Monday, June 6, 2011

Big News. Big Dogs.

I was offered an Equity contract. I was offered a contract to become a part of the Actors’ Equity Association Union, to take the next step of my career, to be an actual professional within my craft. I’m going to get my card! I’m going to be Union!!!

















Recently I was cast in Ivoryton Playhouse’s production of “The Producers” to play the fantastic role of Carmen Ghia. A few weeks ago I got a call from one of the producers that they wanted to offer me my Equity contract along with the role. This would mean that I wouldn’t have to work all 50 weeks in Equity productions to be considered for the Union. Instead, the producers at Ivoryton (an Equity house) decided to surpass those weeks and make me Equity now.
Now, this is a double edged sword, this whole honor of getting your card, aka becoming Equity (when you become Equity, you literally get a card that shows you are in the Union when you go to auditions; so in the theatre world, becoming a part of Actors’ Equity Association is also called “getting your card”). 
By becoming Equity, I have many more opportunities for auditions and actually am guaranteed to be seen - the majority of the time (it’s a lot of little rules and such that I won’t bore you with...). I’ll in turn be seen more at auditions, which can only bring on more experience in the auditioning room. This is also a time to continue building those relationships with casting directors and production teams, performing and showing that I am a smart individual who is ready to work hard and be a harmonious addition to the production. Also, when I’m cast in an Equity production, I will get benefits. There are also maximum hours for rehearsal time as an Equity actor, unlike when you’re Non-Equity and can be worked for hours and hours on end (it’s not always like this, but can be simply because there are no rules for Non-Union actors). Not to mention I get paid more per show! 
But then there’s the other side... By being Equity, I can’t audition or be hired in any Non-Union productions, tours or readings. So for example, the tour of “South Pacific” I talked about in my previous post I wouldn’t be able to do. This eliminates a lot of opportunities to play really great roles that can only add flavor and experience to my resume. Right now, my resume has a lot of Ivoryton Playhouse and Middlebury College, which can be a red flag for some casting directors. You often hear from some actors that they wished they would have waited to get their card as they needed more experience in this crazy world for their resume, for themselves really. 
Also, a lot of regional shows only have so many Equity contracts to give out for budget reasons. It costs more to hire an Equity actor, and there are tons of non-Equity actors who are more than willing to take a role for less money; thus a lot of theaters go with the Non-Equity route instead, especially for the chorus roles. Then there’s the factor that I’m now running with the big dogs now. I mean, I’m auditioning with all of the actors on Broadway! People like Gavin Creel, Aaron Tveit, and Cheyenne Jackson! We’re all going for those similar roles, and that’s pretty terrifying. 
I took a good week to think about all of these pros and cons, to decide whether this was the right direction for me to take, if I was ready for this jump. I didn’t want to be another one of those young actors who snatched at the first instance to get my card and then look back and wish I had just waited a bit longer. 
Am I ready? Am I talented enough to be dubbed with such a great honor? 
After going through everything, I do think I’m ready. The reason I know I’m ready is that I know there are aspects of my art that I know I still need work on. Now, that may sound a bit opposite: I’m ready because I know I still have things to improve on to be able to perform at this professional level. But what I realized was that this contract, this opportunity all of a sudden gave me the kick in the butt to go out and take that auditioning workshop, get some coaching to be better with my vocal choices, revamp my audition songbook, look into getting an agent, finally get new headshots, etc. It’s time to get serious about this all. This step shows me that I can do this, I can be a part of this world. 
Part of your world (reprise)
I don’t know whenI don’t howBut I know something’s starting right nowWatch and you’ll seeSomeday I’ll bePart of your world!
<3 
So that’s it. I’m going to sign my contract and become an Equity actor. Yes, there are going to be some uphill challenges, but I’m ready to tackle them head on, to show that I am qualified and ready to take this career, this life, to the next level.
In other news, I’m catering a TON right now, which is wonderful, but quite exhausting. I’m at a point where I just need to keep my balance with everything I’m doing. The cabaret is coming along, and I am at a point of making the next steps in the process which is surprisingly terrifying and exhilarating all at once. Things have been changing for the better like crazy which is so great! 
It’s now just about making sure that I have enough balance in my life to dedicate to the creation and production of my cabaret as well as earning some sort of income. I’m learning how to be better with this through the trials and errors of this city that inherently come with living here. I feel that in the “almost four months” that I’ve lived here, a whole year’s worth of events and experiences have happened to me. Once again, terrifying and exhilarating. That’s just how this city works, and I couldn’t imagine my life right now any other way.  
Now it’s time for chinese food and True Blood with friends at my apartment. 
I love NYC. 

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