Actor No. 2, who lacked an agent and was not an alum of a prestigious program, was fully prepared for his audition and was ultimately cast in the production. How did the “disadvantaged” actor manage to outshine the more “advantaged” actor? Actor No. 2 regularly consulted three resources that every New York stage actor should know about: Theatrical Index; Playbill.com (specifically, the two links to production schedules in the lower right-hand corner of the home page under the heading “Insider Info”); and the individual Web sites of all the top Off-Broadway theater companies in the city.

In doing research well in advance of the upcoming theatrical season, Actor No. 2 learned that the play in which he was ultimately cast was a revival—and therefore, it was already published. The actor then picked up a copy of the play and read it several times. Since no casting director was yet attached to thé projéct at that time, the actor sent his photo and resume along with a letter to the playwright, in care of the playwright’s agent—information that he discovered via an online search. In his letter, he told the playwright specifically which role he wanted to audition for, and wrote sincerely and passionately of his admiration for the play and for the playwright’s other works as well. When the playwright received the actor’s package from his agent, he contacted the actor directly. Weeks before the audition, the playwright told the actor which scenes to work on, and the actor was able to go in and give a standout audition and land the role.

The above case is not to suggest that actors should regularly go directly to a playwright in a casting situation. Rather, it is to show that the more information an actor has, the better prepared he can be, and the more power he will have to take action on his own behalf when it is necessary and appropriate to do so. It is also to point out that, despite having representation, no actor should be lulled into the false sense of security that he no longer has homework to do beyond the night before the audition.

Of course, the above example applies to a production that was a revival—which will not usually be the case. But when doing research in the three resources mentioned above, the actor will repeatedly see three key phrases: New York premiere, American premiere, and world premiere. Although these terms are self-explanatory, for the purpose of research it is helpful to remember that a New York premiere signifies that the play has already been presented elsewhere (typically at a regional theater), and therefore reviews of the production are often available online. In reading these reviews, the actor can learn much about story lines, settings, characters’ names, approximate ages, relationships to other characters, and ethnicity. American premieres are often already published, and even news about world premieres often includes press releases and brief descriptions that give crucial information about the specifics of the play.

The more advance awareness an actor has of what is scheduled to be produced in the theater, the more an actor can research the specifics of what will needed in the casting process and go into the audition with that knowledge. This is preparation—in the fullest sense of the word.