Theatre

Up until the 1920s, Boca Raton in southeast Florida was a sleepy, unknown town; but over the years, it has steadily emerged as much more. And while its size is still minute compared to cities like Miami and Tampa, it stands as a hub for cultural events and happenings in the state. Individuals, groups and families alike flock to Boca Raton to experience its natural beauty and to take part in its remarkable cultural activity.

Boca Raton is well-known for its natural parks and preserves; the Everglades, for example, a scenic national park which houses an immense variety of plant and wildlife, invites visitors to take part in all its natural splendours. And, as well as being the sole subtropical preserve in all of North America, it’s also the only park in the world where you can see alligators and crocodiles living side by side. Moreover, the Daggerwing Nature Center offers a great opportunity for kids to bird-watch by day and take guided hiking tours by night.

But while Boca Raton is a small gem of a city, it is home to countless cultural attractions as well. Aside from museums and natural centers, it boasts a phenomenal performing arts scene; visitors can attend various events and productions, including theatre, live music, ballet and more. The Caldwell Theatre Company, for example, puts on dramas, comedies, classics and new works, while the Florida Symphonic Pops of Boca Raton - a 70-piece professional orchestra - has been performing classical, jazz, rock, swing and big band music for over 50 years.

Among Boca Raton’s countless prominent performance art centers is a community theatre called the Little Palm Family Theatre. Run by amateur actors and participants, the Little Palm Family Theatre plays a significant role in the artistic and cultural life of southern Florida by providing live theatre and musical performances for people of all ages. Its performances vary from Winnie the Pooh musicals to classic dramas, and they generally perform at Jan McArt’s Royal Palm Festival Dinner Theatre, on Boca Raton’s Mizner Boulevard.

However, the Little Palm Family Theatre provides much more than remarkable entertainment; aside from offering a number of educational and personal development opportunities for children and adults, it provides a forum where amateur or aspiring actors can display their art. This is a particularly valuable resource in a small city such as Boca Raton, where theatrical opportunities may be harder to come by than in bigger cities. That said, the Little Palm Family Theatre contributes immensely to the rich and vibrant cultural scene of Boca Raton.

Hilton Hotels offers superb accommodation within easy reach of the Little Palm Family Theatre and various other Boca Raton performance venues. And while you’re in the city, why not take advantage of the terrific art museums? Explore the famous Boca Raton Museum of Art, as well as the International Museum of Cartoon Art. Even the sports enthusiast will find much to peruse at the Sports Immortals Museum, which displays over a million pieces of sports memorabilia.

With all that Boca Raton has to offer - from exciting cultural attractions to sublime natural beauty - all visitors are sure to come away with an experience to remember. So start planning your trip today, and prepare to get a whole lot out of Florida’s little gem.

About Michael
Michael is a keen writer, and internet marketer living in Scotland:

Contact details:
E-mail: samqam@googlemail.com
Phone: 0131 561 2251
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No trip to Malta could be complete without a visit to Valletta’s little Manoel Theatre. One time home to beggars, down-and-outs and tramps now home to over 6,000 theatre costumes.

Located in Old Theatre Street, this fascinating purpose built baroque building is an architectural jewel. It is said to be the third oldest theatre in Europe still in use and the oldest theatre in the Commonwealth. It dates back to the earlier decades of the eighteenth century, when the Grandmaster of the Knights of St. John of that time, Antonio Manoel de Vilhena decided in 1731 to build a public theatre ‘for the honest recreation of the people’ according to the Latin inscription above the doorway. The 650-seat auditorium is quite unlike a conventional 20th century theatre, originally u-shaped it was transformed to an oval at the beginning of the 19th century. With a tiny stage and orchestra pit, the stalls seat only 272, but above them and beneath the gilded ceiling and magnificent crystal chandelier are three full tiers of boxes, including one very discreet grand-master’s box. Beneath the theatre are two wells that serve to give the exceptional acoustics for which the theatre is renowned. The original theatre was smaller than the present one, as today’s gallery and proscenium were added in 1812. It was also narrower, as boxes were also situated on the ground floor. Patrons in those far off days used to dance to the pieces in production, so the parterre would be illuminated during performances. All the delicate frescoes are of Mediterranean scenes bordered in 22-carat gold leaf. Originally it was called ‘Public Theatre’, later it bore the title ‘Theatre Royal’ but, eventually in 1866 in tribute to its founder, it became and has remained the Manoel Theatre.

The first night of all first nights was on 9th January 1732 with a presentation of ‘Merope’ a grand tragedy in the classic style, by Scipione Maffei. The setting was designed by Francois Moudion, who was the architect of the Order of St John and it was played by the Knights. The theatre was run by a Senior Knight of the Order who bore the title of ‘Protettore’ and managed the house generally approving each season’s programme of plays. Nicolo Isouard became the ‘Protettore’ or Commissioner during the French occupation of Malta in the last two years of the eighteenth century but the troubled times bore their toll and the players could no longer bear the strains of war and dark days followed for the Manoel.

With the arrival of the British the theatre came to life again and throughout the first half of the nineteenth century there was a nine-month season of opera each year from September to May. In 1812 when the theatre was redecorated by British General Sir George Whitmore, the engineer responsible for the works introduced the proscenium arch, dismantled the ground floor stone boxes to erect wooden ones complete with decorated panels and raised the ceiling so that the theatre became a storey higher. During this period there were nights of splendour like 4th December 1838 when Queen Adelaide, widow of King William IV came with cheers, anthems and a guard of honour to see a performance of ‘Lucia di Lamermoor’ by Gaetan Donizette.

Strangely it was the very prosperity of the latter years of the nineteenth century which brought the eclipse of the Manoel Theatre. The large garrison, the fleet and an increasing number of tourists rendered the theatre inadequate and in 1861 it became private property. With the proceeds of the sale the Royal Opera House was built and Grandmaster Antonio de Vilhena’s little house fell into disuse and served as a home to beggars. Some of the old glory returned when the Royal Opera House was destroyed by fire in 1873. Grand opera replaced the evicted beggars until the Opera house was reconstructed and then the once loved little place in Theatre Street looked to be on its deathbed. It served fitfully as a dance hall and, in this century as a cinema. But then once more the fate of the Opera House brought revival to the Manoel when the former was completely destroyed in the Second World War. Dreams of bringing the Manoel back to life turned to reality when the Malta Government acquired the building in response to public appeal. Experts from Britain and Italy were called in and under their supervision and with loving care the delicate process of restoration was carried out. On one splendid December night in 1960 the famous Ballet Rambert Company’s presented ‘Coppelia’ at the grand opening performance.

Some 40 years later and the theatre is now in the fourth phase of another restoration project that includes bringing out the original shades of blue on the three layers of panels on the flat ceiling which are darker towards the border and lighter in the centre - a visual effect which, when seen from below, gives a trompe-l’oeuil effect of a round cupola, similar to the technique used in the flat “cupola” of the Chiesa del Ges

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If you want to really stand out as an actor (and I think you do), you will have to make your resume stand out for you.

Your resume, cover letter, and headshot are really the first impressions you’ll ever make. They act as your agentgood ones get you auditions, bad ones don’t

So, how does one go about standing out from the rest of the crowd? Well, first of all, you have to think like a marketer. What makes YOU interesting and unique as an actor? This is you USP (Unique Selling Point). Your resume and cover letter act as your USP

In order to make your resume and cover letters really effective, you must follow a few simple guidelines:

For your resume, divide the page into two partsone part for your actual resume, one part for testimonials (yes, testimonials!). Testimonials should be from former directors, playwrights, etc. and they shouldn’t be hard to get. Just ask! (but be sure to get their permission to use their testimonial on your resume) Include the name and position of the person underneath each testimonial quote.

If you are just starting out, include EVERYTHING acting-related on your resumelist every acting job you’ve ever hadno matter how small or big the part (yes, even the non-speaking parts!). Remember, you are trying to fill out your resumelist as much as you can. As time goes by, pick off the less glamorous acting parts and replace them with the true gems that highlight your best work.

Include a small thumbnail headshot of yourself on your resume. This will ensure that if your headshot and resume ever do get separated, your photo will be forever intact ON your resume.

Actors have little time to spend on marketing themselveslet alone anything else non-acting related. For this reason, you should have two form letters ready to go at all timesone for theater, one for film/television. Keep it short and sweet. Your letter should include a brief introduction, your purpose for writing in, your recent endeavors, and a friendly closing. For example, my cover letter states: I’m writing you today because I am very interested in auditioning for your play (or ‘film’ or ‘project’depending on what you’re submitting for) . I know your time is valuable, so I’ll make this short: I would really appreciate it if you could take a moment to review my headshot and resume and let me know if you’d like to meet with me. Again, your letter should include your most recent or current work (try to include pictures within the body of the letter), what classes you’re taking, etc. Then wrap it up with something short and sweet like: Thank you for your time and consideration. I’d love to meet with you. I can be reached at XXX-XXX-XXXX. I hope to hear from you soon. And then, sign your name to it.

When sending a headshot and resume via email, use the same cover letter used in regular mailingssimply cut and paste it into the text portion of your email (remember, you’re trying to save time, so make it easy on yourself!). Don’t forget to attach your headshotand make sure to size the headshot appropriately.

Headshots should look like how you look right now. If your headshot doesn’t look like how you look now, get a new one

You don’t have to spend a big chunk of change on a reputable, big deal, bells-and-whistles photographer to get a nice headshot. Just look around and find someone who has a pretty good portfolio and low prices. I got my headshot done by a photographer who was just starting out. I got a great deal on my headshots and she used my images in her portfolio. A win-win situation!

Get an 8″ x 10″, black and white headshot (which is standard).

I recommend keeping it simpleyour clothing, jewelry, etc. You want YOU (not your clothing and accouterments) to stand out.

That wraps up our section on resumes, cover letters, and headshots. I hope this section has inspired you to make your HS/resume kit brilliant!

Amy is an actress in NYC. Her website can be found at http://www.amyhoerler.com/menu (includes loads of links and tips for actors).

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