Kyle's essay

What I learned over JUA;

My essential question:

Past performers have taken on second jobs between performances. Today many performers either work on the street or take on a second job between there performances. How is it possible to make a successful living today while acting in a town like Boston?

I found on my trip to Boston with the junior urban adventure that many of the people we see in performances have a second job or work on the street to gain that extra cash. Many amazing performers cannot find jobs and are stuck either working at a restaurant or on the street. A successful living today is hard but possible. Many actors take on the 2^nd job to gain that extra cash. And many work out on the streets. But those who are lucky or skilled enough to get cast in a performance, usually only take on that job. In Boston there are hundreds, maybe more, performers working in restaurants or on the street. Many times these street performers are very skilled. But are not cast in the auditions they go to. The many street performers we passed by on JUA were usually very skilled and very normal people. For instance the man on the guitar in the tram station, he was a very skilled musician and a very normal and even funny guy. Yet he was playing in a tram station to earn his cash for the day. Our group stopped to hear him play for a moment. He was talented, and very entertaining. It is a shame to think that many talented performers such as him are out there everyday, playing and making so little. On our visit to the theatres in Boston, I learned that many theatres put on multiple productions. And many begin casting for future productions long before they will begin rehearsals for them. There are also open auditions which are for many people to audition. In a city like Boston there are thousands of opportunities at a time. While living in Boston many performers in between shows will take on a 2^nd job. As big a place as Boston is, there are still not many opportunities for future performers. Theatres are trying to compensate for the increase in performers at this time. An actor’s pay check hasn’t increased much over the years. But the number of new actors has. Vanessa Redgrave is one of many performers that have made a successful living in acting on stage and off in films. Her acting career has lasted over 47 years and is still continuing as far as I know. She comes from a long line of an acting family. Robert Lewis is also one such actor who has made a successful living. His work in theatre is known well. Robert Lewis was known as a popular lecturer at universities. He was one of many founders of the Actors Studio in New York in 1947. He was very known in the theatre arts area for his works. It is not entirely impossible to make a successful living off of acting in a city such as Boston. But it is something to work towards, and to have and use resources that you have.