auditions today

This is always an exciting day. The day when people come and audition for your company, and you get to add new people to an already rollicking performance ensemble. And I am extra excited this year, because the Nosebowl was HOT.

I hear good things about the prospect jammers too, and about the workshoppers as well. So it looks like the hard part will be choosing from the diamonds, rather than the mining itself. This is often the case.

Back when I was running a regular theatre company, you know, that do PLAYS, I would audition maybe 70 people, when I had maybe 4 roles to give, which I already sort of planned to give to my longtime collaborators. And people would be good too. Most of the time.

This business ain't fair, and it ain't pretty.

You have to be more than good. You have to be sane. You have to be honest and nice. You have to be cool. This is a taller order than I would have thought. I know some young people from RFT read this blog. I know many of them are considering a career in the arts. These are the facts of the matter. You have to be an entrepreneur as well as a damn good artist to make it in this business. Being great looking won't hurt either ( I am not). When I was starting out, a lot of people said to me that if there anything else I'd be happy doing, I should do that. Well, we know how that turned out.

But let's look closer at the possible career paths of young people today.

We all like money, and we all want security. But, money is an illusory concern, as it always craves more of itself. And security is a myth in today's economy, no mater what your job.

What counts is happy. What do you need for that?

I need variety. I need to do different stuff, day to day, with a more generalized shakeup every three years or so. Are you like that?

I like going out into the world and hustling up my living. Staking my claims and being hired as a gun. Are you like that?

People like being good at what they do. Are you good at this? How good? Are you willing to work to get better? Or is a career in the arts a dodge from working at all? Nothing is more frustrating, I imagine, than being in the arts and experiencing the sneaking realization that you are just not that good at this...

All this said, look at the next lawyer you see. The next insurance salesman. The next generalized office jockey. How happy are they? Less happy than the average showbiz pro, I am sure.

So, go into the arts!

It's a good job, as long as society doesn't collapse completely.