For EPA open call audition where main characters are children under age 13, do the children who wish to audition need to be equity actors?

Katrina E.

No, but Equity members sign up early and will get priority over non-union performers. Actors auditioning are seen in order, and sometimes given numbers. Basically non-union kids sign in on a sheet in the order they arrive and are only seen after ALL the Equity performers have been seen. Be prepared to wait around all day. And often they start by bringing in a group of kids, line them up and then some are cut simply based on looks/height/size etc. They don’t even get a chance to perform anything. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try - just understand what may be involved. And while you don’t need to be union, you should have a child entertainment permit and a trust account established in your name. (See https://labor.ny.gov/workerprotection/laborstandards/secure/child_index.shtm )

Anonymous

Not sure what you're referring to, but open calls are either a PR stunt or a scam. No studio hires amateurs or beginners, only highly-trained and highly-experienced people. In case of a PR stunt, you may go and audition but they will only take professional actors, who were sent there by their agents. Yes, that includes children. Child actors are also highly-trained and highly-experienced, because they started out when they were much younger. It takes about a decade to get enough training and experience to be considered by legit agents. The other option is the child actor has been acting since they were and infant if, for example, their parents work in the biz and the production they work for needed an infant character. So they learned on the job. Also, keep in mind that the majority of child and teenage characters are portrayed by people much older but only look like kids or teens. So to answer your question, unless you're already a professional actor represented by a good agency and, yes, a guild member (most likely), this or other open calls are not for you. That's because this is a BUSINESS. No one's in this to make your dreams come true. Productions invest tons of money, and they need to know it's in the hands of people who know what they're doing.

John P

Ask EPA for details. Only they can tell you for sure.