RAT Making A Living

[SylvainBBB@aol.com]

You can make a living in the Theater...if you're good enough and you make the right choices...if you have a talent that people are willing to pay money to see. If you're a triple threat. If you set up a theater that does kick ass versions of Godspell and Mousetrap for a beach community of wealthy gay republicans (or something like that).

My point is that the world doesn't owe anyone a living. If you do what most of us on the RAT list do you are doing what you want to do artistically and fuck the consequences. Don't forget that. Don't comprimise. It's not worth it. If the thing goes under no one will loose their house. If you want to make a "living" doing theater go work for Disney or go work for the Seattle Rep or go work for the Newport Beach Civic Light Opera. (Is there one?)

Should someone who makes experimental baked goods in their kitchen expect to make a living from that? When each cookie is designed from scratch and includes strange ingredients (like broccoli or dream logic). When it takes three people an hour to make a cookie that will sell for $2 if someone buys it. And you set it up so that the kitchen can keep going for a while even if no one buys any cookies because everyone is willing to work for free because everyone LOVES MAKING THOSE DAMN COOKIES!!!!

In L.A. the line between what you do for love and what you do for money is very easy to see. Because here you can make a lot of money acting. And many people who do GREAT theater here make their living making commercials and tv shows and movies. There is a big difference in the two activities. It's not tough to figure out what feeds the belly and what feeds the soul. 

If you want to feed both you gotta think about it long and hard and have a business plan or a rich board or a trust fund or popular tastes.

My 2 cents.









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