So far D has had a steady string of contracts (we all know that’s been a random stroke of luck unlikely to last) that have kept her happily in Chicago, and I know the parents of several older kids who have worked steadily for many more years there. It seems like a very warm and supportive theatre community, including many equity houses and a lovely newer choir designed specifically to keep theatre folks (including techies) bonding even between projects. D hasn’t yet ventured to NYC (except for a few auditions she’s been flown in for) so I can’t offer any meaningful comparison.
I just saw this interesting article about Philly (where some actors can even - gasp! - buy houses), and know people building great careers in DC as well, as a reminder that there are several thriving theatre communities outside of NYC.
@DVCmember D’s friend just moved from a large 3 bedroom apartment in Gowanus (Brooklyn) to a 1 bedroom with his girlfriend in Jersey City. It is a brand new building with doorman and amenities. I think they are paying about $2400 or so. (Same as he was paying in Brooklyn for an ehh area with a long walk to train.) It is a block from the Path train which is a safe and convenient commute into several stops in downtown Manhattan. Penn Station is the most uptown stop, but you can easily transfer to the subway. Jersey City is an extremely quick commute and the Path trains costs the same as the subway. Hoboken is another popular option. I’d say that Jersey City and Hoboken are the two areas that attract young people and offer bars and restaurants nearby.
My school is located ~2 hours from the Twin Cities and ~4 hours from Chicago (on a good traffic day), and most of our graduating classes choose to move to one of those two cities. You hear a lot about Chicago, less so about the Twin Cities, but it’s a great community with a thriving regional theatre scene and an even more affordable cost of living than Chicago.
Students from OCU (which is in Oklahoma City, OK and nowhere near NYC :)) end up doing a variety of things. Many of them do go to NYC. Some go to Chicago, LA or Dallas. Some do regional theater wherever they are hired. Some do national tours and/or cruises. There is a separate thread on what some of their alums are doing under the school thread. I think this is the link http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/oklahoma-city-university-mt/1769345-where-are-alumni-working.html#latest
As far as the ones who have not been cast yet and are auditioning, they are doing a wide variety of things. I have heard of people working at exercise places, clothing retailers, theaters, restaurants and bars, temp agencies, dance studios, party places, etc… to make ends meet while seeking acting jobs. I’ve also heard of a few working for casting agencies.
I would imagine some of what people do and the associated location is a function of what they can actually get to for the audition. My home city is a very decent theatre city which hires local talent. But the big theatres here have no idea who my daughter is because she is on the opposite coast when auditions happen for that work. She also was not involved in these theatres’ youth education programs where some connections can be made nor was she ever home schooled so that she could participate in their professional shows. It might get a little easier to get in front of our local theatres once she graduates and isn’t on a school schedule but there are still the logistics of getting from point A to point B to secure the work and the costs associated with that travel for merely the “chance” to work. Sigh.
It shocked me when I realized that already-poor actors often pay to fly themselves around the country to be one of 100 brunette-age-25-females only POSSIBLY seen for a single low-paying short-duration job. Ouch.
@soozievt - your multi-talented D has an extremely marketable basket of non-performing skills including composing, music directing, accompanist, arranging, etc. that have enabled her to work steadily in NYC. I think kids who only perform may not have as many opportunities in NYC… though of course I won’t complain if the coming 5 years prove me wrong.
I understand…just saying that flying or spending money to travel to an audition would not be an option due to the expense. However, she does live in NYC and there are plenty of auditions there. She doesn’t audition that often though.
Goodness, @MomCares, I don’t know how to do the shadowy quotey thing, but “It shocked me when I realized that already-poor actors often pay to fly themselves around the country to be one of 100 brunette-age-25-females only POSSIBLY seen for a single low-paying short-duration job. Ouch.” - just put me over the edge. So depressing.
^^The D and I got a whiff of that reality when she was in the open call line along with at least 499 others to audition for NBC’s newest musical. AYE YAYE YAYE! It was her first experience being in that kind of open call so of course it was more like an adventure.
@Calliene - Haha… one thing you should know is that my outsider’s observations of the profession come from the perspective of someone (me) who is utterly unsuited to the lifestyle of an actor. I love financial stability and have never been a person who inherently trusts that the universe will provide. In short, I am probably sort of an anti-stage mom, but I’m guessing most of our MT kids are artists by temperament as well as by talent. What to me (at my current age) would be unbearable is probably invigorating to them (at their current ages).
OK here is a question, what do people know about the cost of on-going training post graduation?
For example, I think I heard my daughter talking about an MT friend that graduated last year and is living and working in NYC. She is paying $128/??? hour??? half hour??? for on-going private voice lessons. So essentially for your $14/hour survival job you will need to work 10 hours to earn enough before taxes to pay for a (half or hour… forget what she said) lesson. YIKES.
Does anyone have insight about the market rate for dance classes, private voice, reputable acting classes etc.
Did have to laugh when my daughter said and I quote: “things get so expensive once you are out of school.” I asked what she meant and I think she thought that the hourly rate for non students goes up a ton. Which I pointed out is hilarious because if I really sat down to calculate the hourly rate we have been paying while in college I think she’d be shocked and she is probably about to get a deal. Totally innocent but funny.
Anyway, what do people do about this? I’d love to know any post graduation experience.
This folds nicely into my long-held mantra that “Everything is easy if you’re not the one who has to do it.”. So by definition MT training is cheap until you become the one who has to pay for it.
Here is a totally naive question since I do not have an MT kid…but if a student has spent 4 years at a BFA getting daily or weekly voice lessons, would they be able to take what they learned and apply/practice on their own once they graduate? Or is it just expected that the training continues once they leave school? Maybe an hour a month to fine tune what they are doing daily at home would be enough? Just a thought…the reason I am asking is because my daughter is getting a BA and she knows that she will need more training once she graduates or during summer breaks in her acting training since her BA doesn’t have as much as she wants. But if she has gotten a BFA would she still need acting training?
Most voice lessons will cost from $110 to $175 per hour–depending on the experience level/ reputation of the teacher and how frequently you go. The last lesson D took was a few months ago–with her voice teacher from NYU. She paid $150. Dance classes are probably about $17 to $22 per class.
Other than degree programs, I know that there are acting master’s classes or short series of classes that can cost from $75 to a few hundred dollars.
A lot of D’s friends are not really training post graduation since they don’t have the money. Some will get occasional coaching/ or have friends play piano for them for less money.
I don’t know how many people in touring shows take advantage of this, but I know many dance studios offer “professional” rates for dance classes to those that “make a living” in dance-related fields. Actor/dancers in touring shows are in cities for longer periods of time and I’m guessing generally have there day-time hours open. Do they take dance classes? Or do they just sleep and play video games like other twenty-somethings?
My kid is 6 years out of a BFA. She doesn’t take lessons in anything (voice, dance, acting). I don’t think she can afford that. However, I recall during the first couple of years, she occasionally took some voice lessons, but she no longer does that. Hasn’t taken any dance or acting lessons/classes since graduation. She does have a membership at a gym…so takes classes there and also yoga. That’s not MT stuff though!
We have been using a voice teacher in NYC for several years. I think we are now paying $130/hr. Many of the students using this teacher are in Broadway shows (Beautiful, Kinky Boots, Book of Mormon, Gentleman’s Guide, are some that I can think of), so it is not uncommon to continue to take voice lessons after graduation. The majority of the students are definitely college graduates. They focus on upcoming auditions, preparing for shows, or just work on technique.
Steps on Broadway and Broadway Dance in NYC both offer all levels and types of dance, as well as masterclasses, at very inexpensive rates (~$17/class), and you can do it on a drop in basis so no commitment is necessary. Both are in convenient locations, open 7 days a week, about 12-14 hours a day.
