Once upon a time there were two young actresses, Gretchen the Grasshopper and Agnes the Ant. They were roommates who were fresh out of acting school and just starting their careers. Both were talented and driven, but like all newbies they faced a dilemma. To gain experience and exposure they needed to get acting work, but most of it paid little, if any, money. So how could they solve the puzzle of doing a show and paying the bills while working fewer hours at, or completely leaving, their day job?
Meet the Actresses
Now Gretchen was a go-getter who was charming, funny and smart. She naturally knew how to schmooze and always made a good first impression. Unfortunately, she was also a spendthrift. She couldn’t walk from the front door to her car without spending $20, or so it seemed. Even though she made more than enough to live on from her day job, she was always asking Agnes for a loan to get her through ‘til payday. Whenever she landed a paying gig she would blow it all in celebrating her success.
Now Agnes had a real head for the Biz. She enjoyed the challenge of staying in touch with all of the producers, directors, actors, etc., that she knew. Agnes understood that marketing and advertising were the key to getting people to notice and remember her. In addition, she was a thrifty gal. Early on, she had set up a special savings account; she called it her “Acting Fund”, into which she put $200 a week. From this account she would cover the cost of working on those important, but low paying, projects. Though she made the rounds and networked like everyone else, she was always careful to keep an eye on her money.
A Twist of Fate
Now as luck would have it, they both landed leading roles in the same summer stock production of Much Ado About Nothing; Gretchen to play the role of Hero and Agnes to be Beatrice. The play would be twelve weeks of work with the theatre providing housing and the queenly sum of $100 a week. The girls were beside themselves with joy.
But suddenly, Gretchen stopped the celebration and said, “Wait a minute, I can’t pay my half of the rent, the bills and feed myself on $100 a week. I spend that much on lattes for cryin’ out loud!” “Well, you’ll just have to dip into your savings. I mean you do having some money put aside, don’t you?” asked Agnes. “Yeah sure, I keep it under the cushions of the sofa,” Gretchen answered wryly.
Then she perked up, “Hey Agnes, do you think you could spot me the money to do this show? You know I always pay you back…eventually.” Agnes sadly shook her head. “Though I have saved up quite a bit, it’s not enough to cover both of us. Gretchen, if you’d have saved your money like I’ve been telling you to, you'd have enough to do this show. I’m really sorry, but I can’t help you this time.” So in the end, Agnes played Beatrice and Gretchen stayed home and watched reruns of Friends.
The Moral of the Story
Of course, it all boiled down to a matter of finances; their income verses their expenses or in a broader sense, their goals verses their lifestyle. You can set all the career objectives you want but without realizing that they come with a price tag which requires some fiscal discipline and foresight, then you’ll always be sabotaging your dreams.
If you liked this story, here’s another in the same vein: How to Market Yourself as an Actor - Advice on Building an Acting Career
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