When in college, if you got a dollar for every time a theatre instructor told you that theatre work is "feast or famine," or "when it rains, it pours," you wouldn't have to worry about your college debt. These two phrases are everywhere you turn, ensuring you that if you weren't picked this time for an opportunity that soon it'd average out... with a bunch of things at once. I didn't think it'd be as accurate it is! I moved to Chicago with only an internship in hand, and a job that transferred. I was lucky. But both were still part-time work, and I have more time to fill. Mainly, of course, I needed to make money enough to survive. After being in Chicago a month, I started putting my resume out there, and suddenly I had two new shows to memorize and schedule in. While that was happening, my part-time job became near full-time, and my internship was extended. I suddenly didn't have any time!
Since then, I've changed jobs a couple times, and landed a nice day job Monday through Friday that pays the bills, and has benefits. I've had almost constant work in theatre, too. However, about a couple months ago, I had a dry spell (which was unusual for me at the time). I liked having the first couple weeks free, but then it hit a month, and I started wondering what I was doing with my life. So, I started auditioning for more things, and writing more. After a few months of nothing, I suddenly got into a show. Then, not two days later, another director emailed me, because she had heard about me from others I had worked with. She wanted me to audition for her winter show. Of course, now I couldn't, because this other show took me in. Then, another day later, a previous director of mine reached out to see if I was available to audition for his next show. Of course, it conflicted with my new show. Then, within two weeks, I approached a director to work on a ten minute play of mine, and about their company producing a full length of mine, after doing some edits. Another friend then spoke to someone she was working with about me, and they asked for me to submit to their website for a potential podcast opportunity. All of this happened within a month, and I suddenly had to turn things down and work out my own schedule, when I recently been wishing to just get any new opportunity. I post this just as a reminder to myself, and anyone else in theatre, that a dry run doesn't mean you're defeated. You're only defeated if you stop. You cannot grasp that for which you do not reach.
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11/18/2022 01:50:51
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Michael DalbergA blog, because not everything needs to be all work and no play. Archives
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