The best way to explain the employment rate for actors is to give the unemployment rate: generally agreed to as hovering around 85 percent. Suffice it to say, that while the general public hears mostly about swimming pools, luxury cars, and million-dollar "deals," only a small percentage of performers actually achieve these things. Most do not. More often than not, between jobs (in their field), performers are either unemployed or working outside their profession in jobs not related to the arts at all and requiring less skill than their arts work.
Theodore Bikel, former president of Equity, often regretted that he seemed, at times, to be presiding over an association of people "many of whom are sometime-actors and full-time waiters and cab drivers."
However, despite the warnings and despite the odds, the ranks of actors continue to increase annually.
The bulk of commercial activity calling for actors' services is in New York and Los Angeles. Of course, there are many hundreds of jobs available in other places throughout the country (with some significant concentration in Chicago), but most film and theatrical production emanates from the coasts. Paradoxically, however, this does not mean that your career will profit from an immediate invasion of Broadway or Hollywood. We know about the fierce competition in these places. We know too, that a fish that goes unnoticed in the ocean may be important in a pond.
The need for talent, energy, and imagination lies outside the major production centers, and many actors have created opportunities in their own communities. They have made impressive reputations for themselves as hosts of local television programs; as leading players in regional theatre groups; as disc jockeys, radio announcers, local radio personalities, and on public access cable TV. Believe it or not, the same energy and persistence that it takes to land a job on Broadway or in films could, if concentrated in your own community, probably establish a flourishing professional theatre. The trend in show business is more and more toward decentralization-toward the establishment of state and regional theatres throughout the country. In this direction lies considerable opportunity and challenge.
You know, of course, that many well-known television personalities who now have their own network programs began their careers by working as announcers, disc jockeys, or commentators on TV or radio stations in their hometowns, and that many well-known actors began by working with local stock companies during the summer or in regional theatres.
This experience can be very valuable, because you can live at (or close to) home and gain experience with professionals without interrupting your schooling or spending much money. If a stock company is located near your home, you should find out who the manager is and write to her or him early in March to find out about opportunities for the summer.
It's impossible to advise an actor exactly where to look for a job. A chemist or an electrical engineer can start with the classified ads in the local newspaper or approach companies that obviously hire those professions. The theatrical trade papers can give you some information, but most of it is up to you. Indeed, it is the unique and seemingly pattern less way in which actors find work that has made the agent an important element in the actor's life.
Because agents are in constant touch with producers and directors, they can advise actors very specifically on what is wanted, where and when; and save a lot of time.
Regional Theatres
Regional theatres are generally established to serve a specific community with theatre at the lowest possible cost and with productions of artistic excellence. These theatres also have more professional standards than some community-based amateur theatres, and the actors who work in them consider acting a vocation rather than an avocation. In addition, the regional professional theatre has taken over the position of the Broadway stage as an important influence in American theatre.
Theatre Communications Group (TCG) is the national service organization for nonprofit professional theatre. It was founded in 1961 to provide a national forum and communications network for the then-emerging nonprofit theatres, and to respond to the needs of theatres and theatre artists for centralized services. TCG provides its services to theatres, artists, administrators and technicians through casting and referral services, publications, conferences and seminars, and a variety of other programs. Two of its publications are very valuable: American Theatre Magazine, which contains important theatre news, along with listings of productions at all its member regional theatres, and Art-SEARCH, the National Employment Service Bulletin.
For performers, TCG has national auditions, which provide a unique opportunity for graduating acting students from university theatre departments and professional training programs to demonstrate their talent before directors and producers of nonprofit professional theatres throughout the United States. TCG publishes an auditions directory of participating students to provide theatres with a guide for future hiring as well. In addition, TCG has a casting information service, maintains files of qualified actors, makes casting suggestions, and provides the consultant service of a staff of professional casting directors. TCG also maintains the only fully professional service specializing in placing directors, designers, stage managers, technical personnel, literary managers, and administrators in theatre-related jobs. TCG's more than 200 Constituent and Associate Member theatres include The Guthrie Theatre, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Milwaukee Repertory Theatre Company, Seattle Repertory Theatre, and the American Conservatory Theatre. TCG is in New York.
Opportunities for Minorities and Women
Employment in the performing arts fields is, at best, sporadic and difficult to find. The situation is worse, however, for minority groups, women, and senior citizens.
All of the performer unions have committees specifically concerned with employment of minorities, women, and the disabled. Unions and management in all media meet regularly to assess the employment situation and recommend and implement improvements. Several of the unions also have Equal Employment Business Representatives on staff to administer and enforce affirmative action policies.
Performers with disabilities also are a major concern. An Inter Guild Committee of Performers with Disabilities maintains an office in Hollywood and has successfully staged several showcases for performers. It also conducts workshops for disabled performers. A similar committee is at work in New York under the auspices of the performer unions.
The Non-Traditional Casting Project, an organization which grew out of Actors' Equity Association into a separate entity, maintains extensive files of minority and disabled performers. The NTCP is located in New York.
Related Fields
Many successful directors, writers, producers, stage managers, and choreographers were once actors, and some still are. The more actors know about everything connected with their business, the better their chances are of making a living.
"Being broke is very boring," Conard Fowkes reminds us. It is essential that the actor be able to survive financially.
In the entertainment business, of course, the best way to obtain employment is to create it yourself. On a community level, this might mean starting your own theatre, along the lines of theatres established by Margo Jones (Dallas), Zelda Fichandler (Washington, D.C.), and Nina Vance (Houston).
Robert Ludlum, the successful novelist, was an excellent actor who, after years of struggle, turned producer and established the first theatre ever built as part of a shopping center-in Paramus, New Jersey. Now he is earning a great deal of money, but not from the theatre-although his experience as an actor is no doubt helpful to him as a writer.
Today, even in large production centers, actors, and actresses may earn a substantial portion of their income as models. Many dancers, singers, and performers also teach. I know one young dancer whose knowledge of French is superb. She works as a dancer, but last year, 80 percent of her income was earned by giving French lessons. Two friends, both female singers, earned most of their income last year performing on cruise ships.
My present field is public relations, at which I have managed for a number of years to make a living. Why? Because when I was acting, I majored in journalism in college; I still acted, but also started to direct, teach, and write. I didn't plan a career in public relations, but by the time I wanted to quit the business of performing, I had acquired other skills for which people were willing to pay.
One actress I know edits a magazine, teaches (computer programming), and works for a medical organization where (thanks to her acting talents) she portrays patients whose symptoms paramedics are supposed to diagnose. Another performer has organized a small company that offers escorted tours of her city's offbeat attractions to people attending conventions. She arranged a tie-in with an airline and gradually expanded to the point where she was able to offer work to others in the business. Another talented actress, who wanted to be more active but also wanted to stay in Minneapolis, organized a successful modeling agency and managed to do both.
The Actors' Work Program has records of actors who have received counseling and tuition grants and gone on to successful careers in nursing, financial consulting, real estate, fashion designing, catering, social work, teaching, and a host of other careers. Many of those who have successfully made the transition into new careers or found fulfillment in supplementary careers say their background and experience as performers was very helpful to them in their new careers.
To do any of these things, an understanding of business problems and methods is essential, which brings us back to the fact that a well-rounded education is important.
