Why is NYC “the next logical step”?
I was talking with a friend the other day regarding her choice to leave NYC to move back to her hometown. Eventually, the conversation turned to a point where she said “I did the regional theatre thing in Birmingham, AL and in Charlotte, NC. After awhile, I felt like I was 24 going on 40 and NYC was the next logical step if I was going to continue on my chosen path.” Something like that anyway.
My question is… why? Why is NYC the “next logical step”?
I’ve got another friend whose main desire is to move to Chicago and break into theatre at Second City. Ignoring the fact that Second City isn’t exactly a roadmap to SNL anymore, he’d love to be on that show at some point in his career. He’s willing to pack it all up and live out of his car if he has to.
Again… why?
I’m not very experienced in the professional theatre world, and I’ve only had a couple of professional theatre gigs, so feel free to tell me I’m an idiot and blathering about things I know nothing about. Regardless, I’m pretty sure that places like Second City and Broadway shows and such don’t just have open auditions all the time. I’m pretty sure you can’t just walk in there one day, hand them a resume and headshot and expect to join their regular cast.
I’ve been to many professional plays, as I’m sure many of you have as well. Look at the programs. In most of the Broadway shows on tour, or shows that are attempting to move to Broadway or whatever, I see “MFA in Acting” or “32 years of experience” or something listed next to every single major character in the shows. Recently, I’ve noticed a lot of “Runner-up on American Idol in 2006″ or “Winner of South African Idol 2005″… but the point is that most people who work for big-name touring companies doing popular shows often have years and years of experience and/or an MFA of some sort. These people didn’t just walk in off the street, hand in a resume, and get cast in big time PAYING roles.
Getting cast in a major show is only about half talent — the rest is networking and luck. Being in the right place at the right time and knowing the right people. And even then, that’s just not going to happen on its own — it takes work. It takes you getting off your ass and going to auditions, going to workshops, taking classes, reading up on the latest and greatest in theatre news. Get known.
I feel reasonably confident that I could move to Chicago and at least get my foot in the door a lot faster than my friend, simply by virtue of the fact that I “know” many of you in Chicago. My friend doesn’t know a soul there. Is this luck? No, this is me getting my name out there so that when I do try and make it, I’ve got connections — weak, tentative maybe, but they’re there.
I told my friend who wants to go to Second City, I said “Get your name out there in a regional theatre. Get some professional gigs under your belt. Find a teacher — not one who’s going to baby you, but one who’s going to push you and tell you when you suck, when you rock, and how to get better. The stuff you learned in college is crap compared to what you’ll learn out there. Once you’ve got a few years under your belt doing solid professional work, and you’ve made some good connections, THEN move to Chicago and try and get into Second City. You’ll be a lot better prepared and a lot more likely to get in than if you just walked in next week.”
Fortunately (i hope), he took my advice. I really really think he’s one of the most talented comedians I know and has a great stage presence and skill in entertainment, but the fact of the matter is that’s not going to go very far on its own. Talent isn’t a one-man show — it’s part of an ensemble.
Anyway, I may be completely wrong with this, but based on observations and what I’ve heard from the experienced people out there, I’m pretty sure I’m close to right. I’m taking my own advice and trying to get my name known in a regional theatre setting before setting my sights on a larger city like Chicago or NYC. Well, that’s the plan anyway. Right now I just need a job.
So, to answer my friends… no, I don’t think NYC or Chicago is “the next logical step”. Not until you’ve got enough experience, connections, and know-how to succeed.
July 14th, 2008 at 1:35 pm
Why is it a step at all?
July 14th, 2008 at 4:44 pm
I know where you’re coming from, Scott, but NYC is a step on many people’s journey, including myself (hopefully). It’s not the final step, but it’s A step. I’d love to do a season on Broadway or Off-Broadway. I’d love to direct a Broadway or Off-Broadway show.
It’s not where I want to spend my entire career, though.
To go back to the horrible gambling analogy, Las Vegas is a gambler’s nirvana. He’d be stupid to live there, because he’d lose all his money at some point, but at the same time, it’s a great place to go for a short period of time, even if just to say “I’ve been there”.
July 14th, 2008 at 8:50 pm
Your friend won’t find what he’s expecting, that’s almost guaranteed. But he could do a lot worse.
I moved to New York before I knew why I should, and I lived in Chicago for a while too. In both of those cities, I had a few theatre connections, but I never pushed them. I had exactly one theatre experience in each location, each completely unremarkable, even unnotable. But I looked around and learned a lot about what it takes to get anywhere in theatre (no matter where you are), and one thing is irreplaceable in that quest: drive. I didn’t have it in either city, but I figured out what it looked like, and then I moved to Asheville NC and kicked it into gear.
My point is that your friend might have a romanticized view of moving to Chicago to “make it”, especially as evidenced by his declaration of willingness to live in his car (yeah sure, but where you gonna park it?), and he may be in for a rude awakening, but perhaps such an awakening is exactly what he needs. To figure out where to go next and how to get there. To develop a plan that’s a lot more substantial and implementable than the simple plan “to get discovered”. Flailing around a bit can be a huge waste of time, but only if one abandons what one was flailing towards in the first place. And maybe not even then…
As for Scott’s comment: I’ve lived in the Prof’s own town for a couple of years now and am once again considering the very step he questions. The reason is that I’ve now been hired to direct at the professional regional theatre level, but I’m still working at a bar, often full-time. I’m on a new level now, professionally-speaking, and to really take advantage of that perhaps I need to locate myself in one of the major theatre centers of America. Because won’t most professional theatres across the country be more likely to hire someone out of New York than out of a small city in the mountains of Western North Carolina? It’s unfair and more that a little stupid, but the fact remains.
Don’t get me wrong, Asheville gets great press these days, and the very mission of my own theatre company is to try to reverse the artistic exchange in America, taking artists to New York or Chicago instead of toeing the line that all real talent in this country emanates from those places. But a livable salary from my company is years away yet, and in the meantime the driven artist in me needs to be getting out of restaurants and into theatres as much as he possibly can. Is a place like Asheville the ideal homebase from which to do that? I have my doubts.
July 15th, 2008 at 7:55 am
And it’s a part of this ever-loving game (if you think of it as a game, which I do.) Yeah, you could go to St. Louis after graduating from college. Or New Orleans, say. (Which I did.) And then you realize that your type of theatre will take eons to build because the region and the town just wants to see more of its own made by more of its type of people. And you just don’t want to make that community compromise because you have your own voice that you want to be heard - being 25 years of age and all. And, if you want to throw your hat into the ring with a variety of different people who could make things happen for you, or not, at least there’s an even playing field, you decide to go to one of the bigger cities. It’s very exciting and cool to see your show listed alongside Steppenwolf in a reviewer’s breakdown of their “Best of the Year” articles - whether you made money on the show or not. You can start from nothing and make something in a quicker amount of time or you can continue making nothing, but at least you were able to see if you could “cut it” a little bit in a huge ocean as opposed to the small puddle. And that seems worth it. And the hope that someday you might finally make a little money to go along with the excitement seems like more of a possibility because you’re showing you’re a viable choice in a big city.
And, yes … I might decide to take our company elsewhere based on a lot of different factors (I’m past the age of 25 but still have a bit of wanderlust in me), but I’m glad to say that I gave Chicago a go of it, instead of always wondering what it would be like.
July 15th, 2008 at 11:27 am
Somehow, I knew I would wind up being a (partial) subject of one of your blogs. (And I don’t mind - you have very strong opinions.)
I agree with Hans’ initial point so, so much. See, New York WAS the next logical step for me - but NOT the ending point, or even the capstone to my theatre career. We’re all striving for something different. And while no one would argue with a starring role, most of us willingly accept it’s a dream and not a reality. I, too, plan to move back to NC and kick my drive back into gear. Because I know a LOT more now than I did when I left, and I plan to use that experience and knowledge for a whole lot of good.
And THAT is why I moved to New York. Not for the professional experience. But for the life experience. Now, instead of being “24 going on 40,” I am 26 going on 27, a little less restless and a lot more ready to just enjoy the hell out of my talent.
July 15th, 2008 at 9:20 pm
Figure out where you want to live…and then make art there I think is the answer
July 15th, 2008 at 9:24 pm
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July 16th, 2008 at 6:13 am
Hans — The Immediate Theatre does excellent work, and by teaming with NCStage you are making a good step. To leave for another city means you are starting over again, which may or may not make sense. Is your goal to direct for other people, or to run a theatre full time? Different goals. Right now, I think Immediate Theatre needs to do two things: create more work, and build a business model that gets you out of working as a bartender. I think that is doable, but may not be what interests you. I recently read a blog entry from someone whose friend is a regional theatre director, and who says his price is $5000 a show. At that rate, it takes a lot of shows strung together in a row and a lot of traveling to make a reasonable living. If that is your idea of how you’d like to make your living, then great! If not, think it through.