Do the Hustle
Us regional actors really gotta hustle in a totally different way. That's not to say that NYC or LA actors don't hustle, but we of the regional theater communities don't have audition studios that are bursting with opportunities every day. Or even every week.
You've got to enjoy traveling. You've got to have a reliable car. There are many times I'll see something I feel I'd be perfect for, but its in New York. No bother, I'll hop on a $10 bus and be there in 4 hours.
The times I get the most frustrated is when there is something I feel compelled to audition for, but I cannot rearrange my schedule at home to get enough time to take a full day to travel to New York. Or I have rehearsals, or a work commitment that I signed up for a month in advance. I can't get more work because I'm working! What a conundrum. (What a great word: conundrum.)
It takes a lot of planning. My roommate is baffled by how color-coded my calendar is, but the truth is, it has to be so I can keep my commitments and their level of "cancel-a-bility" in check.
There is a fine line between having a life and keeping your schedule open enough so you can accept auditions as they come. Yesterday when I was offered an audition I had to turn down, my stomach flipped a little bit.
The little evil voices in the back of my head taunted me, "What if that was the one? What if you missed something great?" Then I had to remember that there are more important things than auditions, like visiting family. I guess my point is that when your auditions are less frequent, the cost of passing one is higher.
I find myself fantasizing about what it would be like to live in New York, and have the luxury of doing an audition on a lunch break. Ha! What is that like, New York readers? Do you enjoy the influx of opportunity or is it overwhelming?
(photo courtesy of Tara Welch Photography)
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