<p>Hey Everyone. So today while I was prepping for SAT's I came across an essay question that provoked much thought in me (who knew that was possible from an SAT essay question haha!). The question was "Should we wait for good things to come to us, or is destiny not something that we can wait for?" And that question is very relevant to a prospective musical theatre college major. What do you guys think the answer is. Should we lunge at every performance, intesnive program, etc. that we can? Or should we "let the pot boil" and just wait for our skills to develop and get more life experience? I'm personally torn between the two. I recognize that as a performer, it is very important to take every opportunity that is available to me. But at the same time, will this role or program be hurtful to me in the long run? Should I seriously consider before auditioning for something or accepting a role? I would love to hear your thoughts.</p>
<p>This sounds like a great essay prompt! I think the answer is of course don’t just wait for opportunities but instead prepare for and seek them out, but your question about WHICH opportunities to embrace is important. </p>
<p>I love the idea of saying “yes” to everything life presents you with, and know of several performers who attribute much of their success to remaining open to unlikely opportunities. I recently heard Jane Lynch speaking to that very subject. Often the life of a performer is NOT the career they originally envision. Stephen Colbert intended to become a serious actor, but saying “yes” led him in a different direction.</p>
<p>The reality is, though, that usually saying “yes” to one thing means saying “no” to something else that would have consumed that same time – the opportunity cost of a decision. As you point out, for some performers saying “yes” to every role they are offered can interfere with training, and may not make them the performer they are capable of becoming. On the other hand, if no roles come their way it could be the universe’s hint that all the training in the world may not make them into a working performer.</p>
<p>D and I have been having this discussion often during these initial weeks of her college freshman year, where opportunities seem to vastly outpace available time.</p>
<p>In my experience, a key to life’s choices is to try never to say either “yes” OR “no” to any opportunity based on fear (unless of course it’s something stupidly dangerous or clearly career-limiting). Beyond that, the best one can do is seek trusted advice when choices arise and above all follow your instincts.</p>
<p>The more specific question of whether an actor should just audition and work versus getting college training has been the subject of a lot of discussion here over the years, and in my opinion there’s no single right answer to that one as every actor has a unique path.</p>