Playing to type can and does work, here is an example, which is opening now and is already getting lots of press – a rom/com musical – how much more type do ya get: La La Land

I don’t know how the story ends, but then we don’t know how our story ends, this is more about how we start!

Living in the box isn’t so bad.  There are very financially successful actors who have lived quite well within their box.

So my last blog was about not living in the box, you can check that out here, but this one, we are going the other way.

This time I want to talk about the advantages of type.

My type…

So me, I’m a middle-aged, American, strong, female type – roles go along the lines of Mom, business woman, investigator, nurse, and, of course, Mom.

What is a type?

Being in the very non PC world of performing its your speed date self – my definition!  The one that when you walk into the room people see straight away.  The easiest you!  Hence, my speed date version, when you speed date you’ve got seconds to decide and then you move onto the next one, that’s what this is like or about.

I know, I’m hearing the cries of, ‘Ya but…..I can play such a wider range!’. Of course you can, but there are always benefits to your strengths and being specific.  ‘Specificity brings opportunity’, as I always here Dallas Travers saying and this applies here too!  You make it easy for you to be cast when you embrace what is the easiest you to see.

Being your type can open the doors to playing those wider range of roles.  This industry is about relationships and these are best done face to face.  So go with what works and get the doors open to then push them a little wider.

In the meantime, you can create your own projects which can feed the soul of the wonderfully dynamic performer you are.  Do this through self-producing and you create the tools to help the world around you see the wider you, while building on those other person to person relationships.  Along with self producing, you learn valuable tools on how to self-submit, develop social media, and build that website – you need somewhere to send your projects through.

Win/Win

So, don’t be afraid of your version of rom/com – it works and so can you!

What are your thoughts and experience of playing to your type? Share below: