Interested in a career as an actor? Each Year Crane Creations Theatre Company hires actors to participate in the Crane Creations Summer Ensemble Program.
The Summer Ensemble is an 8 week training program for theatre artists. In this paid working opportunity, artists learn skills required to be a professional artist in Canada, and gain valuable insights into the theatre industry in Canada and abroad. To apply artists must be between 18 and 29 years of age.
Working with Crane Creations (…) I’ve been able to hone my craft, challenging myself as a performer, and learn more about my industry.
Sarah Hime, Summer Ensemble Actor 2019
What Is An Actor?
An actor doesn’t just memorize lines and look pretty. An actor has a fun but important role in creating a story. They are responsible for interpreting and embodying the character in a play, television series, or film. To do this well many actors rehearse and train their bodies and voices regularly. They study their script and consult with the director and scene partners about their interpretation of the character.
The main concern of an actor should always be understanding what a character wants or needs and then what they are is doing to achieve this action. A want or a need is also called an objective, or motivation. What an actor is doing is referred to an action or a tactic. An Actor Acts. A good actor makes many different and thoughtful choices about what the character is doing. A very good actor can make many creative choices, and is always ready to change their actions on the fly.
Actors sometimes require additional special skills. For example, an actor in a Broadway musical may also need to know how to sing and dance. An actor is a puppet show must know how to operate a puppet. Professional Improvisers need to know how to create a character and make up a story on the spot without any preparation. An actor in an action blockbuster film may also be trained in stage combat and martial arts.
What Can You Expect to Gain from the Summer Ensemble?
- Artistic Skills: Explore classical and contemporary text, improvisation, theatre around the world and their relevance and impact on arts jobs and society today.
- Orientation in Arts Jobs: Honest insight into professional organizations, structures and systems in place and how to navigate them successfully
- Financial Skills: Budgeting and financial literacy delivered in a comprehensible and easy to understand way, tailored for theatre artists’ needs.
- Leadership: Debate complex questions and develop ideas and strategies how to build not only your career but theatre ecosystem in Canada and Internationally.
- Touring in the Arts: Discover how artists around the world use international touring as a source of income, and learn how to create shows that can allow you to participate in that market.
- Digital Skills: Discover how blog/content writing can earn you additional income, promote your work, while mastering WordPress, one of the most desired skills in todays job market.
What is Expected of You?
- Learn and practice industry specific warm up vocal and physical exercises daily
- Read, analyze and interpret script or themes and ideas proposed as an improvisation input
- Write a character biography following mentorship and guidance from a senior artist,
- Research themes and topics relevant to the play such as the time period, details about the playwright, historic circumstances, philosophical, sociological and economic background of the piece
- Study and rehearse lines, gestures and expressions to interpret a role
- Memorize lines in a timely manner with a 100% accuracy (paraphrasing is a common problem among actors without proper professional training, the actors in professional setting are expected to be able to memorize exact lines following punctuation as written by the playwright)
- Work collaboratively in a team environment, communicate ideas clearly and effectively (orally and non-orally)
- Sing or dance when required by specific roles
- Improvise a role in rehearsal situation
- Understand and follow direction
- Develop comedic timing (comedic timing is a nuanced timing that ensures a line is delivered at the precisely right moment in order to facilitate laughter from the audience)
- Watch videos containing acting techniques and exercises
- Watch video of professional productions
- With the help of a mentor learn how to evaluate professional theatre’s elements
- With the help of a mentor learn about professional companies (employers) in Canada, and internationally
- With the help of a mentor learn about funding bodies and grants
- With the help of a mentor learn how a budget for an independently produced show is created and create a budget for a dream show
- Examine different digital tools used by theatre artists
- Discuss and debate elements of professional productions and acting techniques
- Write a blogpost regarding a chosen element of a play (character, experience with the project…) under supervision and mentorship
- Punctually arrive to rehearsals and performances
How to Apply: Application Steps and Guidelines
- Application: Fill out our easy to use online application form. After submitting your form, our team will review your application. You will receive an email notifying you, whether you have received an audition/interview and can proceed onto the next steps. Please remember that this program is highly competitive, and unfortunately we are not able to audition/interview all applicants. Successful applicants will receive an email providing information on how to complete Steps 2 – 6. (Online applications open approximately one month prior to the beginning of the program).
- Questionnaire: Complete our skills and knowledge form.
- Register for Workshop : Register for an online Zoom Industry Exploration Workshop
- Availability: If you are selected for an interview, schedule your interview online.
- Workshop: Participate in our online industry exploration workshop and get an understanding of what topics we will explore in Summer Ensemble.
- Interview 1: Meet the team and answer some questions to see if you are a good fit for the program this year. Actors will be asked to audition as well.
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Interview 2: Successful Applicants will be selected for a 60 minutes long group call back.
- HR Interview: A Human Resources regular job style interview.
- Receive Results
Guidelines
To be eligible all successful candidates must:
- Be available to work online and in person at our studio located at 2359 Royal Windsor Drive Unit 210, Mississauga, ON Canada.
- Be available for all dates and hours stated in contract.
- Be a Canadian Citizen, have a PR, or refugee status.
- Be between 18 – 29 years of age.
What we value
Inclusion
Passionate and committed to reflect the population of Canada as much as possible we want to see its reflection in arts jobs. We don’t type cast. Submitting your headshot is not mandatory, we do not want to judge you by your looks. We want to solely look at your education and experience.
Actors are invited to sit in on auditions. It’s the best way to learn how to improve by seeing the audition process from the other side. If you would like to sit on our audition panel, pease apply here.
Transparency
We are happy to share statistics like: how many applications we received, people auditioned and got hired. All candidates have transparent insight into our selection process, in order to prepare well and understand the odds of getting hired.
Your privacy is respected at all times by never sharing your name or personal information; all information shared is for statistical purposes only to help us improve inclusivity and representation.
Support
We try to provide as much information about how we work and how to succeed in getting hired. Check out our professional development opportunities, read 10 tips for getting hired, and for fun, take our quiz about the theatre world!
After the program is done we do our best to stay in touch with you, and help you build your career. Do invite us to shows and tag us on social media when you have good news to share.
