You don't know what you're up against...

Once upon a time, on a Halloween not too long ago, three teenaged couples, Beulah and Leroy, Hattie and Steven, and Dot and Heinrich, decided to go on a trip.  They wanted to escape the craziness that came with the holiday.

Beulah was a “good girl”. She didn’t smoke or drink or curse. She was saving herself for marriage. Leroy came from a religious family. He didn’t eat meat, or sweets or drink soda. They worshipped every day.

Hattie was a sex crazed cheerleader. All she wanted was boys and more boys. Everything about her was geared to enticing the opposite sex, especially her clothes. Steven was the boy next door, all-American type. He was quiet, yet commanding, polite and had a desire to make everyone happy.

Dot looked like a little porcelain doll. However she was aggressive and pushy, and had a mouth like a sailor. Heinrich matched her on every level, full of bravado and testosterone.

The getaway spot they chose was in the jungle. It was remote and isolated. By the time they arrived it was almost dark. Each couple chose a cabin and went to settle in.

Next on Hattie’s to do list was Steven. After she unpacked she put on a sexy outfit, and began her seduction.

Dot wanted to snuggle indoors by the fireplace. Heinrich wanted to explore the dark, dank jungle around them. They fought about choosing which to do. The expletives freely flew out of their mouths.

Beulah was tired. She was always tired. All she wanted to do was take a nap. Leroy went about planning the meals for the weekend, making sure to stick to the strict diet he had set up for himself and Beulah.

It was midnight when it happened. Beulah and Leroy were preparing for bed. They were both on their knees saying their evening prayers.

Boom. Boom. Boom.

There was loud, heavy knocking on the front door of their cabin.

Beulah and Leroy didn’t want to be interrupted. They figured it was one of the other couples. Whoever it was could wait until prayers were done. Leroy and Beulah continued. Then...

BOOM. BOOM. BOOM.

Again there was knocking. This time it became louder and more aggressive.

Beulah and Leroy continued to ignore it.

BOOM! BOOM!

Leroy had had enough. Someone this rude and impatient could only be Heinrich.  Feed up with Heinrich’s aggressiveness, Leroy got up to answer the door.

BOOM!

The last knock shattered the door into splinters.

Beulah screamed when she saw what was at the door. It wasn’t Heinrich. It was a hideous monster that stood eight feet tall, covered in fur matted with old, dried blood, with huge saber tooth tiger fangs, and hands the size of shovels. Each finger ended in razor sharp talons.

Beulah shut her eyes tight and prayed harder than she ever had in her life.

Leroy had seen plenty of scary movies. He knew he and Beulah would be the first to die.  They were always the first to die. The monster slowly lumbered into the cabin. Leroy tugged at Beulah’s arm and tried to pull her away. She wouldn’t budge. She just closed her eyes tighter.

Leroy knew he wasn’t equipped to fight this demon. All he had were the papers his dietary plans were written on. He flung them into the monster’s face, confusing him. Then Leroy grabbed Beulah and practically dragged her to the back door of the cabin.

Just as they were about to escape, the monster clawed at Beulah’s leg, snapping her Achilles tendon. Leroy tried to pull her out of harm’s way, but it was too late. The beast slit Beulah’s other tendon and now she was crippled. The monster ripped off one of Beulah’s legs and then the other. As she screamed in pain, Leroy ran.

Dot and Heinrich couldn’t hear the commotion over their fighting.

Hattie and Steven couldn’t hear Beulah’s screams over the music that was blaring in their cabin.

In her efforts to seduce Steven, Hattie was playing her favorite pop song. She had turned the volume up way too high. Then Hattie sang along to the sexy song, doing a sort of stripper-esque dance. It was all to entice Steven. But he wasn’t really interested in her. He didn’t find her sexy or attractive.  He thought Hattie was a skank that tried to sleep with everyone.

Steven constantly stared in the mirror. He dressed well and he was polite. He was all American and good-looking. He couldn’t figure out why he always attracted this kind of person. Never the less, he went along with Hattie’s seduction. He didn’t want to hurt her feelings.

Not getting the response she wanted, Hattie decided to change into something even more revealing.

Boom. Boom. Boom.

There was loud, heavy knocking on the front door of the cabin.

Hattie told Steven to close his eyes and to not to answer the door. She wanted to be alone with him.

BOOM. BOOM. BOOM.

Again there was knocking. This time it became louder and more aggressive.

Steven thought someone this rude and impatient could only be Heinrich. 

Hattie announced that she was ready and for Steven to open his eyes.

BOOM! BOOM!

And just as Hattie opened the door to the bedroom...

BOOM!

The front door of the cabin flew open. In the doorway was the monster, with Beulah’s legs in its clutches.

Hattie screamed which startled the beast. It threw the legs at her. Then it lumbered toward Steven, fresh blood dripping from its claws and fangs. Hattie screamed again. The monster turned and roared in her direction. Steven had fallen off the chair he was sitting on and began to make a move toward the back door. The monster grabbed Steven’s leg and raised his talons.

Hattie screamed again. The monster roared more fiercely than before and dropped Steven’s leg. It trudged over to Hattie, who began screaming more loudly and consistently. This infuriated the beast. It grabbed her by the throat and squeezed until there was a cracking noise. Steven watched in horror as blood and human tissue gushed through the monster’s claws. Steven tried to gather his senses. Then he ran out the back door.

Boom. Boom. Boom.

Heinrich and Dot were still fighting. They weren’t in the mood to be disturbed. But he answered the door anyway. It was Steven. He told him to go away.

BOOM. BOOM. BOOM.

Heinrich answered the door again. He berated Steven for disturbing him and Dot and slammed the door in Steven’s face.

BOOM! BOOM!

This time Dot answered the door. The look on Steven’s face told her something was wrong. Dot could see a huge figure looming in the distance. She pulled Steven into the cabin and closed the door.

Once inside, Steven tried his best to tell Dot and Heinrich what had happened. Heinrich refused to believe him. Dot was enrapt in the story when -

BOOM!

The front door of the cabin burst open.

Standing in the doorway was the beast, gnarling and growling, still clutching Hattie’s severed head. The monster roared a fierce roar. Steven grabbed Dot by the hand and made a break for the back door. The monster reached over and grabbed Dot by the waist. It pulled her back in.

The beast raised Dot to his horrible fanged mouth and readied to snap her in two. Dot kicked the beast in the face, once then twice then three times.  It howled in pain and threw Dot on the floor. She lay in a lump, unmoving.

Steven stood frozen for a moment. He knew they couldn’t slay the beast alone. So he ran for help. Heinrich watched, then decided he didn’t need any help. He would make this monster his bitch. He jumped on to the its back and began punching it. The monster whirled around clawing, but couldn’t reach Heinrich.

The monster smashed Heinrich up against a wall. But Heinrich was resolute. No way was he letting go. It smashed him again and again. Finally Heinrich had to give up. He slid off the beast and made his way towards the back door. The monster jumps in-between Heinrich and the door. But Heinrich slid between the beast’s legs and started to run.

Slash!

With a swing of a claw, a talon caught Heinrich’s leg. He fell to the ground. He had no choice but to try and crawl away from the scene. Leaves rustled under Heinrich as he moved through the jungle. Behind him he heard a bellow, then the slow methodical thud of the beast coming after him...

Beulah, Hattie, Dot, Leroy, Steven and Heinrich are all performers. They all came to New York City to pursue careers in theatre.

Beulah is a dancer. She was offered an opportunity to perform. She prayed on it. Moving to a new city, finding a place to live and renting or buying a car for a year was too hard. Besides she had done this type of contract before. She believed she was past that point in her career. She turned down the opportunity because God said not to do it. She’s trudging away at her two day jobs.

Beulah's career died that night in the jungle. The monster got her.

Leroy was told he would never really make it in this business because of his weight. He was never fat, just not ripped. He was always on a diet and in the gym. He tried. He tried very hard. He was offered the same exact opportunity as Beulah. He took it. After a year away from the city he came back. He threw away the diet and workouts. Leroy ended up getting a performing gig rather quickly. The company that he did that year contract for was affiliated with another show. That other show is on Broadway and so is he.

Leroy's career escape the clutches of the beast.

Hattie is a singer. She has a smooth voice. Hattie chooses sexy songs to perform at auditions. Also she auditions for the sexy roles. To look at her, one does not think conventionally sexy. You think sweet and nice and friendly and fun. That’s why everyone loves her, except the people behind the tables. She confuses them by singing material not appropriate to who she appears to be. She doesn’t make the connection between not getting the job and the women who do get the jobs, the conventionally sexy ones. She gets out there, but she keeps trying to be something she’s not. And right now, the one things she’s not, is employed.

Hattie's career was the next to die in the jungle.

Steven was the same as Hattie. He had always seen himself differently than others saw him. He was different. He was good-looking but not handsome, a bit older but not too old, tall but not overly so, and out of shape but not fat. He has a leading man’s voice quality but not the conventional looks. So it’s an uphill battle. Steven has decided to stop going for roles that required leading men and move towards the roles that he looked like: a dad, a father of two complete with “dad bod”. He’s gotten more callbacks in a year than he has in the past seven years combined.

Steven's career sustained some wounds, but it looks like it’ll survive.

Dot is a musical theatre performer. She’s, short, petit and cute with huge eyes. She actually looks like a doll. Dot is almost thirty years old, but because of her size appears to be about 17 or 18. Her personality is strong and aggressive and she has been known to curse up a storm. She’s noticing that she can’t book a gig; not a grown up role or a kid role. She thinks it might have something to do with how she’s perceived in the audition room. She’s starting to investigate the possibilities of what action to take to help her be more cast-able.

Being thrown to the floor by the monster put Dot's career in a coma. Will she fight to survive, or just give up all hope?

Heinrich has appeared in my blog before. He’s a little guy who looks 15 but is really almost 35. Talented, yes. Stubborn and refusing to accept the fact that he will play teens for a very long time? Hell yes. He fights tooth and nail to avoid being type cast as a child. He’s even had major discussions with his agency about being sent on those kinds of auditions. But that’s the work he books.

Heinrich's career was maimed by the beast. He escaped, only to be institutionalized. Everyone thinks he’s crazy because he believes the beast is still after him. And it is.

What’s gotten in the way of each of these performers is their preconceived notions about who they are and how they appear. The monster in this movie is Ego. It’s the part of us that’s responsible for our sense of personal identity.

Having a healthy sense of self is very important in the business of Show. It helps us survive. It’s when that sense of self becomes over-blown, under-fed or just off kilter that the problems begin. There is too much negativity, too many “no’s” and far too much down time between gigs. That feeds the monster within. When the beast grows strong enough it, lives on its own. Then it rampages through the jungle, or country side, or suburb, or city, killing off good careers, and extinguishing potential stars.

These four couples, all beautiful people and all very talented, believe they are more than their external package. And they are. If they get higher on the ladder of success, they can have some control over which projects they take on. But for now, their package (both external and internal) is what will get them work. Without the work, these wonderful performers can’t get recognition. Without the recognition they can't climb up that ladder to gain career control. And it's career control they want. Then they can play sexy, play the leading man or to simply play an adult, on stage.

Don’t let your Ego monster, or fighting against your physical type, be the thing that keeps you from doing what you love.

In this horror film about performing, if...

“...Wanna save your skin boy? Wanna save your hide? You wanna see tomorrow? Better step aside...”

Live in living color...

Now where was I before I was interrupted by that public service announcement for actors (Baby fineness is the way to kill)

Oh yeah...

I was living the dream: Auditioning, taking classes and voice lessons. I was also doing shows, and working on the opportunity to get my Equity card. My friend Louise, with whom I shared the bitter bench, was also trying to get her card. As was Arthur. We were all in the same boat but approaching it different ways.

I was sharing an apartment, or rather sleeping on a sofa bed in the living room of Sean’s apartment. Sean and I met during what was to be one of my last non-equity shows. Sean introduced me to several dance teachers and class. Louise was a dancer. I had met her while taking class with Sean and Noah, another friend. Since Louise and Sean were friends, she and I became friends. She was making ends meet by assisting a well-known choreographer.

I had done summer stock with Arthur. When it was over I need a place to crash until I found an apartment. He invited me to stay with him, which I did until he kicked me out the night before I was to move into my pied a tier. He was going through some family stuff and needed space (but that’s another story) Naturally, I forgave him and we moved on with our friendship. It was he who needed help now. He asked for my former temp agency information. He signed up and was working in offices while waiting for his big break.

I was waiting tables on a dinner cruiser that sailed around Manhattan.

Arthur’s break came first. He was hired to do a TYA (Theatre for Young Audiences) tour. The company always had several tours going on at once. Arthur was lucky enough to be cast in one of them. At the end of which he was given his Equity Card.

Then Louise got her card doing a dance show at a regional theatre for a Broadway director/choreographer.

I was contemplating auditioning for the TYA touring company, but had decided not to. I had heard horror stories about them and the conditions they worked under. Though Arthur had had a fine time on his. When I told him I wasn’t going, he told me that was a bad decision. If I wanted my card this was the easiest way to get it. The other way, besides being cast in a standard Equity show, was to work at Equity houses for a point per week. After 50 points, or 40 points and a test, one could join the union.

I considered it. Fifty weeks was almost an entire year. And theatres have to actively participate in the point program. I think they pay some sort of a fee. Most choose not to be a part of the program.

After weighing the options, I went to the audition. It was my first real audition as a singer. I had transitioned from a dancer to a dancer/singer and now to a singer. I was worried about being seen. There are tons of singers in NYC. It turned out fine though. Since the company was quite used to hiring non-equity people, as long as I was there early enough and signed up before they closed the list, I would definitely be seen.

The audition went off without a hitch. The call backs were great. In truth they wanted me so badly that they offered me my choice of shows. I was dumbfounded. Never in my whole career had that happened. And the fact that it happened while I was auditioning as a singer blew my mind.

Despite my misgivings about the company, I picked a show and I took the contract. When the tour finished I would have my card. I would finally be an Equity member. However finishing the tour proved to be a herculean feat in itself.

There were six of us stuffed in a van full of sets and costumes and our luggage. One was a drunk. One was a narcissist. One was a doormat. One was angry and aggressive, and one was a “pot stirrer”. You know the type, someone who looks for any little issue and then they push that issue into a full out nuclear war. And then there was me.

It was six months of hell. I thought about filing an official complaint with Equity. In the end I decided it was not worth the effort. I had endured and I got my card. I thought no one would believe the word of a newly minted member anyway.

So many people had warned me about getting my Equity card. They all said joining Equity was easy. That was just being cast in a show. It was being cast in the second show that would take a while.

In the general professional population, the circles of contracted actors is incredibly small. The people behind the tables like to reuse performers if they can. It’s like buying the same brand of laundry detergent. You know it does the job, so why try something else. New, untried, unproven faces tend not to get very far. I think this is because most new members only have the one professional (professional meaning Equity) show or theatre on their resume. Hence they are to some, unproven.

That wasn’t the case for me.

If you remember, I had worked at an Equity theatre. I had done several shows, both musicals and operas, at an Equity house back home, while I was still in university. And while I wasn’t cast in the Equity portion of their seasons, the Theatre didn’t differentiate between the pre-season non-equity shows and the season’s equity shows, save for payment to the actors and ticket pricing. So getting my next Equity gig wasn’t as difficult as they all said it would be.

About four months after finishing the tour I saw an audition posted. It was for a show at a regional theatre quite near NYC. The show was to be the first production after the Broadway run. Most importantly there was a part in it for me. And before you ask, no I did not audition for the Broadway production, even after I was told I looked like the lead. Insecurities won that battle. But I was determined not to let them win again.

I got up early in the morning. I stood in line outside to get an appointment. I got an appointment. Then went home and prepared for the audition. I had the perfect song, the perfect headshot and the perfect outfit. I was ready.

I arrived ten minutes before my appointment time. Walked into the audition room. Sang my little song and walked right back out. Nothing. No interest what so ever.

My bestie, Thurston was also Equity, went to the call. At the time we were the same type, although different versions of that type. He went in. They loved him. I think he sang a couple songs. He got called back to read a couple times. We just knew he had the part.

A few weeks later, another audition notice was posted for the same theatre and the same show for that same role that both me and my bestie went in for. He was devastated. That’s how he found out he wasn’t cast. I knew before the notice that I wasn’t being considered for the role, so it didn’t affect me at all. In fact, I decided to go back and audition again. Same song. Same outfit. Same me.

I booked it. And not only did I book it, I got a good review from the New York Times. My second Equity show paid a nice weekly salary, gave me enough weeks for insurance and planted me firmly in the pension plan. And a New York Times Review!

Meanwhile, Noah, Thurston’s boyfriend at the time, wasn’t Equity. He was struggling with the city and auditions and the whole lot of it. I think there was something nagging at him. His boyfriend had his Equity card and had been on Broadway. He had not.

Noah took, what was at the time, a new route to getting his card. He had auditioned for and got cast at one of Disney’s theme parks. So he and Thurston packed up and moved down to Florida.

After my second Equity gig, I continued to work. I did On a Clear Day..., My One and Only (for the second time), a review show in Brooklyn, Miss Saigon, Joseph... (for the fourth time), Oklahoma, West Side Story, The King and I, My One and Only (again), Anything Goes and a host of other shows both new and old, large and small.

Louise decided Broadway was where she belonged. After her first Equity gig, she only auditioned for high profile things. Not only that, the projects had to take place in the city. She was a full on Dance teacher now, with classes at one of the most prestigious studios in New York City. She couldn’t go out to the regions and leave her students. This was her survival job.

Arthur high-tailed it to Germany to star in a show there. He also worked in the UK, under their Equity and then did two or three gigs back in the states.

After coming back from a long gig, I decided to set down some roots in NYC. My friend Helga and I had been sharing space in Sean’s apartment. We decided to find our own place. So we moved out of the living room in midtown Manhattan and into a three bedroom apartment in Queens.

Helga worked as a supervisor at a concessions stand. She was staunchly non-equity. It worked for her, meaning she worked all the time. She would go out on this tour and that tour. Then she would work at this theatre in New Jersey or Vermont or where ever. It was what she did. She was happy where she was. And now she and I had a comfortable home base to work out of.

I thought this was the life. I had finally paid off my student loans. I had my own proper bedroom with windows and a door. I had a great roommate, who mostly shared my tastes in decorating and living habits. I had my Equity card. I was set. Time to dig in and make a name for myself.

I knew continuing with classes and lessons was the way to go. It’s the quickest way to be in the thick of things. It’s also the only way to be ready to be hired. Naturally this takes time, so I tried to work as little as possible. But now I had financial responsibilities and they were starting to pile up.

Noah and his now husband Thurston are still in Florida. Noah is still working at Disney under an Equity contract. They have a house with a yard, two cars a pool and a vibrant social life. Thurston travels around Florida doing shows at small theatres after being on Broadway a couple times and doing tons of first national tours. They got stability. And insurance, and Equity jobs. They live and work as medium sized fish in a medium sized market.

Louise never made it to Broadway. In fact she’s only done a handful of shows after her initial Equity contract. She’s now a director and choreographer here in the city. She’s working on a new show with a star name that might just get produced on the Great White Way. So maybe some part of her will make it there after all.

Arthur knows what his type is. He keeps tabs on all the actors who are that type and what they’re doing. Since it’s a very specific type, those actors tend not be bounce around from show to show, but rather stay put for the length of a contract, be it Broadway or otherwise. I hear Arthur’s teaching voice now and just finished performing in a show. I wouldn’t know for sure though. After more incidents between the two of us, I decide to no longer associate with him. I’m sure he’s doing well though.

Helga got her secret wish. After yet another tour, she went home to visit her parents and met a man. She left our three bedroom bliss and got married. She still performs. She does those hospital patient things. She also sings with her band, which is becoming quite popular. She has a house, a husband and a small career. She’s still non-equity and she’s happy.

After being too afraid to go to a callback for a new (and later hit) Broadway show, I was now auditioning for Broadway. I had even been put on the waiting list for a show, but the show closed before I was used. The closer I came to Broadway, the further away the contract seemed to be. Somewhere in there I noticed the higher I climbed the professional ladder, the longer it took to book another show.

There were other things I noticed as well.

The salaries for Equity had little change. In fact special contracts and tiers were made to accommodate producers and to provide more work for Equity members. That’s great. But that work is paid at a lower wage.

Amir got his Equity card, got his Broadway credit and got out. The Business of show wasn’t lucrative enough or fulfilling enough for his tastes. He now lives in a refurbished farmhouse in Vermont. I believe he works for an insurance company.

The amount of points needed to join the union was lowered from fifty to twenty five. A slew of actors with 25 weeks of EMC (Equity Membership Candidate) work or more, officially joined the ranks of Equity. This flooded the union with much need funds to pay for new representatives in the regions and new programs. Most of which the common union members know very little about.

Manuel never had an interest in joining the union. Years before I knew him he was working constantly. And now years later he still is. He teaches, choreographs and occasionally performs. He’s never had a survival job. Ever. He’s always been able to live quite comfortably on what he makes from his non-Equity work. He and his husband just bought a house in Palm Springs.

New audition sign up procedures were put in place. No longer did one have to wake up at the crack of dawn and stand outside for hours in all kinds of weather to get an audition time. Now an actor just needs a fast internet connection and a prayer to get an audition slot. Or if that doesn’t work, one can wake up at the crack of dawn and stand outside in all kinds of weather to get one of the times set aside...Progress?

To qualify for the union pension, an actor has to be “vested”. I’m not quite sure what that means or how one goes about doing it. But you have to be in order to receive money when you reach retirement. I’m vested with the union. Although with finances being the way they are, I doubt I’ll ever be able to fully retire.

Once an actor is Equity, he or she can join the Actors Federal Credit Union. This is a banking system exclusively for theatrical professionals. They offer all the amenities of a regular bank, but the money in the bank works for the union members. There is even a credit card, which I have and need to pay off. So, while I wait and audition for my next performing gig, I need to have a day job.

Working as a waiter on the dinner cruiser was no longer an option. I wasn’t aware of it at the time but I was mildly allergic to the air conditioning system. I only found out once I had left for a long period of time. I gained three high notes to my register just by not working there. I was a singer now. I could not afford the effects of working that job. I abhor working in corporate offices so that is a last resort kind of thing. So I turned to working as a cater waiter. Good money, easy job and no pandering for tips. I have the ability to make my own schedule. That means I could work and still go to auditions and classes and lessons.

Pedro’s a really great dancer. He’s danced on Broadway several times. He’s even partnered Chita Rivera. He’s given up on the business though. He’s one of those people who went to school for medicine or law or something, got a degree and then decided he wanted to perform. He’s back to doing work made possible by his higher education degree.

Once upon a time there was a difference between union and non-union performers. The difference was never in talent or drive or any of the fundamental things that make a performer a performer. It was in what the union provided performers that we could not get elsewhere, like health insurance.

Now the government has made it possible for an individual to purchase health insurance. There is no longer a need to work a steady day job to get coverage. So even if an actor isn’t blessed with working 24 weeks on stage, or having insurance through a day job, he or she can still be insured.

The salaries for non-union work have generally increased. That’s not to say they are on par with production contracts, but non-union tours can pay as well as if not better than most SETA (Small Engagement Touring Agreement) contacts. Some non-union work even gives you a W-2, which could allow claiming of unemployment insurance.

There are now ways to plan for retirement as a non-equity performer as well. You can open IRAs, and online trading. There are a number of things that have the potential to generate funds for the golden years. But let’s be honest, even the best pension plans can go bust if the markets turn sour. We’ve seen it happen, as recently as ten years ago.

What Equity does give an actor is collective bargaining. That means there are people in place who, in theory, are looking out for an actor’s best interests. They set minimum wage amounts for actors. They set audition and working conditions for actors. They provide arbitration for grievances within the performing community and sometime outside the community depending on the programs available through the Actors Fund. Equity lobbies for more union jobs and boycotts places that break union rules and contracts. In short, Actors Equity is a security system put in place to protect actors from unscrupulous producers and illicit situations.

That being said, it’s quite rare to hear of a non-equity company, or theatre or tour that violates basic working conditions and human rights. Actors are not afraid to speak up. It may be on the down low, but you will hear when something or someone is more trouble than they’re worth. And if there is a company/theatre/tour you as a performer aren’t familiar with, it’s your job to investigate them BEFORE you sign the contract.

And always get a written contract.

Fast forward a few (ahem) years later and I’m still catering. I’m not taking dance classes very often. Most of the great teachers have moved on, one way or another. Not really taking voice lessons either. I’ve not found someone who can teach me what I need to learn, while honoring my type and my talent, who is affordable.

I still frequent auditions. Although where Helga and I once did seven non-equity auditions together in one day, I’m lucky to have one audition a week. Mostly because I’m selective of what I want to do. It’s also a tough online battle to actually sign up. It’s our “Hunger Games”. And I’ve aged into another category. Now I’m up against Tony winners and Broadway names for projects.

Everyone wants to work. Everyone wants to do good work and be paid their worth for that work. Actors Equity helps do that though the system they have set in place. Going Equity is the answer for a lot of the people, a lot of the time. But it does not work for everyone. A performer can have a solid, lucrative and long career without ever becoming Equity.

Broadway is the only true reason to get your equity card. You can’t work there without one. But are you ready for Broadway? I wasn’t. But now I am.

So I’m a union actor. I am staunchly pro-union. That works for me. For now. But I advocate not joining the union until an actor has significant credits on their resume. Delay getting your card until you’ve done all you can do in the non-Equity world. For some that means never taking the card. That’s especially true for older actors and actors that fall into marginalized categories. There is more work for them (us) outside of the union than there is inside, especially in the upper echelons of the performing world.

In the end, it’s each individual’s decision to go “pro” or not. There are no right answers. No wrong answers either. Just informed choices. The key word being “informed”.  

Find out what your type is, like Arthur did, and see where and how much those people are working. Then decide.

Realize what it is you really want, like Helga and go for that.

Know what your true passion is, like Pedro and do that sooner rather than later.

You’ll be happier, like Amir, once you stop chasing the thing you thought you wanted but couldn’t really care less about.

Or you can flourish without an Equity card like Manuel.

I’ve not gone into detail about all the wildly successful and well-known people I’ve worked with, like Chandra Wilson. We know their stories. We see them played out in front of us. We go to seminars and lectures and classes taught by them and dream about it being us. We secretly think that if we go to the same school, and play the same roles and do the same things they did, it will happen to us. We will become the next Norm Lewis or Gina Torres or Emily Skinner.

The truth is, there is no one definitive career path to fame and stardom or even booking a performing gig.  As an actor, you have to make your own choices. And one of biggest choices includes whether to join Actors Equity or not.

And if the first choice doesn’t get you what you want or where you want to go, choose again. It’s not a big deal, because...

“...Life ain’t lived in black and white.”