The Director Sector

I got a lot of comments regarding my post on Monday, “Why is NYC the next logical step?”.  Today I’d like to address some other thoughts on the issue.
Alison said,

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.  (italics mine)

I disagree.  I DON’T think “most of us” accept that it’s a dream and not a reality.  I think most people our age think they can move to NYC and honest to God get on Broadway within six months.  You’ve learned the harsh reality of an actor’s life in NYC (although I’m pretty sure you already knew that going into it).  The point isn’t taking the NEXT step.  That I can totally understand.  My real question is… why NYC?  Why not Chicago or Asheville, NC or Atlanta?  Why does it HAVE to be NYC?  because Broadway’s there?  I don’t feel that’s a good enough reason.  But then again, like you said, everyone’s got different goals.

Hans said,

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.

One of Scott’s consistent points is that there’s no need to go to Nylachi to “make it big”.  While that’s true in a sense, and while you make a good point (it’s unfair and more than a little stupid), it follows a certain logic.  Scott is fond of hearkening back to the medieval times, to the Elizabethan period, to commedia dell’arte.  He claims Shakespeare had a tribe, the commedia dell’arte groups were tribes, etc.  That’s true.  Very true.  But where did Shakespeare work?  In the equivalent of Broadway.  Where did the commedia dell’arte groups work?  They toured, often in major population centers.

To even take the analogy further than that, the way Shakespeare’s business model worked was more of a apprentice/master relationship than anything else.  The principal actors got the lead roles, and they apprenticed the youngest members.  Contract members were often brought in to fill in the supporting roles.  Incidentally, the apprentices (who weren’t paid, but were given room and board) often got bigger roles than the contrators, simply because the women were played by the young boys.

In other professions, an apprentice is sent to a master to learn.  These apprentices often come from poorer families in small towns and hamlets, while the master craftsmen are in larger towns and sometimes cities.  A young boy from Asheville, NC might be sent to Atlanta, GA to apprentice to a master carpenter.

In much the same way, moving to a larger area is like starting an apprenticeship or becoming a journeyman.  You can’t stay in your small town forever and still get better at your craft.  I think Hans is making the right choice — but I DO think that he’s doing it for the right reasons.  He’s considering moving to NYC because he’s established himself elsewhere and has been offered a professional gig.  This is majorly different than moving right out of college to NYC.

RebeccaZ said,

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.

And this is the biggest reason why I plan to move to Chicago at some point in the future.  Not because I expect to make it big (like Alison, I realize that “making it big” is more of a dream than a reality), but because I expect to have a great time in a thriving theatre city and, worst case scenario, I can say “I went to Chicago, gave it a shot, and here I am.”

My biggest thing about NYC is that so many people romanticize it, as Hans said, and are willing to pack up and move to NYC and wait tables and such because society says that if you’re a theatre person you HAVE to go to NYC.  I disagree.  There are tons of other places you can go and get a similar experience:  Chicago, Atlanta, D.C., St. Louis.  I resent the idea that NYC is the only place that actors should go.

When I first started pursuing drama, my father was strongly against it.  Not because he hates theatre, but because he felt like I would never survive in NYC.  I finally sat him down and said, “Dad, I have no desire to move to NYC and ‘try and make it’, so you can rest assured that I’m not going to starve and live out of my car trying to break into Broadway.  If I ever move there, it’ll be because I am reasonably confident that I’ll have steady work and make enough to pay the bills.”  After that (and a few rather good productions I was in), he relented and now he supports my decision.

My father, like millions of other people out there, hear the word “theater” and automatically think NYC.

In my mind, that has to change.