Here's some ways to start building your base:

1. Warm-ups: Develop a habit of warming up the lips, the tongue and the mouth EVERY DAY. We have tongue twisters on the site, and you should practice them EVERY DAY so that you develop regular practice habits that can stay with you during the busy times.

2. Cold Reading: Develop the habit of practicing cold reading DAILY for at least an hour. When, you say? Well, take time in the morning and sit down with a book or script or scene, or even the newspaper and practice grabbing the words with your eyes and looking up and saying the words in a natural and effortless manner. It should sound conversational and natural, and the words should tell you what to say and how to say it.

3. Physical Exercise: Develop the DAILY habit of working out and exercising to make sure your BODY, which is one of the main things that casting people see to type you, is what you think it should be...you can get to the gym or get to the park. Either way, it's up to YOU to keep that shape that gets you work!

4. Skill Development: Develop the habit of constantly learning a new skill, or pushing an established skill forward. You can do it in class or you can do it by practicing, or you can do it by performing. Suggestions? Here you go: Improvisation, Sketch Comedy, Stand Up, Stunt work, Voice Over, Dance, horse back riding, sword play, marksmanship...all of these will make you a more well-rounded actor...there are so may other skills to mention.

5. Write a monologue from personal experience. Sit down and write a narrative monologue about an event in your life. Then practice it and learn it and NEVER tell anyone you wrote it...perform it to perfection...then let them ask who wrote it...

6. Write a monologue from the headlines or history. Sit down and take a character from today's headlines or from history and write a monologue expressing their perspective. Remember to keep the narrative aspects of a monologue intact, since that makes a monologue interesting to listen to. Then practice it and hone it and perform it to perfection...THEN let them ask who wrote it...

7. Get together with your fellow actors and rehearse some one act plays that you can put up at a moments notice. Always have two or three one-acts to call on and double cast and triple cast the characters so that you are ALWAYS ready to perform.

8. It's a little late now, but NOW is a GREAT TIME to get into a show, so performing in June and July is probably the only time of year when you won't interrupt your other career goals.

9. Think about getting new headshots...plan your possible looks, think of broadening your casting choices. Remember, it's best to be as specific as you can as far as the characters your portray, and at the same time, it's good the broaden your repertoire, so to speak.

10. Take a vacation for a few days, relax and enjoy life... go out to the desert or to the beach or to Mexico, or up to Big Sur, or if you want to stay closer, Santa Barbara, or Oxnard or San Diego...Spend a little inexpensive fun time... Or visit the relatives...they always like to see you, right? Now Get Busy!!!