The comedy and the tragedy of hiring
Would you pay a beer a month (at Happy Hour prices) to have your resume and headshot right in front of local and national artistic directors just before they cast a role?
Enjoy a look at this video for an only slightly exaggerated tour through how the casting process often flies off the rails.
Or, are you a designer and wondering how you break into the design jobs here when theaters only hire people they already know?
We dramatized the process here—again, only slightly exaggerated.
Enjoy these videos (thanks to John Heimbuch) then come back to this page.
Last year, when we rebuilt MinnesotaPlaylist.com, we put a lot of thought and effort into upgrading the talent database because, in this digital age, Minnesota deserves an online, easy-to-search, up-to-date talent database where theaters, filmmakers, and others can find and follow talent.
Sign up here. It’s only $40/year. Your page can be customized to whether you’re an actor, dancer, ASL-interpreter, designer, or director. We promise that you have the chance to remind local (and sometimes national) decision-makers of your talent.
Because they said it:
"A centralized talent database is a blessing for everyone: providing efficiency, allowing collaboration and cross pollination, yielding employment, and saving time and money for organizations and individuals."
-- Jack Rueler, Artistic Director, Mixed Blood Theatre
"I definitely use the Talent Profiles . . . I have also used MinnesotaPlaylist as a brainstorming tool in the past and to supplement my own in-house lists. It’s proved very helpful." -- Jennifer Liestman, Artistic Associate/Resident Casting Director, Guthrie Theater
“I like being able to follow people, and I like the sorting and searching functions. . . Minnesota Playlist is rapidly becoming my favorite source for brainstorming lists of actors to invite to auditions." -- Doug Scholz Carlson, Artistic Director, Great River Shakespeare Festival
"I often have to fill last minute roles or jobs in our theater, and I definitely go to the Talent page on MinnesotaPlaylist to find people. I have filled more than a few jobs from the people I’ve found there."
–- Faye Price, Artistic Director, Pillsbury House Theatre
"The Playlist database is an exciting tool and we're thrilled to have access to it!” -- Richard Cook, Artistic Director, Park Square Theatre
"I’ve been looking for a way to digitize all of our headshots/resumes to make them more easily searchable, and if actors could keep their own information up to date, that would be extremely helpful."
-- Anya Kremenetsky, Artistic Associate, History Theatre
"The site is great—very helpful. I also like how you can see who is currently doing a show.” -- Joy Dickson, Casting Director, Oregon Shakespeare Festival
The casting and hiring process is difficult and often arbitrary and unfair. We think this database can level the playing field a little more and streamline the process for everyone. Join up and make it easier to be found. (Also, get invites to special events; free opportunities to advertise your shows to an audience of 17,000-20,000 visitors a month and 7000+ newsletter subscribers a week; the ability to email hi-res links to directors, and more special perks.)
