“Hamilton”, “Les Misérables”, “The Phantom of the Opera” — you know the lines almost by heart. No wonder, given that you’ve been in the theater industry for years. But now you feel that “There is a life about to start when tomorrow comes!” and you’re seeking a new audition. 

That means you need to show your best talents in a compelling resume. Here’s how to craft one using our sample theater resume and extra writing tips. 

Theater Resume Example  

How to Make a Magnetic Theater Resume

Securing auditions for new plays is arguably the toughest part of working in the theater industry. The goal of your resume is to help you get into more rooms, where you can showcase your performance capabilities in person. To increase your odds for success, use the following tips when writing your theater resume. 

Choose a Format That Works for Your 

There are three main resume formats: chronological, functional, and combination. Chronology is the most popular option, but it works best for corporate jobs. Theater and actor resumes typically follow a functional or combination format.

A functional resume (like the example above), provides a featured skills section atop, a brief work history, related to the skillset, and a summary of education and professional training. This format centers the readers’ attention on your skillset, likely acquired through a wide range of gigs and classes, plus the types of productions you’ve been part of. 

Use bullet points and plenty of white space to separate different sections and pack the most information without making your resume look visually confusing. Using a functional resume template can help with this. 

Apply the ‘Less is More’ Principle 

Casting agents and theater directors are ultra-busy and have a few minutes to spare on each resume. Most of them aren’t interested in the volume of work, but rather in its quality and relevance. 

What most agents pay attention to are teachers, schools, theaters, studios, and directors they’ve heard of. Thus, list your most impressive credentials first. Feel free to name-drop if you’ve been trained by some well-known people in the industry.

Likewise, there are some details you should keep off your theater resume like:

• Your date of birth age, which can inadvertently lead to type-casting
• Irrelevant work experience, that doesn’t serve as proof of your skillset 
• Excessive details on minor roles – you can skip this to save space 
• References, just state that these are available upon request 

Once you’re done writing, give your resume another once-over and edit out redundant information.  You must keep your theater resume brief, ideally one page long, plus packed with substance. 

Customize Your Skills to the Role 

The list of skills, sitting in your resume summary, should be always tailored to the role you’re after. For example, if you’re after a role in a musical with some battle scenes, put your signing and sports skills into the highlight. Mention that you’re in good physical shape because of regular training and have experience with fencing. On the other hand, if you’re auditioning for a romance period piece, you can shift the focus to your ability to do different accents and training in classical dances. 

Final Tip: Always Include a Headshot 

Unlike other industries, there’s no debate as to whether you should have a headshot with your resume. In fact, the best way to go is to use a resume template with a photo, plus staple several more professional shorts to your resume: several character headshots and full-height pictures. This way you can always stay top-of-mind with the casting directors.

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