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Stay Ready So You Don’t Have to Get Ready: A Real Talk for Toronto Performers

So, you’re an actor in Toronto.

In that case, you know the feeling: it's been quiet for a while, and then suddenly your agent emails: “Can you submit something by 10 a.m. tomorrow? Sides attached. sent from my iphone”. You scramble to memorize lines, find a reader, figure out your self-tape setup… and somewhere in the middle of it all, you realize you’re feeling rusty. That confidence you had a few months ago? It’s not exactly showing up right now.

Staying audition-ready isn’t just good advice, it’s a survival tactic. That’s especially true for Toronto performers, where the market moves fast and the expectations are high.

But here’s the thing: staying ready doesn’t mean burning yourself out with endless classes or always being “on.” It just means having the right support to sharpen your blade. That's where one-on-one coaching from Coates and Company Acting Studio can make all the difference.

When Things Are Quiet, That’s the Time to Do the Work

One of the biggest traps Toronto actors fall into is only training when auditions are coming in. It’s understandable — life happens, and sometimes taking a break in between gigs feels necessary. However, actors are usually the only artists who put their craft on pause. Painters still paint when they don’t have commissions. Musicians have to practice and create music or they’ll go mad. Writers pour their souls onto the page, even if their words never see the light of day. So… why aren’t you acting in between gigs?

When the next opportunity to audition for a dream role shows up (and it will), you don’t want to be scrambling to shake the dust off. That’s why personalized, focused coaching between gigs is so helpful. It gives you space to keep honing your craft, without the pressure of a full class, or a performance deadline.

Why One-on-One Coaching Works

Every actor is different. What works for one person might not work for another. Some need help with cold reading, others with emotional access, or self-tape confidence, or mindset. In a class, there’s only so much time for individual feedback. But in coaching, we focus entirely on what you need.

Whether you're working through a scene, prepping for a role, or just trying to feel more grounded in your process, coaching lets us:

Zoom in on your strengths and blind spots
Build techniques that work with how you work
Make room for honest feedback, without the noise
Get specific about your goals and strategy
Stay in the creative headspace, even when you’re not auditioning

It’s not about fixing you — it’s about keeping you connected to your craft in a way that feels real and sustainable.

Staying Audition-Ready in Toronto

Toronto is a unique industry. The volume of film, TV, commercial, and theatre work means there’s opportunity, but also a ton of competition. Casting expectations shift fast, especially with the rise of self-tapes and fewer in-person auditions.

One-on-one coaching helps you stay tapped in. We can work on:

Scene work tailored to current casting trends
Self-tape strategies that actually work in this market
Audition prep that focuses on performance and presence
Navigating the mental side of the hustle (because let’s be honest, it can be a lot)

This kind of focused, ongoing work keeps you ready for whatever comes next, so you’re not scrambling to sling together a decent audition. Instead, you can put your best foot forward, every time.

What It Actually Means to Stay Audition-Ready

Let’s clarify something: staying ready doesn’t mean being perfect all the time. It doesn’t mean being camera-ready every second of the day, or running monologues daily like drills. It means maintaining a level of connection to your craft so that when something comes up, you don’t panic—you step in.

It means:

You trust your instincts
You know your process
You’ve practiced enough to stay calm under pressure
You’ve done the emotional work to handle rejection and keep going

And sometimes, it just means having someone in your corner who understands the industry and can remind you that you’re not doing this alone.

The Acting Scene in Toronto

As someone who has worked in this industry for over 40 years, in everything from theatre to network TV (The Expanse, Degrassi, Tron, etc.), I can tell you that I get it — the Toronto acting scene is tough. It’s one of the most competitive entertainment cities in North America. I’ve been booked and busy, and I’ve experienced dry spells. That’s just the name of the game.

However, the one thing I’ve learned is that there is no such thing as luck. You make your own destiny by not shying away from doing the hard work. The hard work doesn’t stop when you don’t have auditions coming up.

Why Coates and Company acting studio

If you’ve been feeling out of sync with your work, unsure how to stay sharp between auditions, or just tired of trying to figure it all out on your own… maybe it’s time to shift the approach. Maybe it’s time to work closely with someone who constantly “books”. Someone who knows the industry forwards and backwards. Someone who is passionate about unleashing your unique potential as an artist. Maybe it’s time to work with Conrad Coates.

I’ve coached actors at every stage of their careers, from new grads to series leads, and what I know for sure is this: showing up consistently, even when it’s hard, is what makes the difference. My one-on-one sessions aren’t about shaping you into something that you’re not. They’re about helping you reconnect to your tools, your instincts, and your voice, so you’re ready when it counts. One-on-one coaching from Coates and Company Acting Studio won’t be a magic fix — but it is a way to stay ready in a real, grounded way that works with your life. It’s focused. It’s personal. And it can make the difference between scrambling last-minute, and walking into your next audition with clarity and confidence.

So… Get to Work!

Staying ready is an actor’s secret weapon. Ongoing training makes all the difference in what actors book, and what actors don’t. Refining your craft on an ongoing basis, regardless of the amount of auditions you have coming up, is the easiest way to grow as an artist and a professional actor. The ball is in your court. Run your drills.

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On Set: It's Called "Work" for a Reason

Stepping onto a film or TV set isn’t a social call—it’s showing up for work. And like any professional environment, that comes with expectations: punctuality, preparation, and professionalism.

While the atmosphere may seem creative and exciting (and it is), the reality is that every second on set is carefully scheduled and budgeted. There's little room for delays because someone "isn’t feeling it" or would rather chat about their favorite TV shows. This is especially true if you're a day player—brought in for a single day to shoot one or two scenes. In those situations, time is tight, and focus is everything.

As a day player, the production's primary responsibility is to get you into wardrobe, process you through hair and makeup, give you a space to wait, and then get you onto set when your scene is ready. Once there, you'll be introduced to the key crew, run through the scene to block camera movements and marks, and then step off while lighting is adjusted. You may wait again. Eventually, you'll shoot your scene, and once it's complete, you’ll hear those bittersweet words: "You’re picture wrapped!" A quick round of polite applause, a few thank-yous, and you're escorted back to your trailer and, soon after, off the lot and back to your life.

It’s important to remember: everyone on set has a role—and everyone’s under pressure. From the director to the dolly grip, the makeup artist to the gaffer, every person is working toward the same goal: artistic excellence delivered on a tight schedule. You're just one spoke in the wheel, and it takes many spokes to keep that wheel turning.

The guy hauling cable at 5 a.m., the lead grip unloading the truck before you’ve even had your morning coffee—they’re part of the reason you get to do your bit in front of the camera. Mutual respect matters. As my grandmother wisely used to say: “If you don’t have money, have manners.” On set, courtesy is the currency of professionalism.

In short: come prepared, stay gracious, and do your job with care. That’s what keeps a set running smoothly—and earns you a good reputation in an industry that thrives on word-of-mouth.

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Preparation for a last minute audition

Let’s say you get an email from your agent at 5 PM, requesting that you submit an audition tape by 10 AM the next morning. Along with it, you receive the breakdown: information about the project, who the producers are, the director, the writer. Is it a television series, a film, a short? Which role are you being asked to audition for? You'll also get a character description, a story outline—maybe even director’s notes or other references to help guide your choices. And, of course, your two scenes—spread across six pages.

What do you do?

I start by reading the scenes about ten times. As a rule of thumb, one page usually equals one minute of screen time—so six pages means six minutes. I check the page and scene numbers to understand where these moments fall in the arc of the story. Is this scene at the beginning? Near the end? I’m trying to gain insight into the setting, the character’s journey, their relationships, and most importantly—what they want.

If it’s a show I’m already familiar with, I don’t need to do much research on the tone, the creators, or the lead actors. But if it’s a new show or an original film, I go back to the breakdown and then dive into some online research. Who are the creatives? What network is it on? Who’s been cast so far? This can give you clues about the style or tone of the project. Google is your friend—look for articles in Variety, Deadline, or check IMDb. You’d be surprised how much insight you can gather this way.

By habit, I spend about an hour analyzing each page. I ask myself: Who am I? What do I want? Who do I want it from? And how am I going to get it? I “action” the text—giving each line an intention to bring it to life. Once I feel I’ve memorized the material well enough to deliver it naturally, it’s usually time to stop.

The next morning, with a reader, I record the two scenes—and then press send. And then? I let it go.

Personally, I don’t enjoy recording an audition the same day I’ve learned the lines. There’s plenty of research showing how the subconscious mind retains information overnight—especially lines you’ve worked hard to internalize. I’m also not a fan of using a teleprompter or taping your lines around the room, and I wouldn’t recommend that approach to a developing actor either. The goal is to be present in the scene—not distracted by searching for words.