5 Working in Theatre Considerations

Working in Theatre Considerations

I really felt it was my calling, but even so I found out early that my first love of acting was not where I belonged. I gravitated towards (or perhaps was pushed) into directing, playwriting and producing. These areas allowed me to mix my desire to be an activist with my art and create the work that I wasn’t seeing on stages at that time. Now, balancing my own artistic work with teaching is hard due to the unforgiving reality that there are only so many hours and I do need sleep. However, I still feel that I’m doing what I was meant to do when I spend my holiday rewriting my latest play. That does not mean there aren’t regrets. There have been oh so many mistakes since coming out with my degrees full of optimism and inspiration. Learning some balance and accepting that I have an identity outside of the theatre has been a journey. As others will attest, I’ve missed a lot of time with family due to the demands of theatre. One of the big challenges is the reality that the schedule is not 9 to 5, and it flips from day rehearsals to nighttime tech and shows, plus comes with a sense that you are always on call. As well, there is always homework, so if you are hoping to not have homework after you graduate this might not be the world for you. Actors, directors, designers, producers…all are doing prep work outside of rehearsal time. Plus, the constant work to get gigs. Those working in admin and management work nights as they still need to attend performances, ideally the ones they work on but also keeping a pulse on the larger sector’s activities.

There are more specifics on the particular demands of being a freelance worker in the Self-Employment chapter. That in itself is something to consider when you are debating if this is a path you want to take. In a more general sense, here are some thoughts on sticking with theatre as a career. With these in mind you can decide for yourself, or at least enter with eyes open.

Activity: Try to answer the following questions honestly

• Are you organized? Self-motivated and proactive?
  • Even if you are planning to be an artist you will need to develop a business mind to survive in theatre.
  • Grants are very important and many who go into theatre will need to be able to write a strong application.
  • Budgeting, planning, and meeting deadlines apply even if you aren’t going into the management aspects of theatre.
  • You also need to think long-term due to the often gig-based nature of the work. You’ll need to set money aside for when you don’t have a contract or so that you have funds when you are not able to work.
  • On the admin side these qualities are absolutely essential.

• Are you a people person?
  • It is a collaborative community and that is a special thing.
  • You will need to work well with others. It requires team work. If you do not like collaborating with others this may not be the field for you.
  • You should be willing to ask for help. You can’t be afraid to ask questions, reach out, talk to others, and ultimately network.
  • Diplomacy, tact, respect, empathy, kindness, and gratitude will also get you far. The community is small so you really can’t afford to burn bridges. For the most part everyone is also doing their best under stressful circumstances so why not work together instead of make it harder for each other.
  • You also have to know when to stand up for yourself and know what your limits are. Many need time to recharge, especially those who tend to more naturally be introverts.
  • I often tried to do it all myself, this limits how far you can get. You want to build a community for support, for idea sharing, for help. Otherwise it can be very lonely. Find your people – those who will have your back, will push you, and who have expertise to complement your own skills.

• Are you confident, or can you at least fake it?
  • Having the ability to take risks, speak with confidence, and put yourself out there is important.
  • It’s okay to be nervous or anxious, as this is natural when it is something you really care about, but you will have to master this and be able to find ways to make others believe in your ability.
  • You can’t be afraid to take chances. If you wait for it to happen it won’t.
    • For example, if you write a great play, but don’t submit it then it will just sit there forever unproduced.
  • Networking is a thing, which most of us do not enjoy, but it is a necessity as attested to in our survey of graduates.

• Are you ready to work hard?
  • Although we are thankfully moving to more balance in the industry, it is still a heavy workload. There are intense periods due to that always approaching opening night.
  • It takes stamina, energy, focus, and commitment.
  • The work is often not glamourous at all! Even an actor spends the bulk of their time doing their own preparation away from the adrenalin of the audience.
  • Artists also need to constantly make art, that is the nature of the beast. So too for those behind the scenes on shows who go from one project to the next. Even on the marketing and admin side you are often simultaneously working on the next show.

• Can you live frugally?
  • As mentioned in the first chapter, the idea of fame and fortune only occurs for a very small percentage of those in the performing arts. Mostly it is also those in the film/tv side of things rather than those who want to focus on live performance.
  • Theatre does not pay well. This is due to the lack of a living wage for artists in Canada, the freelance nature for many roles in the industry, and the reality of it primarily being a non-profit structure. You can make a lot more money working at a corporation or for the government rather than as an arts administrator for example.
    • For context salary ranges for a list of positions in the fall of 2023 on PACT’s Artsboard ranged from $50,000 to $77,000 for Executive Director, Production Managers, Producers, and Managing Directors. This will vary in different regions and is based on scale of the organization.
  • For artists there are minimum fees outlined by professional associations. See the corresponding tracks for more details as there is a lot of variation.
    • A rough average for an actor might be $700/week for a mid-size space.
    • Playwrights only get a percentage of box office (minimum 10%) for the production, but can also receive a commissioning fee if a company contracts them to write a specific piece.
    • Designers will have a flat fee, for example for an independent production [Indie Agreements – ADC659] in 2022/23 it ranged from $2,412 to $7,655 depending on box office potential.
  • The challenge with having a living wage for contract work is the times when you do not have a contract and therefore no theatre-based income.
  • It comes back to the non-tangible rewards – you must love it and believe in the power of theatre. I often refer to this as soul-feeding work. I’ve done projects for no pay because they have provided me with what I needed spiritually. However, that cannot house or feed you.
    • I am not saying you should do work without pay, just that it sometimes happens if you are self-producing or choosing to work on a project you love that does not have funding.
  • Most learn to budget well and prioritize. Many are happy with a simple quality of life. But it is important to know that living just off their theatre earnings, would mean that several artists are living in poverty. This results in having to find other work to supplement. So, are you up for this juggling act?
  • As discussed later in various tracks, you can negotiate your contract though and should do so based on your worth. Think about the number of hours the work will take and make sure you will be compensated fairly. Don’t assume all companies are suffering financially. If they can pay the going rate for lumber to build the set, then they have to budget adequately for the artists as well.

• Are you patient?
  • This is a life commitment and will require dedication over many years to advance. Yes, there are always the stories of someone who got a big break early on, but for most it is a slog over many years to finally reap the rewards. (The exception right now is on the Stage Management and technical end as there is a huge demand!)
  • It will take time to really learn the skills, get the experience, become better at what you do…and hopefully be recognized for this.
  • You will never stop learning and growing. And the theatre milieu will also continue to shift and change, sometimes far too slowly, but it does transform.

So, it bears asking – is this your calling? It is not to discourage or dissuade, as I truly believe that theatre benefits everyone. However, you can participate in theatre without making it your primary career. This is completely legitimate and for some a healthier choice. If you truly love it though then you also might want to be part of working to make it a healthier more balanced industry. More on that in later chapters.

Finally in terms of hard numbers, Cultural Human Resources Council has done ongoing research into the cultural labour market. A few key take-aways:

• cultural workers in general are overeducated and underemployed
• those working full-time in the cultural sector earn $8,292 less than the national average and those in live performance earn $15,852 less; the numbers are less drastic for part-time workers with those in live performance earning just $4,274 less than the total Canadian economy
• cultural workers are younger than the average labour force as many don’t stick around, even more so for those in live performance with the majority being under 35
• business skills are often a gap, but you often have to run yourself like a business and in fact live performance sees 40% of workers being self-employed compared to 28% in the cultural sector as a whole

See more at LMI 2019 – Live Performance.pdf (culturalhrc.ca).

Go back to the Why Theatre chapter if you need a bit more positive information. I will also add here that working in theatre has allowed me to meet so many people that I never would have encountered otherwise, it has provided me with the gift of incredible relationships but also opportunities to learn about experiences outside of my own. This is something I will always cherish.

Other resources and perspectives:

AFC – Navigating Uncertainty in the Entertainment and Performing Arts Industry

The Local – Can You Make Art and Still Make a Living in Toronto