The last couple of weeks beckon us on and the theatre bustles ever onward with its new projects. So we start seriously examining the weeks beyond and new projects for each of us. Some already with jobs to go to, others auditioning, the rest hunting around for gainful employ to take us back to our lives before Keswick or BK. The lucky few with jobs already in place are quietly getting on with learning their new parts and organising their personal lives in the short time they might have between contracts. Others are depending on partners to sort out house moves and improvements while their new jobs run straight on from this one without a break. That is lucky and quite rare in the grand scheme of things, but jobs can often be like buses. Then you can sit and twiddle your thumbs for six months and wonder what happened! It's times like that that really test the relationship an actor has with their agent. A good agent keeps you feeling positive despite the lack of meetings, doesn't leave you feeling that it is somehow your shortcomings as a human being that means no-one wants to cast you! Examples? " You're at a funny age" Gee thanks. That one is great for denting the ego! My favourite was when I had sat for too long watching bad tv. I kept seeing adverts with actors in who looked like me, so I phone the agent to discuss the question of why I hadn't even been to castings for these adverts. I was told that these actresses didn't actually look like me but were my perception of me.. Eh? Talk about messing with a girl's head! ( It wasn't long after that dear reader that I got rid of that one). The good agent buoys you up and cracks on with the job of breaking that hungry gap asap, but doesn't cajole you into taking a job ( any job just to get you off their backs) that you won't be happy doing. It's a very lucky actor who finds that agent and keeps that relationship going. Most settle for a slightly prickly relationship where the agent often tries to take on the role of bossy parent, treating the unemployed client like an ungrateful or unwanted child! I wish I was kidding! The trouble is, an agent is pretty essential in this game, unless you are born into show-biz and have an address book full of useful contacts and so we hang on often too long to a bad relationship, all too aware that a poor agent is better than none. We all forget that they work for us and not the other way round; it's just such a crowded market place, definitely the agents have the upper hand. Gone are the days of actors hanging around the Equity union offices first thing in the morning, waiting for a tip off about an audition. Someone would dash in and announce that they were casting down the road at the Strand and everyone would beetle down there to do their stuff! Now it gets harder to get that foot in the door, so you've got to want this job very much indeed. Accentuate the positive and save the terrible nightmare stories for those merry evenings with good friends who will help you laugh it all off. Once you've heard a few dozen of the ghastly stories that actors often find themselves in, you understand why we get a bit giddy when things go well. And go well things have very much done here at Theatre by the Lake. And continue to go well. No end of term ennui here amongst this bunch (mostly); everyone still jumps to the warm-up and the show to do with gusto and interest. Of course the other important matter here is organising the best end of Season parties we possibly can just so we mark this amazing time in the most excellent way, not missing a single significant moment.
You have two more weeks of lovely stuff to come and see; make sure you do!
No comments:
Post a Comment