please

hey. i'm jennifer cowan. i am 13 years old and live in canberra, australia... and one of my biggest dreams is to become an actress. so i was hoping you could help me fill this dream! i will do anything :D i just want to be a comedy actress. i have what it takes. eveyone at my school thinks i do :) and thats alot of people. i have also wanted to have my own punk rock band like green day :) but i want to be an actress 1st... unless i get rejected and fail. :( which hopefully doesnt happen :D

so just email me if you want any information on me or any thing please... my email is jcowan@darlou.com

do you need a drummer?

or mayhap a lighting/sound tech?
(I wonder how far we can push this joke Davo?)
Graeme

Jennifer cowan wrote:
>
> hey. i'm jennifer cowan. i am 13 years old and live in
> canberra, australia... and one of my biggest dreams is to
> become an actress. so i was hoping you could help me fill
> this dream! i will do anything :D i just want to be a comedy
> actress. i have what it takes. eveyone at my school thinks i
> do :) and thats alot of people. i have also wanted to have my
> own punk rock band like green day :) but i want to be an
> actress 1st... unless i get rejected and fail. :( which
> hopefully doesnt happen :D


I heard that the guys from Green Day all wanted to be actresses too, but got rejected and failed...look where it got them..


Cheers,
Craig

Dear Jennifer,

Thank you for having the courage to post your request on the ITA. I wish at your age that I had had the bravery to do that. I think at 13 years of age you should at least be shown the respect of your dreams being taken seriously. I still remember what it's like to be 13, have a drem but not know how to get there.

If I were in your part of the country I would love to help you out with your enquiry but I'm afraid I can't, as I am not, for which I am truly sorry.

However, as a fellow performer, my advice (for what it's worth) is to start small and work big: Enquire about local community theatre groups in your area doing plays and see is they will accept someone of your age (Please don't be dissappointed if they don't as it will be nothing personal as most of these groups expect an older membership for older casts and characters that might be in their plays).

If you're serious about being an actress then prepare yourself for rejection, it's part of the audition slog. If somenone doesn't want you it doesn't mean you are not talented or worth it, it just means you weren't right for that particular part. Tell yourself it's their loss and you get yourself another gig!

If that is not successful, try to find out as much as you can about the youth theatre and youth arts government funded organisations in your state that cater for your age group. If you can't get into a production, at least get as much training and experience as you can in theatre workshops and classes that some of these groups offer. You never know when or where you're talent will be spotted or someone will offer you a part in their next production.

It's not what you know or how much experience you've got but who you network with and who may be sitting in the audience watching you. Be seen, be heard. Go with confidence! As for your band: you may not be on Australin Idol or the X-factor yet but you can always start with your parents' garage (although they'll probably won't like me for saying so!) : Like I said, start small, then work big.

I genuinely wish you the best of luck in everything you do. I really do hope that you achieve your dreams.

Touchstones