..these are little known facts that now you know!

 

 

During my four years at University I never played an actual lead in a show. My friends Fred and Lisa weren’t given the chance either.  I decided to look elsewhere for the opportunities I was missing.  At the time it was frowned upon to go outside of the Theatre Department to do shows, but that's what I did.  I went out into the world...and by “the world” I mean the largest city in the area, which was only twenty minutes away.

I was confident I was completely prepared for venturing out into the cruel cold world. I had been performing constantly since I was 15. I had been taught and was being taught by some of the best teachers money could buy (...or should I say student loans could buy...). How much different could theatre outside of school really be?

What I found outside was the chance to do more shows and meet new people. And money. Producers actually wanted to give me money to perform in their shows. This was a crazy notion to me at the time. I had been performing non-stop for the last five years and not one dime was thrown my way. The experiences I had and the things I learned in those five years were beyond what money could give me. But there’s something to be said for being able to buy a new pair of shoes...

I recently read a blog post called “Things I wish I had been told in Theatre School” and it’s by Callam Rodya.  One of my Facebook friends had shared it and a few other friends totally agreed with the sentiments. Then I started seeing a lot of people liking the post and agreeing with it and sharing it. It’s a great post. Everyone has his or her own opinions based on their individual life experiences. There are some differences between what I’ve experienced in my travels after University and what's listed in Callam's bog.

I’m including the post in my blog. I don’t personally know Callam, nor do I know anyone who does. I have no way of getting his permission to include his work. I believe it’s better to give him full credit and acknowledgement (number 23). After all these are his truths and his opinions. I don’t dispute them. I can only compare them with my own, which are in italics.

 

Things I Wish I Had Been Told in Theatre School

Posted by Callam Rodya on March 17, 2013

 

Theatre school was great. It is great. But it can omit some of the more fundamental and important career lessons. School is, after all, a bubble. It’s not a natural professional environment. So, with what little wisdom I have regarding a career as an actor, here’s a list of some things I wish somebody had told me in theatre school. Some of these lessons, I had to learn the hard way. Others simply would have saved me a bit of time.

 

1.      “Stealing the show” is not a compliment. The ensemble is more important than your “moments”.

 

Everyone’s “moments” in the show are important. If the moment isn’t important it shouldn’t be there. If you have the ability, talent and focus, and a role that allows it, then you should steal the show. Every actor is on stage to shine and give of their talents freely and abundantly. But know there’s a huge difference between “stealing the show” and “stealing focus”.

 

2.      You’d be surprised how few people are willing to pay for theatre tickets when they aren’t your friends and family and have no personal connection to you whatsoever.

 

People do pay for theatre tickets when they don’t know directly someone connected to a particular show. However most won’t buy them from a random solicitation. My friend Dom sold theatre tickets on the street for a living, and it’s hard as hell.

 

3.      No, you can’t actually play forty and fifty-year-olds in your twenties. At least, no one will pay you to do it.

 

Plenty of non-equity summer stock theatres will gladly pay a younger person to play older. These places generally don’t offer a high enough wage to hire someone of the correct age. With age comes a greater fiscal responsibility. A forty year old man with a wife and 5 year old child cannot afford to go to Po Dunk, Miskantucka for $300 a week and still sustain his life and family in New York.

 

4.      By the same token, there are very few roles in the theatre for twenty-year-olds.

 

In straight plays there are very few roles for twenty year olds. The musical theatre world is saturated with roles for 20 year olds. Just look at the breakdowns where they're looking for an "girl" in here early twenties and her "mother" in her late twenties to early thirties. Do the math. It’s the 30-40 year olds that have very few roles.

 

5.      The stage manager always works much harder than you. And technically, you work for him/her, not the other way around.

 

You do not work for a Stage Manager. You work with a Stage Manager. You work for whoever signs the checks. The Stage Manager is that person’s (and the director’s) on site representative.

 

6.      Most people don’t get drunk on Opening Night…because they have a show the next day…idiot. Oh, and cast parties are more likely to be cast dinners.

 

Every cast party I have ever been to involves alcohol and it’s never been a dinner party.  I’ve found the amount of alcohol at cast parties is in direct correlation to the production budget of the show: the larger the budget the more the alcohol freely flows. Any responsible adult knows their limit, not to mention their ability to artistically function with a hangover the next day.

 

7.      Developing and producing your own work is the single MOST important thing you can do after you graduate.

 

This may be true for film and TV, but I have a very small point of reference for those mediums. For theatre most people behind the table want to see known works on your resume. It helps give them a point of reference as to your potential abilities.

 

8.      Background film roles don’t do shit for your career.

 

But they do pay the bills ...and buy shoes!!!

 

9.      Unions are awesome and the worst at the same time.

 

Can I get an “Amen”?

 

10.  When people said you would be poor thanks to your brilliant career choice, what they really meant was “completely fucking destitute.” And that’s okay.

 

You don’t have to be destitute because of your career choice and the scarcity of that work. The idea of the “starving artist” is a myth. Get a marketable skill to help pay for your life while you pursue your career. Everyone does it or has done it. See number 8.

 

11.  Auditions are on one level. Knowing the right people is a completely different level altogether.

 

Knowing the right people will get you nowhere. Having the right people know you and appreciate your particular talents will eventually get you everything those people have to offer, and that includes auditions, jobs and introductions to other people who will appreciate you.

 

12.  Directors, casting agents, and producers care as much about how easy you will be to work with as they do about how good you are for the role. If not more so.

 

OH HELL YES. The people behind the table would rather take someone less talented who is a genuinely nice and amiable person to work with over someone who is incredibly talent and impossible to work with.

 

13.  Remember how you used to have five weeks to get off book? NOPE. Get off book NOW.

 

It depends on the length of the rehearsal period and the desire of the director. Some directors prefer you not to be off book until all the mechanics have been worked out. Some expect you to walk into the first rehearsal completely memorized. When in doubt, ask.

 

14.  Save up a certifiable shit-ton of money if you’re going to move to Toronto. Like, a ridiculous amount. Student-loan worthy. That is, if you want to actually be able to go for auditions, take classes, network, and you know, any of those other career-building essentials.

 

I cannot agree with this more. My one caveat is that when you feel in your very bones that it’s time for you to move, do it. And do it then. But be prepared for an uphill battle. (More on this in another blog)

 

15.  Don’t do everything. Seriously. Know when to turn something down. And believe me, you’ll know.

 

Do everything that pays you a decent wage, promotes your career or feeds you inner artist. In the perfect world every job would do all those things. In the real world, you’re lucky if you get two of the three.

 

16.  It’s not unreasonable to expect to be paid for your work. And you should be. But you won’t always be. So when you do work for free, which will be a lot, make sure it’s work that you’re passionate about or will really be a career booster. And honestly, it should be both.

 

“No one is going to buy the cow if you keep giving the milk away for free”. And see previous comment.

 

17.  Ninety percent of casting decisions have nothing to do with how you perform in your audition.

 

I wish someone could get the actual percentages on this one, because I suspect it could be higher.

 

18.  Most of the time, when you don’t get the part, it’s not because you suck, but because of some other (probably superficial) reason altogether. Unless you suck.

 

No one sucks. The appeal of your talents may be limited... really limited, but since the performing arts are completely subjective, someone somewhere will hire you to do something. It just takes some artists longer to find that one person.

 

19.  Energy is more important than appearance. So get more sleep instead of wasting your time making yourself look good. After all, there’s always a hair and makeup person on set. There’s rarely a person to spoon-feed you caffeine and cocaine.

 

I could not disagree more with this. I believe both are equally important and feed off of one and other. If you're well rested you will have more energy. When you have more energy you look fresher more alive. When you look  fresher/more alive people naturally perceive you to be better looking. When think people find you attractive, you tend to be more energized.

 

20.  Take your “me” time. And cherish it. Because the pursuit of an acting career will totally consume your life.

 

The pursuit of a career should BE your life. But that life should include a wide range of unrelated hobbies and passions. It makes you more of a well-rounded interesting person and thus a well-rounded interesting actor.

 

21.  Don’t hide your “physical flaws.” Embrace them. And learn how to look at yourself objectively.

 

Know what you need to work on, be it posture, weight or some other thing, and work on it. However make yourself look the best that you possibly can at any given moment.

 

22.  Your “hit” is no joke. It’s what you’re selling. Either be okay with it, or figure out a way to change it and still look like a real human being.

 

I have no idea what a “hit” is. I can only guess that it means your “product”. If that's the case "see previous comment".

 

 

23.  No matter how big of a star you were in school, out here, you are just a part of a team. So act like it. And give credit where credit is due at every opportunity.

 

Always give credit where credit is due. And yes some people, who were stars in school, are stars out here. Never dim your light to become another bulb in a chandelier. See number1.

 

24.  Acting is actually easier than you want to believe it is. And more people can actually do it than you want to believe. And most people behind the scenes work harder than you do. So don’t be a diva.

 

Statement number one I disagree with. Acting is work. And to do it well not only takes work, it takes talent and dedication. Statement number two I disagree with as well. But since it’s subjective I’ll not comment on it. And whether the people behind the scenes work harder than you or not, don’t be a diva. See number 12!

 

25.  You are replaceable.

 

Very sad, but very true. There are a hundred people just like you waiting to take your job. And they’re happy to do it. So when you’re in a show, whether it be community theatre in Po Dunk, Miskantucka or the next big Broadway hit, cherish it. You are one of the fortunate few.

 

26.  The camera really does add ten pounds. No shit.

 

Yep. Sometimes 20!

 

27.  Stage and screen are completely different worlds requiring completely different approaches and are cast in completely different ways.

 

Yes, yes and no. The casting process is the same for everything. You walk in, display your wares, the people behind the table (or camera) look them over. You leave. They talk (sometimes they talk and then you leave). This continues until they’ve seen everyone they want to see. They meet and decide who’s going to be cast. Of course there will be callbacks involved but callbacks are just more of the same “display and look and talk” dynamic.

 

28.  You thought there was “technique” to acting on stage? Just wait till you get some serious face time with the camera.

 

No more or less technique is needed for on camera work...just a completely different technique that needs to be completely hidden.

 

29.  Rehearsals are a luxury. Don’t waste them.

 

Oh yes, and not a time for socializing or romancing. Save that for the lunch break and the cast house.

 

30.  It is not okay to be drunk, stoned, high, or any other kind of intoxicated while you work. Not for “professionalism” reasons. But because you are, in fact, worse.

 

We need not go any further than it is unprofessional.

 

31.  Try not to get discouraged/cynical/jaded/resentful too early. This is a tough business. That’s just the way it is, and it’s not going to change any time soon. So be tough. Or get out.

 

Everyone gets a little discouraged/cynical/jaded/resentful, even those just starting out. It’s frustration. And what is frustration? A blockage of needs. And what do you need? To be employed in your craft. The trick is to not let those negative feelings overwhelm you on a constant basis. If they do, then for your own sanity and health, you should step away from the business, even if just for a few weeks or months.

 

After that summer of performing in the real world I returned to University. My senior year was interesting to say the least. Things had changed. Everyone seemed to look at me oddly and interact with me differently. I had committed a cardinal sin and I went to a Catholic school. What made things more tense was the fact that I had to finish out some contractual obligations during that first semester. I was able to do both, work outside performing and work inside of the university on finishing my degree.

I had broken out of the insular bubble that school puts around you. That bubble is there for your own protection, and preparation for career longevity. The teachers at universities want their charges studying and learning and building their craft. They don’t want their students seeing the teachings of Meisner and Uta Hagen and the like distorted and perverted. They don’t want students exposed to “screalting” (singing while screaming and belting simultaneously) Teachers don’t want their students to be tainted by commercialism. There is plenty of time for that once they’ve graduated. However, if as a student school isn’t giving you what you want and need, then you should find it elsewhere, be it outside of school or another school all together.

Lisa transferred schools and found the education and opportunities she had been looking for.

My senior year we did West Side Story as one of the main musicals. I was cast as “Chino the white-faced boy”. While not a “lead” in the show, the role did allow for some stand alone moments. And because I also dance I was put into all the Puerto Rican dance numbers.

Did I finally get a break because the faculty saw that I was wanted elsewhere? Did they finally see I had marketability? Did it take someone actually paying me to make them realize my potential? Or did they pick that show so I could be featured not only acting but singing and dancing as well? I’ll never know. What I do know is that upon graduating my friend Fred and I had the longest bios of our class. He’d decided to go behind the scenes into the production side of things.

Today, Fred is a professor of Theatre Management in a prestigious New England University.

Lisa is an award-nominated Broadway actress and teacher.

And as for me? I’m literally one of two people from my class still performing and pursuing professionally what I spent all that money and time in University to learn.

The last point Callam Rodya made in his blog “Things I Wish I Had Been Told in Theatre School” is this:

 

32.  And finally, don’t go down this path just because you’re “good enough” to be a professional actor. For the love of God, do it ONLY because you cannot do anything else.

 

My classmates discovered performing to be lacking and unfulfilling for them. They moved on to the pursuit of other careers. Today they live wonderful lives, happy with their choice. Whether a career in the Arts is right for you is something you discover once you’re outside of the school environment. It happens when you're living Life.

 

I think the single most important thing a student needs to be told in University is simply this:

You should be an actor because your soul, your spirit, your very being cannot exist without it.

 

Everything else you can learn.

 

You're no exception to the rule...

 

Six months goes by fast. My best friend Thurston came to the city, stayed for 6 months and left again. We had so much fun. Whenever we’re together it’s like no time has passed since we did our first summer stock show together.  He’s a little older now. I don’t age. But we’re both a little wiser...

Thurston‘s been almost consistently employed, mostly on cruise ships for the last decade or so. Cruise ship work is legitimate work. It doesn’t compare to the several Broadway shows and national and international tours he has under his belt. However the Broadway work was years ago. Like most honest and humble performers Thurston questions his abilities and his role in Theatre today. He came back to New York City to try to revive his “almost dead career”, and prove to the nay-sayers (and that includes himself) that he does have what it takes.

From the first time Thurston told me he was coming I was happy and worried. Happy of course because I’d be reunited with my bestie for an extended period of time. The worry came from the possibility that he would shape the next portion of his life from a mere six month audition stint. And let’s be honest, without an agent, without connections, without knowing what auditions are going to be happening in the city, six months is not enough time to rebuild a career.

Me being me I told him so.

I fully supported Thurston in what he had planned. My trepidation came from the length of time. In six months the current casting people would only just begin to know and recognize him, if they had more than a few auditions. In six months, given his look and talent and the cache of currently running Broadway productions, the likelihood of him being cast in a Broadway show was practically nil.

And me being me I told him so.

After he arrived Thurston went to almost every audition he could, except those that called for monologues. He doesn’t do acting auditions because he doesn’t know a monologue. Outside of his refusal to find, learn and perfect one monologue, he was thoroughly invested in pursuing his career. He had no other distractions. His husband Noah was supporting him not only financially but emotionally as well. Thurston had no worry of money, no worry of a day job, no worry of a place to live, no worry of paying bills and no worry of losing his relationship. He did headshot sessions to make some extra money, saw shows, reconnected with old friends and ate at Boston Market, his favorite fast food restaurant, practically every day.

Through his diligence, Thurston got more than a few callbacks during his six month stint. There’s no denying that he’s very talented and with that kind of focus and dedication how could he not be noticed. He even got a call from a potential summer stock employer saying they were interested.  He had done everything right. Thurston left New York without a Broadway or National Tour contract and without having nailed down concrete employment. When he left I didn’t say “I told you so”.  I didn’t need to. My informed opinion had already been expressed.

I have no qualms about sharing my opinion, hence the blog. While I haven’t “been around the block”, theatrically speaking, I do have a ton of experience on stage, backstage and behind the table. I have a myriad of friends and colleagues that have been around the proverbial “block”. We talk and share ideas, war stories and triumphs, not only our own but those from actors who audition for us.

Sarah, a friend of mine is a performer who also works as a film and commercial casting director. She posted on Facebook that she was looking for sheet music. And me being me I didn’t hesitate to tell her what I thought:

     Sarah: NEEDED: Sheet Music!
     I Dreamed a Dream
     The Trolley Song
     A little Brains a Little Talent

     Me: IMO [in my opinion] those are three songs any woman should
     avoid unless specifically asked.

    

In fact I had just heard one of those songs.

The other day I was holding a call for another Backer’s Audition. The show is a new work that takes its cues from old school musical theatre, except the leads in the show are two drag queens. A guy who I called in for one of the drag queens chose to sing “The Trolley Song” for his audition. It was a great choice and completely appropriate for the show. Unfortunately the actor actually performed it as a serious piece without a hint of satire or a bit of tongue-in-check or acknowledgement of what he was doing. Not to mention he had hints of Judy Garland-isms in his performance. His audition wasn’t well received by anyone behind the table.

There are certain “rules” that apply to auditioning and pursuing a career in Theatre. These “rules” come from the people behind the table, those who are currently in power to make the casting decisions. For example, when I started in NYC it was seriously frowned upon to sing from the show for which you were auditioning. Only the uninformed did so and it was a risk that rarely paid off. In one of their telephone conversations Noah scolded Thurston for singing from the show that he was auditioning for.

As the people behind the table change so do the “rules”. Noah hasn’t been in the city auditioning since they left years ago. Today there are a plethora of audition notices that say singing from the show is acceptable. However there are still some people behind some tables that absolutely do not want to hear music from the show they’re casting. On top of this, there is still an unspoken list of material, songs and monologues, to avoid for both men and women. Every song Sarah asked for is on that list. An actor needs to be informed about who wants to hear what. Then that actor is in control of the risk he or she is taking at an audition.

A roommate of mine had just graduated from college and moved to the city. Kilian was told for his four years of schooling that his voice type was bass. He sang bass in all the choruses and even learned bass songs. His educators sent him into the world with “Some Enchanted Evening” as one of his main audition songs. Kilian at the time was 24. Very few 24 year olds should be singing “Some Enchanted Evening” for auditions. More importantly Kilian is not a bass. He’s actually a high baritone/second tenor. You can hear it when he speaks.

The last time I talked to Kilian he still hadn’t broken into what his true sound is. He wholeheartedly listened to his teachers and coaches. The fact that he is a bass is so engrained into his head that he fights himself when attempting to hit second tenor notes. The people he turned to for guidance provided him with, at best, their opinion of his voice and at worst, inaccurate information.

Kilian, Sarah, Thurston and countless other performers gather information regarding the craft of acting, both on stage and off. This information comes from their teachers and mentors, successful performers, the people behind the table and even their own peers. Kilian, Sarah and Thurston and everyone else needs to realize that all the information is purely subjective. All of it is based on each individual’s experiences. Every piece of advice comes from what each person behind the table, in the class room or on the street, has encountered or been taught themselves.

Nothing is written in stone.

And no one is right.

However performers need to listen to what they’re being told because...

Everything is written in stone.

And Every person is right.

If you have four different casting directors view the same audition you could get five different opinions about everything from the level of talent to the choice of material. The Performing Arts are a completely subjective field. And since it is, everyone’s opinion is valid. In Theatre the thing that is right is the thing that works for you. When something works for you it gets you noticed and makes you memorable...in a good way. It doesn’t matter what anyone else says or thinks about it.

My Facebook chat with Sarah continued:

     Sarah: I booked [role] and [understudy] at [Theatre] with I Dreamed
     a Dream btw. It’s all relative but you know I will always take your
     opinion into consideration

     Me: Oh please! My opinion is just that...mine. It only counts for me
     and what I do. In the end we all have to make our decisions. And ya
     know why? Cause opinions are like butt holes...everyone’s got

     one and everyone thinks everyone else’s stinks! LOL!!!

Sarah was completely informed. She knew the risks in singing “I Dreamed a Dream”. She believed it was the perfect choice for her audition. And you know what? She was right. That choice helped her book the gig.

Thurston’s half year audition trip happened to coincide with auditions for which he was particularly well-suited. Within a week of returning to Florida, he received a call from a theatre offering him 6 months of performing work (by the way this was not the theatre that had called him expressing interest). He booked the job from the audition where he sang from the show.

Thurston’s new job isn’t on par with the Production Contract he had hoped. The good thing is that he’ll make new professional contacts. He’ll build a reputation with the contacts at the new theatre and he’ll also build a reputation with a New York casting agency. Down the road that could turn into his next Broadway gig. His gamble could potentially take his career "off of life support". He could end up with that Production Contract.

My assessment of Thurston’s plan was based on my experiences. I shared them with him not only because he’s my bestie, but because he is a well regarded peer of mine. He took what I had to say as a point of reference, and proceeded with what he thought was the best plan for him.

Each performer needs to make his or her own decisions and form his or her own conclusions. The people in your life, your mentors, your teachers, your peers and colleagues, your idols and even the people behind the tables, merely provide points of references. Even this blog, however right and relevant for some, is just that...a point of reference. Hopefully it gives you something to think about. And that ladies and gentlemen is the whole reason behind it.

We as actors need to start putting some thought into the pursuit of  our Art. We need to lsiten to all the "laws of the theatre gods" to stimulate our brains. To keep us moving forward professionally and personally we must make informed and active decisions. Only through accessing information and individual trial and error will you find out what's written in stone...for you.

Because quite frankly, conquering the theatrical world these days takes "A Little Brains, A Little Talent".

 

Tomorrow morning you'll wake up the the white noise...

 

I have 4 siblings, two brothers and two sisters. You can imagine what Christmas was like at my house...

Come September we would starting thinking about what we wanted Santa to bring in December.

October we would earnestly start amassing details on toys and games and clothes and books.

When November arrived, our letters to Santa would be written.

Every year the letters had the same format: the youngest would have at least two full pages of requests. The oldest would have the shortest list that contained all the big ticket items. The second oldest only wanted money and the second youngest only wanted nerdy things like telescopes and chemistry sets. When finished, our letters were taken to the post office, destination North Pole.

Christmas morning would finally come. There would be piles and piles of packages, large and small with bows, ribbons and glittery wrapping paper. Our living room looked like Santa pulled up with a dump truck and unloaded every gift ever known to mankind. It was all stuffed under and around an 8 foot tree that should have been on an MTV show called “Pimp My Tannenbaum”.

The youngest was always awake first. She would try to sneak down to look at who got what, but would inadvertently wake up the second youngest. Then they’d both sneak downstairs and try not to wake up our Dad who had fallen asleep in front of the TV. They’d run around the tree to discover whose name was on the biggest box and count how many gifts each of us had. They would wait for a bit but then the excitement would take over. They’d wake up the entire household. It was time for gifts!

Or so they thought.

My family has a holiday tradition. I have no idea when or how or even why it started. The tradition is the whole family has to wait for me to meticulously wrap each present and cart them downstairs and place them under the tree...all on Christmas morning. And wait they did because I gave the best presents.

I guess I’ve always been a little behind the curve in timing. I didn’t hit puberty until I was 16. I didn’t stop growing until I was 27. Now, most of my friends know me to be a little late...okay...perpetually late. But I still give the best presents!

Christmas 2012 came and went. And guess what? I’m late. I was in my bedroom wrapping the biggest gift ever. In fact it’s so big I would have had to call my oldest brother to help me carry it downstairs to the living room. My youngest sister’s eyes would have gotten as big as saucers with excitement. My older sister would just know it was for her. While my younger brother would’ve seen something shining and run off to investigate.

My Dad was a very close friend of Santa. I mean how else could he get him to personally come to our house on Christmas Eve (!) to give us each one gift? And as a child, I knew my dad helped Santa every year. Why else would he be so tired on Christmas Eve that he fell asleep on the sofa with the TV still on?  

So on Christmas morning, Dad would continue being Santa’s helper and ceremoniously pass out gifts. He would’ve spotted the gi-normous package that my oldest brother and I had carried downstairs. To let the anticipation build, Dad would’ve left that gift for last. He’d finally get to it and read “From Steve to...” and he’d draw it out as long as he possibly could. The entire family would’ve been on the edge of their seats...

“...to You”.

This year I’m giving YOU the best gift ever! But like all the best gifts that arrive on Christmas (or a little after) there’s “some assembly required”. You see, I’m gifting you the opportunity to work, the prospect of getting a paying performing job!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Now all you have to do is “assemble” it. The instructions are in plain and simple English. Although I think a lot of performers may have a bit of trouble following them...

 

Stop watching all reality television shows.

 

Turn off “America’s Got the Best Damn Dancing Survivors of Housewives’ Voices on the A-List Who Have Amazingly Raced to the Career You Wanted” and start working toward the career you deserve.

In this business getting ahead is all about using situations and opportunities to your advantage. Laura, Justin, Emma, Kelly, Diana, Jeremy, Carrie, Reichen, Nene, Elisabeth, Max, Jennifer, Richard, Christian, Kyle, Mike, Jamie, Analeigh, Eric, Yaya, Bethenny, Jacinda, Nicole, Lauren, David, and David and the other David and so many more have used reality shows to spring board their careers. I've personally worked in a production with someone who's career skyrocketed to stardom after the production closed and after winning a reality TV show. That’s not to say these people are untalented or undeserving of the spot light. They just used you to get there.

“Mickey Matsumora” just won “U. S. Coach Potatoes Are Bored with their Lives and Think They Have Talent”. Having a huge following, evident from your votes, Mickey is hired to star in The Musical, Broadway’s newest and hottest show. Great for Mickey. Not so great for you.

You see, there exists a natural hierarchy in theatre.  Performers are cast as:

     The leads in the show

or...

     The chorus who understudy the leads in the show

or...

     The character people in the show

or...

     The chorus who understudy the character people in the show

or...

     The covers for the leads and character people in the show

or...

     The chorus in the show

or...

     The on stage and off stage swings

Based on their type, performers are pigeon-holed in one of these categories. It's just another version of “type casting”. For example, a competent swing (an actor who knows several, if not all of tracks in a show) will almost always be cast as a swing. There is a specific skill set involved in being a swing. So when a performer is found to have this skill set their niche has been forever carved. It’s the same thing, albeit with a different skill set, for someone who stars in a Broadway show. And you know what? , it’s a real challenge to break out of your type...

...“Cassie you can’t go back to being in the chorus”.

When one of these performers is displaced from their natural habitat by a reality star, it creates a ripple effect.

The theatre person usually hired to do Mickey Matsumora’s type of role in The Musical, maybe gets bumped down to understudy or doesn’t get hired at all. The usual understudy may get bumped to chorus or not hired...and so on and so forth.  There are also a slew of actors that are not considered for the show because of compatibility issues with Mickey. These actors don’t look “right” being cast alongside Mickey, or look too much like Mickey or don’t look at all like Mickey.

In all of this, talent has little bearing. What does have major bearing is marketability.

America (you) loved Mickey Matsumora on “U. S. Coach Potatoes Are Bored with their Lives and Think They Have Talent.” Producers and investors are literally banking on the fact that people will pay to see their telephone vote live and in person. Can Mickey really sing? Or act? Or dance? Or sustain an 8 show a week schedule? Doesn’t matter. Mickey will be used to get The Musical as much press as possible and generate as much word of mouth as possible. There needs to be butts in the seats to keep a show running and Mickey will bring in those butts.

All of this can leave Broadway trained and/or credited actors searching for jobs outside of their domain. The Broadway performers who lost the opportunity of work because of Mickey Matsumora being cast, will be hired to do shows in the larger, higher paying regional theatres. What theatre would turn down the opportunity of marketing their show with someone from any Broadway production? The regional actors, and there are people who make a good living just working in regional theatres, are then displaced. This ripple effect continues right on down through the proverbial theatrical food chain, leaving people trying to get a foot hold on the ladder of theatrical success, potentially out of work.

We all know the process of casting a show is rarely as cut and dry or as straight-forward as I’ve stated it. There are a myriad of twists and turns and deals and swaps that happen. The point is that an ambitious person will capitalize on every opportunity given to him or her. The career you want is out there. Mickey Matsumora has it. You, the dues paying constantly training actor, gave it to him all wrapped up like a Christmas present each and every time you tuned in and/or voted for him.

Your career is like a child. It needs to be taken care of, loved and at times disciplined. As the “parent’ to your career, you must provide every opportunity for your “child” to grow and flourish and come into its own.  Any real parent will tell you that. And every real parent will constantly help to mold their child’s future.

So go make your “child” do some homework so he or she can have a chance at a paying performing job:

 

     Stop watching people sing on reality shows and go learn a song.

     Stop watching people dance on reality shows and go take a dance

     class.

 

     Stop watching people on reality shows and go take an acting class, or

     an improve class.

 

Care about and focus on your career, not Mickey Matsumora’s. Tell your child to turn off the TV and “Go outside and play”, a phrase I heard a lot from my dad while growing up.

You see, my siblings and I had great parents. They took an interest in our lives and in our individual development. They made sacrifices so that their kids, not the Matsumora kids two houses away, would have every opportunity possible. Our holidays were overflowing with gifts and with love. When we stopped believing in him, we’d find the coolest Christmas presents still came “from: Santa”. My dad would let Santa have the glory while it was he who worked tirelessly preparing for our holiday and preparing us for life.

Not much has changed throughout the years. Every Christmas my gifts to my family are delivered late. As you come to the end of my gift to you, the opportunity to knowingly support your career without unknowingly supporting someone else’s, you can see the tradition continues.

The only difference is now on Christmas, I won’t find my dad sleeping with the television on...

 

"You take the good. You take the bad. You take them both..."

 

 

Thanksgiving is over and thus begins the Christmas season, the busiest time of year. I have a full work schedule, rehearsals for a Backer’s Audition, the actual Backer’s Audition, classes and lessons, auditions to prepare for, auditions to go to and holidays to celebrate. Being busy is a good thing. But with being busy comes a challenge...making decisions as to what to accomplish and what to leave by the wayside. Each and every choice you make has the potential to change your Life. It doesn’t matter how large or small the choice. It can still have a major long lasting impact.

This “challenge of choices” is more prevalent for performers than peope in any other profession. We make more choices everyday that affect the outcome of our immediate and future lives. Within our profession we must inevitably choose between work, career or art. The three can be the same but more often than not they can be mutually exclusive and elusive. Art fills your soul. A career fills your need for success and work fills your pockets.

During the times between making Art and a career, you work. Some are lucky enough to work within the profession doing what they have been taught to do, perform. You should be well aware by now that not all performing gigs are career milestones and making “art” is usually not profitable. Most actors aren’t fortunate to have a performing job to make money. They have to rely on some other means of income...the “day job”.

No matter how much money you’ve socked away for your move and for the pursuit of Art, you will eventually have to get some sort of job. The possibilities are endless from dog walking to babysitting to cater-waiter to concierge to personal assistant. And the list goes on. But you’ll have to choose. The one thing they all have in common is their continued eating of your time and diverting you from achieving your career goals.

Now the choices really start. Should you take a permanent position in a corporation in order to make a steady income? If you make that decision, auditioning becomes secondary. Your time is pretty much governed for you. You spend 8 hours a day working, an hour and half in total commute time, 8 hours sleeping, a half an hour getting ready in the morning and in total an hour eating during one day. That leaves you five hours per work day and maybe two days off. In that time, you also have to run your life...laundry, grocery shopping, cleaning, socializing and relaxing. You can hire people to do most of that for you, but that means more hours must be worked in order to pay for it.

An performer moves to New York / Chicago / L. A. to make a career. How much time will be left for that?

There’s always the traditional route. You could become a waiter. This seems to be a much better choice. You have the potential to make more money, because of tips. But because that relies on other people’s generosity, you have the potential to make a lot less as well. Not to mention at first you have to take the shifts no one wants to work. The other waiters don’t want to work these shifts because there is less money to be made during them. Budgeting becomes a concern.

After gaining a little bit of seniority in your waiting job, your schedule becomes much more flexible and you can start to get the shifts with better tips. This is wonderful. However some shifts can be as long as 10-12 hours a day, on your feet. That takes a toll on your body. Going to a dance call after waiting tables is no small feat. Singing at an audition after having to practically yell over the ambient noise in a restaurant is also a challenge.

All waiters are feed a staff meal and free food is good. Some places with bar service even allow you an after shift drink. You’re saving some money on food and entertainment. That means fewer hours to work. Unfortunately there are plenty of other things to eat up some of those “left-over” hours.

I’ve been performing and working on my career since I was 15 years old. And the one thing I know is this: The amount of things I don’t know could make an entirely new world. One of these "new world" ideas for many performers is that working on thier craft and career is a lifelong process. Everyone needs to take classes and lessons and seminars. Even if you don’t feel you have something to learn, there is still the element of networking. Networking is socializing combined with making professional contacts. And it’s a major time commitment... just ask any L. A. based actor.

Every performer you meet has the potential to assist you in your endeavor to pursue Art, career and work. I’ve performed with three casting directors and a major agent, performed with not for, prior to their becoming casting directors and an agent. Their lives changed based on their choices. Where did I meet them? In classes, doing shows and working the same day job, in short networking. Networking is a 24/7 kind of thing. Sometimes it’s a byproduct of other activities and sometimes it’s the activity itself.

Through all of this a performer still has to make it to auditions in order to get the opportunity to perform.

In the height of the audition season, getting in line at 6am in hopes to get an audition time is common practice. If you’re Equity you only have to wait a couple of hours before choosing a time to audition. If your non-equity you may have to sit around and wait all day to be seen. Either way, getting in line at 6am is no easy task if you've finished work at 2am. Even a bartender, who finishes work at 5am, has challenges. How well can you perform if you’ve been awake for fifteen hours straight; nine of the hours you were working, four of those hours you were standing in line and two of those hours you were getting ready and commuting?

It all comes down to choosing. You choose to work over going to class. You choose to go to an audition over going to work. You choose to have clean laundry, to eat, to sleep to live. Every choice you make has an impact on the outcome of your career. Believe or not a time will come when you’ll have to choose whether to take a performing job or not. It’s happened to me and with totally unforeseen outcomes.

I’ve only thought of turning down three performing jobs in my career. One I actually did turn down and two I didn’t.

I turned down that one job because I was young and naive. And stupid. It was for a theatre company that no longer exists, that virtually everyone at the time had worked for. My roommate got hired as well, but for the show prior to the one I was supposed to do.

Neither of us had cell phones at the time, so we were using the same land line as our buisness contact. Once during my roommate’s negotiations he wasn’t home so I answered the phone. It was the same casting person that had offered me a job in the subsequent show. The casting person acted as if I was “Joe Schmoe”. He gave no acknowledgement of who I was and the fact that he had just offered me a job. It pissed me off and hurt my pride. I later turned down the job. However the company continued to call me in for every show they did. I never booked another one before they shut their doors. There are some major up and coming directors and choreographers who have worked there. Little did I know that I chose to miss a prime networking opportunity.

In defense of my childish actions, I did have to get my life in order. I had just come back from Europe performing five years straight. I needed to find an apartment, a job and buckle down for New York City life.

Oddly enough, this job in Europe was one of the two jobs I almost turned down but didn’t. It was the hardest five years of my life and a virtual living hell. But wrapped up in all the turmoil and drama were wonderful experiences and amazing people (More on that in another blog).  If I had the chance to choose again, I would be just as torn as I was back then. I had two friends who convinced me to take the contract. In the end, however, the decision was mine and mine alone.

Taking this contract helped me to be put on file for the replacement of a lead role in a long running Broadway production.

The other job I almost turned down was prior to all of this. It was performing on a cruise ship. I was beside myself with the offer. Again I had just come off of another long stint of work and was rooming with another friend of mine (A major decision that comes from working out of town is whether to keep your apartment or give it up). He wasn’t going to classes or auditions or doing anything. He was stuck and deciding what he wanted out of life. Even though he wasn’t in a good place, I asked him his opinion about the cruise ship job. He told me to turn it down. Again the decision was mine to make and I did. I took the job.

He was right. The cruise ship life was not for me. There are some performers who make their entire careers from working on ships. That’s great for them. I hold nothing against them for it. They are just as talented and wonderful as any other type of performer. I did my one contract and came back to New York, back to living with my friend.

When I returned, my friend informed me of all that had happened since my high seas adventure. He was going to leave the stage and go into choreography, which by the way he is still successfully doing to this day. But more importantly he told me how grateful he was that I had made my own decision and took the contract.

Late one night, while I was on the ship, my friend heard a loud noise followed by a huge booming thud. Then silence. As he investigated, he found that an enormous section of ceiling over the head of my bed had collapsed. Had I not taken the cruise ship job I would have been in bed when it happened. My skull would have been crushed from the weight of fallen debris.

Not all decisions are as profound. One time I had to decide between going to a temp job or going to pick up a paycheck. I only had enough money for one subway fare...and I had to take the quarters out of my loafers to get it! I decided to pick up the paycheck, hoping to make up for lost work time with another temp job.

I am an adult. I make my own decisions and pay my own way. Sometimes it’s good and right and easy. Sometimes it’s not. And I can never know what the long term ramifications will be...

I’ve decided to forgo a few days of work to be able to be a part of the Backer’s Audition. Without the income, I will have to miss a few dance classes. I’ll also not be able to go through with the voice lessons I had planned on taking. Instead I will have to squeeze in time for the gym to get some physical exercise and simply sing through my audition material on my own. I’ll have to rely on the technique and songs I already have in my arsenal to get me through.

There are two auditions scheduled for one day. In the height of the audition seasons this is quite common, and decisions have to be made as to which to focus on. This time of year it’s a bit rare, so I’ve decided to go to both. I’ve planned ahead. I have no prior commitments. I’m not going into the “day job”. I have no rehearsals to attend. It’s all worked it out squared away. I chose.

Sometimes you choose and Life has a way of intervening and forcing you to face your decision.

On Thanksgiving Day, the Director of the Theatre program at my university passed away. He is an accomplished man, having worked with and been friends with some of the great legends of theatre. He was an amazing teacher. I’m convinced he’s taught some of the next generation of theatre legends.  Funeral services are scheduled on the day of these two auditions.

Choices.

Each and every day is filled with choices: some good, some bad, some obvious and some obtuse. And each and every choice is a direction, a road to travel down. There is no map. There is no right or wrong. The choices you make will have an impact on the direction your life takes and sometimes on your very existence.

 

Whether you work, audition, socialize, take a job, refuse a job, take classes, take lessons or skip the whole damn thing, it’s your choice. And that choice leads to another choice, which leads to another road. If you find the journey you’re taking never seems to be living up to your dreams, choose again.

For a performer birthing a career, having to constantly choose is simply The Facts of Life...