How does one go about getting 'experience' acting?

Question:What moves, or things you should do before you get a SAG card?
How to make your resume full before auditioning for major roles?

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: What moves, or things you should do before you get a SAG card?
How to make your resume full before auditioning for major roles?

To fill up your resume, do high school theatre. And If you're out of that, or if your high school doesn't do theatre, try community theatre programs.

Audition, Audition, Audition.

And if you don't get a part?

VOLUNTEER BACKSTAGE.
That way, you don't look like a whiney diva that either gets the part or walks. You have to let the director know that you want to be involved in the production in any way you possibly can. Help doing whatever they'll let you do.
Then, when the next play comes along and you audition, they will remember you.

Keep taking roles, even small ones. Eventually you'll move up to bigger ones and guess what!?

You'll have a full resume.
Now don't forget to get some professional headshots done for that pretty little resume of yours.

Now typically you have to become a SAG actor by auditioning for a lead role in a SAG play, and getting it. Thats the "easy" way to get in. Don't forget you have to pay union dues and with the writers strike, I BELIEVE SAG is sitting out too. I could be wrong.

Jessica is close, you also need some professional classes. But start where you are do everything speech and drama in school, then start thinking about how to be a pro. For more info, contact me at the aol address in my profile.

Both of the previous answer raise good points. However, i feel i should point out that SAG is the Screen Actor's Guild - and only actors who have been on network shows or films qualify. There's a separate union for theatre (Actor's Equity).

You should certainly audition for everything you possibly can. Also take acting classes, singing lessons, dancing lessons. Having these skills will really help you out, and it makes you look motivated to have continuously studied and bettered yourself.

Something you should look into for the SAG card is being an extra. There are several agencies in every metro area that provide extras.

Extra work can often become real work. You'll meet people who like you and they'll hire you for something else. Or you look like the star, and they hire you to be the stand-in.

There are numerous situations when being an extra can work to your advantage. There are certain "extra" roles that you can get SAG vouchers for. After you get 3 vouchers, you're eligible to join as long as you pay dues.