Joshua Rugiano is rehearsing his lines and preparing his performances for the World Championships of Performing Arts in Los Angeles, but for him, it isn’t about win, lose or draw.
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“It’s a networking opportunity, to meet agents, directors and producers in the industry,” the Berkeley actor said.
“The amount of people I’ll meet is amazing. You can’t do that anywhere else. If you just went over to LA and crossed your fingers, it’s very doubtful you’d meet enough people.”
Mr Rugiano calls the championships, held from July 11-19, “the Olympics of performing.”
He will enter the acting category, with performers from 50 countries around the world to also compete in singing, dancing, modelling and music categories. Mr Rugiano will compete in drama, comedy, classical and contemporary acting divisions.
“We all perform one minute monologues in different styles,” he said.
“I’ve been preparing since December.”
Mr Rugiano cut his teeth with the Roo Theatre’s production of Grease, where he played Danny Zuko, and has also performed at the King Street Theatre and was part of a Greenpeace advertisement eventually banned on commercial TV.
He hopes to forge a career in film and theatre in the USA, and sees the world championships as a vital stepping stone to breaking into the international acting sphere.
“I want to create friendships while I’m over there that can help me to go back over again,” Mr Rugiano said.