
CV vs Resume: Key Differences & Professional Examples
CV vs Resume: what’s the difference between those two? Find out whether you should write a resume or a CV based on where you live.
Broadway is within your reach. Apply for auditions with a professional theater resume that would make Stanislavski proud. Just follow our theater resume template and expert tips.
There is nowhere to hide in the theater. There are no favorable camera angles, no repeated takes. A theater actor needs to have something captivating, something that draws attention right away. A spectacle-lar theater resume. Something that holds attention from the first act, all the way to the closing scene.
This theater resume guide includes:
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Need a different acting resume, or you’re considering a range of positions? See our resume guides:
Haven't found what you're looking for? Check all our Resume Examples for Any Job.
Harry Campbell
Theatrical Performer
Personal Info
3532 Fraggle Drive
Hickory Hills, IL 60457
702-1217-0918
harry@campbell.com
Passionate actor with 5+ years of experience in numerous theater productions like Sinners and Funny Money. Seeking to portray Mistoffelees in Cats. Nominated for PACE University Actor of the Year 2009. Skilled in Latin, freestyle, and urban dance and modern, classical, and musical singing.
Physical Attributes:
Height: 5”9
Weight: 165 lbs
Eyes: Hazel
Hair Color: Brown
Voice: Soprano F3-G6
Membership: SAG
theater:
“Spider's Web”, Jonathan (lead) (Burr theater, B.C., Don King)
“D'Occasion”, Marcus (lead) (theater La Seizieme B.C, John Wayward)
“Sinners”, Francesco (lead) (Victoria Playhouse, PEI)
“As You Like It”, Sir Oliver Martext (First Impressions theater, Neil Freeman)
“Tis Pity She’s a Whore”, Hippolit (Ensemble theater Company, John Wayward)
“Funny Money”, Jean (Burr theater, B.C., Nick Harrison)
“The Haunting of Hill House”, Theo (Burr theater, B.C., Don King)
“It Runs In The Family”, Robert (Burr theater, B.C., Don King)
Film and TV:
“Wild Dawn” Webseries, Zephira (Jane Samson)
“Ma Femme”, Michel (Grand Productions, Martin Scoot)
“Once In a Blue Moon”, Mr. Bunk (actor) (Full Moon Films, Philip Trest)
Education / Training
BFA in Acting
Pace University
Graduation: 2011
Voice / Speech: Helen Boyle, Louis Samson
Movement: Heidi Klein, National Freestyle Dance Champion
Improv: Jimmy Carlin
Key Skills
Here is how to make sure your theater resume parachutes you into a lead role:
Theater resumes are specific in that they do not have as much text or descriptions as other resumes, but more lists of credits, skills, and characteristics. Your resume format must be uniform and organized. By keeping things uniform, you make your theater resume easily searchable and digestible.
Here’s how to do just that:
Now let’s work on the script.
Expert Hint: In many places, you will still have to staple your theater resume to the back of a 8x10” headshot. All the same, it’s not advised to go below a 10pt font size. If you have that much experience, you can afford to edit it down.
How should you start a resume? Write a resume profile. This short paragraph at the top of your theater resume works like a film teaser. It will make the casting director want to see more.
Use the following for your theater resume profile:
These theater resume examples show how:
See that?
The first of those theater resume samples stands out. It’s got details that show you’re the next Julie Andrews.
Expert Hint: Write the profile on your theater resume last. This way you’ll have lots of inventory to pick from.
Some roles are tailor-made. Others require an actor to put in work to finally settle into character. Increase your chances of getting the right role by listing your physical info right below the profile: height, weight, eye and hair color. Include your voice type if you are writing a musical theater resume.
Right below, enter the agency or union you are affiliated with.
Physical Attributes:
Height: 5”9
Weight: 165 lbs
Eyes: Hazel
Hair Color: Brown
Voice: Soprano F3-G6
Membership: SAG
A theater resume contains much less elaboration and description, and far more hard details. Split your experience section into two: “Theater” and “Film / TV”, and list your acting credit by most major role first. List the title of the production, your role, the theater venue or production studio, and the director’s name.
This is about showing experience, adaptability and variety, not a place to talk about how getting into one particular character changed your whole life. Use one bullet point per credit, and list any awards or professional achievements for it in an appropriate, separate section.
This excerpt from a theater resume example nails it:
Theater:
Film and TV:
Follow this format of listing credits and you will make it easy for the reader to scan through and digest the information. Show your versatility and adaptability.
What if you are writing a resume with no experience?
List credits from productions and scene work in acting school.
Expert Hint: It can pay off to prepare a targeted resume. Consider the profile of the theater you are applying to and the roles you may be cast in, and use this as criteria to decide which credits to list. You should also have different headshots for this purpose: theatrical (serious), commercial (more goofy), or character (for specialties).
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Your credits are important, but your theater resume is going to be very one-dimensional if you do not record your education and training properly. This is not just your formal college education, but also any additional training: acting, dancing, singing, performance art, improv. Anything that shows how much care you take to develop yourself fully and comprehensively.
If you have been on the stage longer than Hugh Jackman, just briefly mention your degree, school name, and graduation year. If you’re struggling for credits, you can elaborate a little on your education and training and extend your resume education section further! List your GPA, any school productions you have taken part in, achievements and awards.
Below, make a separate list of the coaching you have taken in different disciplines, and who was your teacher.
This theater resume example shows how:
BFA in Acting
Pace University
Graduation: 2011
Voice / Speech: Helen Boyle, Louis Samson
Movement: Heidi Klein, National Freestyle Dance Champion
Improv: Jimmy Carlin
BFA in Acting
Pace University
If you have studied under a famous name, make sure to mention this and bring it to the forefront. Just don’t be surprised when that person is asked about you. They better remember.
Though you might be as multi-talented as Tom Cruise, in the context of a theatrical resume only two types of bonus resume sections make sense: professional certification, personal interests, and a section with skills for a resume. List both in two separate bullet point lists.
When putting down your skills, exercise caution: Don’t just copy and paste anything. First of all, make sure it’s relevant, second of all, make sure you really got it if you’re gonna be forced to perform it on stage.
These two theatrical resume examples show you clearly the difference it can make:
Awards
Key Skills
Other
Once again, use it to display versatility that isn’t shown through your credits.Add dimensions to your character and display the tools you have at your disposal.
One final step—
Write a theater cover letter. There’s no better way to show your passion.
Double your impact with a matching resume and cover letter combo. Use our cover letter generator and make your application documents pop out.
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To make sure your theater resume gets you an audition:
Got questions on how to write a great theatrical resume? Did we help you get your musical theater resume right? Leave a comment. We’ll be happy to reply.
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