Select good-quality paper for your resume. This should be white, cream, ivory, light gray or light blue.
Open a new document in Microsoft Word on your computer. Set your top, left and right margins at 1-1/2 inches; set your bottom margin at 2 inches. The reason for this is that theatrical resumes are trimmed down so that they can be affixed with rubber cement to the back of an 8-by-10 inch professional head shot. If you leave your margins at a traditional inch on all sides, you'll then have to reduce the size to at least 90 percent, which then shrinks the size of the type and could make the resume harder to read.
Choose a conservative, easy-to-read font such as Times New Roman, Courier, Bookman or Palatino. The font size should be 12-point and your ink should be black. Note: All of your content must be able to fit on one piece of paper without looking cluttered.
Type your name in capital letters and centered at the top of the page. Beneath this should be your full contact information, including your cell phone and email. If you have a website portfolio, include this as well. Do you have an agent? This person's name and contact information should go here, too.
Drop down two lines below your contact information and type:
Age___; Height___; Weight___; Hair Color____; Eye Color___ ; Vocal Range___ and fill in each of the blanks.
Keep in mind that "less is more" in writing a performing arts resume. Focus on roles that were significant in your career and roles that have the most bearing on what you're trying out for. Many actors and dancers make the mistake of doing just one generic resume and using it for every audition. Instead, tailor each resume to a specific tryout. If, for instance, you've done more comedies than dramas but you're now trying out for a dramatic role, list the dramatic roles first so that they'll be the first thing the director sees on the page.
Cluster your entries under group headings at the left margin. For example:
DRAMA
Nora in Henrik Ibsen's "A Doll's House" (NYU)
Lady Macbeth in Shakespeare's "Macbeth" (Columbia)
Linda in Arthur Miller's "Death of a Salesman" (NYU)
COMEDY
Gwendolyn in Neil Simon's "The Odd Couple" (Baker Street Theatre)
Chelsea in Ernest Thompson's "On Golden Pond" (Columbia)
Note: Unlike a business resume, chronology isn't as critical as content, and it's up to your own discretion whether you want to identify each show by the year in which the play was produced.
If you're a dancer, follow the same format but cluster your experiences under headings such as Musicals, Jazz, Ballet and Folk. Your "role" would be defined as Lead Dancer, Ensemble or Choreographer.
Drop down two lines below your last entry and type Special Skills. In this category, you'll list talents such as dialects, martial arts, acrobatics, fencing and stunt work.
Drop down two more lines and type Current Course of Study. In this category, you'll list any acting or dance classes/workshops you're taking, in areas such as vocal training, movement and playwriting.
Drop down two more lines and type the heading: Education.
Drop down two more lines and type the heading: Awards.
List 2 or 3 references at the bottom of the page or simply type: References Available Upon Request. Your references should be past directors, instructors, choreographers or any other industry professionals who know your work.
Proofread your resume thoroughly before you print it. Better yet, recruit extra pairs of eyes to proofread it for you. Save the file on your computer and always make a backup.
Use a paper cutter to neatly trim your resume so that it will fit on the back of your head shot without any overlap. The resume is affixed to the back of the photo so they won't become separated from each other. Apply a very thin layer of rubber cement along the edges of the back of the resume and press it gently on the back of the photo.