general rule, I coach my students to look just over the head of the casting director when auditioning with a monologue. In practice sessions, I start with them speaking directly to me so they have someone to relate to and as they become more confident, have them shift their focus to the space directly above my head. They must imagine they’re speaking to a real person, just one who isn’t in the audition room. 

All that said, it is important to be prepared to make a different choice. Some casting directors will ask performers to look at them directly and do the audition with them. And a few monologues are written with the intention of breaking the fourth wall and should be spoken directly to the audience. (You’ll know if you have such a monologue before you go to the audition so that you can prepare accordingly.)

It’s essential for a young actor to feel confident in the audition process and give the impression that you know what you’re doing. For this reason, the safe choice is to prepare your monologue to be delivered looking just above the head of the auditor. Then, if the auditor asks you to speak directly to them, you can make that adjustment on the spot. 

Remember that your goal is to wow the casting director with your delivery, connection, and authenticity. You can create magical moments in your auditions no matter where you focus your eyes but following these general guidelines will remove any doubts about your professionalism and preparation.

What ‘Raise the Stakes’ Really Means for Actors

Something actors hear all the time from casting directors and directors is “raise the stakes.” But do you really know what it means?

Let’s begin with one basic fact that is true for every script you will ever read: it is not just “any” day in the life of the character, it is a very special and deeply meaningful day. There is something very big the character needs to have happen, something vitally important that he or she must accomplish. When do you think the character needs to accomplish this? The answer is always, always, always, RIGHT NOW.

Here’s a scene for you. Billy and Susie were high school sweethearts. They went their separate ways and years later, Billy can’t get Susie out of his mind. He needs to let her know he loves her and wants to be with her. He sees through Facebook that Susie is engaged and decides he must let her know how he feels. Those are the given circumstances of the scene. Billy needs to tell Susie how he feels and find out if she feels the same way, despite the obstacle that Susie is engaged. When must he do it? Right now!

Why now? If Billy doesn’t take action immediately, he will lose Susie again—probably forever—and that will destroy him. So Billy has a deep need to take action right now.

But what if there is no specific timeline given by the writer? Create a sense of urgency for yourself. In the example scene, you might decide that Billy just found out that Susie is getting married tomorrow. Urgency! Take action! They didn’t tell you that—you made it up. Not only is it fun and inspiring, it helps you spring into action. When? Right now!

To create a compelling and fascinating performance, you must have a true and powerful need to take action, just like Billy. You must make Billy’s need your need. We do not mean the imitation of Billy’s need, we mean you must find in yourself a true need to accomplish what you’re setting out to do. In acting terms, we call this personalization.

Personalization means finding a way to relate personally to the circumstances the character is going through. To make this very simple, we can say that the character has a problem he or she needs to solve right now and you need to make that problem your problem. The way to begin this process is to look at the character’s situation and ask yourself what might be going on for you that would give you a similar problem or challenge to overcome. What you choose to work with must be imaginary yet at the same time, it must have true meaning for you. This is what will make the problem necessary for you to solve and will make you take immediate action. It’s also the part of the work that will take you away from the false, fake, pretending-based acting and instead, will lead you to acting that has a beautiful quality of reality, vitality, and emotional aliveness.

How badly you want your deep need to be met is what will create the high stakes. It’s not just what you want from the other person in the scene but what you do to get it. Because there is a conflict and it’s not easy to accomplish, this makes things interesting for you and compelling for the audience as they witness you fight for your life.

Delete the word “casual” from your acting vocabulary. There is no moment that is casual for the actor. Even if you think the character is “just sitting around doodling,” there is something important going on. A one-minute audition scene, a two-hour film, 16 bars of a song…they all need to have something important happening. Just like in our lives, in every moment there is much at stake.

When what you are doing to get what you want in spite of your obstacle has great meaning to you, only then do you become interesting to watch.

Acting Between the Lines

Emma González, a Marjorie Stoneman Douglas student and activist, spoke for just under two minutes at the March for Our Lives rally in Washington. She described the effects of gun violence in emotional detail and recited the names of classmates who were killed by a school shooter. Then she said nothing for four minutes and twenty-six seconds. It was her silence that was perhaps the most influential statement of all, communicating, “We are angry, hurt, and we will not go away quietly.”

Emma’s use of silence was a powerful example for young actors: the lines in the script are only a part of the scene. When I was a young actor and got cast in a show, the first thing I did was count my lines. I thought the number of lines I had would determine the size and importance of my role. Today, one of the biggest mistakes I see all too often is acting the dialogue only.

When handed an audition side, take a look at the amount of black type and white space on the piece of paper. What percentage of the paper is white? 30 percent? 50 percent? 70 percent? That space is all actable.

Consider this scenario. Your friend accuses you of stealing her boyfriend. You may have indeed done so and don’t want to fess up. She is probing deeply with lots of questions. She is raging, firing away with even more accusations. You process your thoughts, think about whether to tell the truth or lie, stay silent while figuring it out—any number of reactions before you utter a word. All of this fascinating behavior is happening on your face and body between spoken lines of dialogue.

Recently, some of my students were auditioning for a horror film in which two sisters are alone in their house when they hear someone enter downstairs. One sister is huddled in the corner fearing for her life while the other is taking action, figuring out what to do to stop the perp from getting to them. There is not much dialogue on the page but there is a lot of stage direction: Girl nods, a troubled look in her eyes. She listens intently, breathes deeply, stares out the window. She hears another noise. Did the front door open? Is the perp inside, getting closer? She goes to the door, pauses, listens. She hears another sound and freezes.

What’s an actor to do in those moments? The girl is fighting for her life, so a savvy actor will react to what is happening with that intention. How? By freaking out, taking charge, crying, or creating a game plan. Actors must make choices and create non-verbal reactions that convey action and even show thoughts. To create a believable, real-life scenario, his acting between the lines must occur.

One of my favorite acting exercises is “five lines in five minutes.” The actor can only utter five lines and must take five minutes to do so. This exercise will allow students to explore other ways to communicate and try to get what she wants. For example, if the character’s deep need in the scene is to get her mom to stop drinking, what can she do other than speaking while the mom is avoiding the subject? Sitting in the silence while her frustration is building will allow the lines to come from a real place when finally spoken.

It’s not comfortable to sit in the silence. We use the words as a cover-up, a crutch. But sit in the quiet, be uncomfortable and see what happens. Use this exercise in your daily life which is, of course, the best playground for an actor.

You’ve all heard the phrase “acting is reacting.” We don’t act only when speaking. Watch, notice, observe and listen to your real life. We act, react, and respond all the time, non-verbally, in the silence, between the moments. Emma Gonzalez showed us the power of silence. Use her speech as an inspiration to become more comfortable using silence and non-verbal communication in your acting. That’s how you create magical, real scenes.

How Well Do You Know Your Craft?

Every year, thousands of young people decide they want to pursue acting. Many make that choice because they think it looks easy. And it looks easy because the great actors make it seem like they’re not really doing anything. But the truth is, they have worked very hard on their craft—that’s the key. Good acting may look easy, but it’s not.

For those of you who think you know a thing or two about the craft of acting, here’s a little quiz to test your knowledge.

1. The character is always you.

• A) Yes

• B) Sometimes

• C) No

• D) Yes and no

The answer? A. The character is always you. Who is uttering the words? Whose tears are flowing? Whose heart is racing? Who is wearing the costume? You must always begin with yourself. If you don’t, you will end up an empty shell.

2. Which of the following is NOT a good way to emotionally prepare to begin a scene?

• A) Shooting hoops before entering.

• B) Using an analogous situation from what the character is experiencing to tap into the character’s emotional life.

• C) Imagining the same situation the character is going through.

• D) Eating a lot of candy.

The answer? D. Getting pumped up on sugar can actually get in the way of your performance. To properly prepare, any one or a combination of the other answers are true. Tapping into your emotional life by imagining something to be true is what actors do and to do this, you must exercise and strengthen your actor’s imagination. If your character is in a playful state of mind perhaps playing basketball before entering may also help you get into the proper mindset.

3. What is acting?

• A) Faking an emotion.

• B) Pretending to be the best you can be.

• C) Living truthfully under imaginary circumstances.

• D) Hiding behind a character.

The answer? C. According to the great acting teacher and guru Sanford Meisner, acting is living truthfully under imaginary circumstances. It is a simple way to define what an actor does to create a performance you can believe.

4. What is an acting teacher’s job?

• A) To tell you how to say the lines.

• B) To intimidate you to be your best.

• C) To be your best friend.

• D) To help you find your truth.

The answer? D. A good acting teacher will help you direct yourself with skill, guidance, and support. They will do this without ego and with a strong sense of self. You will feel welcomed and heard and an equal partner in the process. When a student asks, “How do I say this line?” a teacher must never give a response. Instead, they may ask you to reframe the question to, “What does the character want?” or “Why are they saying this line.

5. Which of the following is not true? To be a good actor you need to be…

• A) Humble

• B) A good human

• C) Interested

• D) Confident

The answer? Trick question! Every answer is correct. Good actors are not ego-driven; they’re interested in other people and they are kind. Other people want to work with them.

The truth is, many actors at every age approach acting by imitating what they have seen before or trying to make it look like they are having an experience that they’re not having. This is not acting. This is not related to acting. There is no life and there is no fun. Good acting is real, honest, and truthful.

3 Tips to Help Young Actors Get into Character

Preparation is more than knowing your lines. It is embodying the life of the character. Your emotional state, mood, and choices you make while you prepare all affect that first moment the director yells, “Action.”

When I was just out of college, I apprenticed at the Burt Reynolds Dinner Theatre in Jupiter, Fla. Although I sacrificed sleep and suffered the indignity of washing smelly laundry, it was worth it as I got an insider’s view into the craft and process of some of America’s most iconic and loved actors.

I was struck how every night before Martin Sheen took the stage in “One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest,” he would play basketball with the guys outside the stage door. I wondered at the time why he wasn’t preparing, only to later realize that he was. Basketball—rough, cursing, shoving, and joking—was what he needed to get in the mindset to be the loud, dirty, sexual, and determined character of McMurphy. In his case, genius literally was one percent inspiration and 99 percent perspiration!

I tell my students what Sheen knew: An actor cannot begin a scene emotionally empty. It is critical to make good choices leading up to that first moment. Child actors have some unique advantages and challenges in this regard. Although a basketball court may not be readily available before your next audition or when the camera rolls, here are some tips to help with your preparation.

Make up a story one line at a time. Sometimes it is hard to change gears. Homework or a fight with your sister, for example, make it hard to be the cheerful, Disney character you are about to play. One way to leave the day behind is to make up a story with a partner one or several lines at a time with each of you picking up the story where the other left off. This exercise is fun and natural for young actors, sharpens the ability to listen and react, and clears the mind of distractions and anxiety.

Play cards. Really, play cards! If the part you are playing is social and funny, play Go Fish with your mom and possibly another kid waiting to audition. Solitaire, on the other hand, is the way to go if the part is more of a loner or introspective. Young actors often draw on the mood around them, especially when they do not have the life experience to play a part they are asked to play. A social or solitary game of cards will keep you from trying too hard and will help you take advantage of the unfiltered way many young actors are able to naturally tap into the emotional context around them.

Visit the bathroom. It is especially difficult for many young actors to ignore the desire to please or exercise the autonomy to overrule authority figures around them. Sometimes you will need to get away from a parent who wants to drill you on your lines at the very last minute (generally a bad idea) or the child wrangler who just won’t let you be. To use your visit as excellent preparation, leave a note in the stall from the point of view of your character. This is especially fun if you are playing a mischievous role!

Young actors must deal with the same chaos that abounds around adult actors in the moments before they perform and both must create strategies and rituals that they can apply in a variety of circumstances to perform successfully. Kids have the advantages and disadvantages of being kids. Remember to play to your natural strengths in the moments before you begin your role and you are likely to find great success in the moments after.

How to Be a Great Reading Partner for Your Child Actor's Self-Tape

You don’t have to be a trained actor to be a good reading partner for your child. Even if you have your own acting talent, while reading with your child, remember to keep the focus on them. In the supporting role of “great reading partner” for your child, the following tips will help you help your young performer shine. 

1. Stand or sit offscreen. You should not be seen on camera, so position yourself right next the camera. Unless directed otherwise, sit where the actor can look at you while speaking, instead of them appearing to address the camera. She should be speaking and connecting with you, so stay at her eye level.

2. Speak softly and give the actor a microphone. As a reader, you don’t want to steal the focus. It is your child’s audition, not yours. Since you are positioned closest to the camera, the device will pick up your voice more easily, making it sound louder than the actor’s. Remain aware of this when reading and speak softly. You are not co-starring in this scene, but rather providing a framework that supports the actor’s purposes. In addition, it is wise to use an external microphone for the actor’s voice, to tip the sound balance in his favor. Microphones can be purchased for as little as $10 each and are well worth it. Not only do you get more clarity with a mic, but microphones with sensitivity-control have the flexibility to make great recordings in quiet and chaotic settings alike.

3. Read fluently. Practice your lines. The more familiar you are with the script and lines, the more effectively you will be able to support your partner. You are there to help the actor do the best job he can do, so invest the time needed to prepare. Pace is important, especially in comedy, so you also need to know the timing. If you are reading too slowly or too quickly, it can throw the actor off and kill the humor. Ask for help if you are unsure of the best pace or timing. If another family member or friend has better acting or comedy skills than you and offers the time, allow him to do the readings with your child! Remember, this is not about you, and it is important that your child have a competent reading partner.

4. Read all the other parts, and skip the stage directions. One person reads for all of the characters in the scene. Having additional people play other parts is confusing and unnecessary. Keep in mind that stage directions are there for information only! Make sure you and your child have read and know the stage directions, but stick to the usual protocol and do not read stage directions aloud on camera. 

5. Don’t judge or criticize. This is not the time to offer advice on your child’s performance. An actor should not be distracted by concerns of the reader’s perceptions during this process. If you have an idea or healthy suggestion to offer, feel free to take notes for discussion at a later time, as long as jotting your thoughts down does not interfere with the flow of the reading. While reading, your focus needs to stay on playing the character(s) opposite your child, and providing the support he needs.

There are many ways that parents support their young performers, and being the reader is just one of them. Always remember my motto below, and keep things fun while you work together to reach their dreams.

10 Tips for a Winning Audition

Your dream is to be a working actor. You’ve always been told you “have it,” but the phone doesn’t ring for callbacks.

What separates professionals from wannabe talent show prodigies isn't inspiration. It’s preparation and execution. Take control of your audition with these ten helpful tips to improve your skills.

1. Confidence
It sounds simple but it takes practice. Walk in the door with your held head high. Be wary of shuffling feet. You don’t get sympathy points if you’re nervous, not feeling well, or having a bad day. Leave it outside the door. You are being sized up the minute you walk in so practice good posture and body language before you arrive. And don’t forget to smile—that’s the lasting impression you want to leave.

2. Personality
Let it shine through. Don’t give one-word answers when having a conversation with the casting director. Ask questions! The industry is looking for smart, curious actors.

3. Connection
Make one with the reader. Memorize the material or be familiar enough with it to maintain eye contact. Knowing the dialogue is important, but making a connection with the reader is what will make the scene natural and believable.

4. Character. 
Know the character. Read the entire script beforehand to pick-up as many clues as possible. We know about a character by the following:

• What he/she says about himself/herself

• What other characters say about him/her

• What the playwright or screenwriter says about him/her

READ: 21 Things That Make Casting Directors Happy in the Audition Room

5. Objective
Go underneath the dialogue. What does he/she want from the other characters? What is the character’s purpose in the scene/story?

6. Obstacle
What’s in the way of the character getting what he/she wants? Acting is what happens to you as you try to get your objective met, in spite of the obstacle.

7. Opposites 
Yelling isn’t the only way to show hatred or anger. Sometimes being quiet as you make your point is a powerful display of emotion. Playing opposites is a much more interesting choice than the obvious.

8. Love
Find the love in the scene; even nasty characters should be likable on some level. Find a moment in the scene where the love can show through.

9. Act
Acting means to do, not to talk. Find your actions and play them! (A wonderful resource is the book “Actions: The Actor’s Thesaurus” by Marina Caldarone and Maggie Lloyd-Williams.)

10. Variety
Feel the levels and dynamic in the scene. Don’t play one emotion. If the character is angry or tough, when might he/she show some vulnerability?

Wannabe? Not you! Interesting, memorable auditions will start to happen for you when you dig into scripts with these thoughts in mind before and during your auditions.

5 Schooling Alternatives for Your Child Actor

Child performers have the unique task of balancing schoolwork while pursuing a professional career. Between classes in acting, dance, and voice, auditions, matinee performances, and film shoots, scheduling them all can be daunting.

Many families today turn to online schooling for their child’s education. Children have the flexibility to take classes at times most convenient to them based on their schedule. It also allows them to work at their own pace, a particularly helpful benefit to child actors who may need to work ahead of schedule because of an upcoming acting commitment. By attending a virtual private school, kids no longer miss class or fall behind. Teachers develop an individualized learning plan that is tailored for each student.

There are plenty of excellent homeschooling programs nationwide. Here a few that many of my students have attended with great success.

Calvert Education 
For moms and dads who are interested in teaching their kid actors themselves, Calvert Education provides a proven, time-tested homeschool curriculum and individual courses with all the tools and support necessary to ensure you are the best teacher your child has ever had. Calvert homeschool families receive step-by-step lesson manuals, unlimited support from their highly trained and certified education counselors, and access to the Calvert Teaching Navigator, an innovative and easy-to-use online resource that makes homeschooling easier and more flexible than ever before.

Connections Academy
This online academy’s state-level schools are tuition-free, fully accredited online public schools for students in grades K–12. The virtual school provides students with the flexibility to learn from anywhere with an innovative curriculum that meets and exceeds all national and state education standards. The combination of credentialed teachers, a proven curriculum, diverse electives, and technology tools and community experiences creates a supportive and successful online learning opportunity for families and children who want an individualized approach to education. Connections Academy also offers an affordable virtual private school option available to anyone around the world with International Connections Academy.

K12 International Academy 
K12 International Academy is a private online college preparatory school for grades K–12 accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Council on Accreditation and School Improvement (SACS CASI), and is recognized as a diploma granting institution by the Virginia Council for Private Education. Highly credentialed teachers deliver an individualized education using the academy’s online classroom platform. Multiple enrollment start dates are available throughout the year for full- and part- time students. Check out their website for more information!

Laurel Springs School
Laurel Springs School is a fully accredited private online school for students in grades K–12 and is known best for working with actors, musicians, and other performers. Academic programs are offered that aim to honor each child’s individual learning style and educational needs. The staff is knowledgeable about the specific needs of student performers, and has experience regarding extensive student travel schedules, work permits, studio teachers, and other pertinent topics. In addition, Laurel Springs has an outstanding record of placing its graduates into the selective colleges and universities of their choice!

The School for Young Performers (SYP)
SYP is not an online program but offers and alternative to the traditional classroom setting. This New York State registered K–12 private school has been around for 21 years strong. The school was designed in 1995 for students with careers in the performing arts, modeling, or athletics—as well as private families. SYP’s founders and administrators have been providing a quality academic alternative in on-location settings for over 30 years. Moreover, the SYP program brings exclusive and exemplary education directly to its students anywhere and anytime.

These are only a few of the many virtual programs offered online. I’d love to hear about other schooling options and programs that have worked well for you and your young performer—sound off in the comments below!