Can you please stop wasting valuable newspaper space on questions like "I'm new and want to get into acting; what do I do?" or "I'm 16 and want to get into the business but I'm so overwhelmed; where do I start?"?
I understand that a lot of people are new and breaking in, but instead of publishing these repetitive questions almost every week, can you just send them a generic info email, maybe something that outlines some of the resources and training programs that you support? There are so many things that working actors and people not so green could use help with, yet it seems every week the entire back page of the magazine is wasted on this same "How do I get to be an actor?" business.
I have always regarded Back Stage as a resource for working actors, not just newbies. Please show us the respect we deserve by giving us relevant advice. I know I'm not alone with this frustration, and I find it hard to believe these are the best advice-needing questions you get each week. As a working actor and a Back Stage subscriber, I expect better.
—Tired of It, New York City
Dear Tired:
Thanks for taking the time to write and share your criticisms. We appreciate negative opinions as much as positive ones, since both offer insight into our column's effectiveness.
So, okay, I get it. You don't feel we answer enough questions from seasoned, working actors. And I agree with you. Here's the truth: We don't get as many letters as you might think, and the pile from seasoned pros is especially thin. That's because, for you more-established folks, Back Stage is but one of several resources, so you'll sometimes turn to agents or experienced colleagues instead. For those who are earlier in their careers, we're sometimes the only known reliable resource. So yes, many of our advice-seeking letters come from relative beginners, and our content reflects that.
Less-experienced actors are a legitimate part of our readership, and we feel an obligation to take care of them, rather than send them a form letter and push them aside. While these discussions may seem like wasted space to you, readers who lack your experience often find them helpful.
Nevertheless, looking back over previous columns, I see a pretty wide spectrum of topics: kissing, sweating, leaving an acting class, dealing with asthma, managing a dual career as an actor-director, and even the importance of not being a jerk.
Still, your criticism is well-founded. We aim to address a variety of career levels, from total amateur to total pro, and we'd like readers like you to feel better represented in the Working Actor column. You can help us achieve that goal. Whenever you hear experienced actors complain that we don't address issues relevant to their careers, please encourage them to write in. After all, we can only answer the letters we receive.
Dear Michael:
I've been acting and modeling for about a year now in Boston. I've had some success in independent film. Unfortunately, I have to fly to pay the bills. I have a couple of agents in the New England area, NYC, and even New Orleans. Since I'm a flight attendant, I fly for free. I eventually want to move to La-La Land to pursue acting, and I plan on trying to have a bicoastal agency. When I fly, I have no access to the Internet or my phone, which is a good and a bad thing. Good: I get to study a lot. Bad: I miss important phone calls and emails.
My question is, how can I balance flying and trying to act? Do you think it's wise for me to submit to a market if I don't live there? How long should I wait to move out west?
—Head in the Clouds, Boston
Dear Head in the Clouds:
Keeping bills paid while cultivating an acting career is just plain challenging, regardless of your day job. Actor-waiters juggle shifts; actor-temps audition on their lunch hours; actor–personal trainers sometimes have to reschedule clients. That's just the nature of the thing. Is flying a good support job? The answer is a definite maybe.
Longtime flight attendant Ken Wharton started doing on-camera work in 2003. "I've done amazing balancing," he says, citing a period during which he would wrap his weekly background gig on the CBS series "3 Lbs.," head directly to the airport, work his weekly flight to Mumbai, India, return a few days later, and return to the set. "The juggling," Wharton says, "well, it takes a bit of finesse. There are quite a few flight attendants out there that are actors. One, in fact, new to Delta, is an established actor in Los Angeles. To make sure he has a day job, he hired on with Delta, based in New York City. So, talk about juggling!" Wharton's tricks for making it work include flying on weekends, so as not to miss auditions, and booking himself on popular flights that'll be easier to trade if something comes up.
Kate Linder is probably the only flight attendant with her own star on Hollywood Boulevard. For nearly 30 years, she's led a double life, as Esther Valentine on "The Young and the Restless" and as a flight attendant for United. "It's pretty crazy," she says, "but I've done it. I've been on the show for 29 years, and I've been flying for United even longer."
In answer to your concerns, Linder says your important calls and emails will wait until you land: "There are going to be things you miss. I miss things all the time." Nevertheless, she says, being unreachable for a few hours is rarely a deal breaker, and she urges you to appreciate the advantages, rather than focusing on the lack of onboard access to communication technology.
The biggest advantage, according to our winged thesps, is the ability to schedule auditions in cities other than your home base. "In a way, it's the perfect opportunity," says Linder, who recommends being completely up-front with your agents, letting them know what you do and when you'll be available where. And, warns Wharton, you should submit for out-of-town auditions only if you know you can actually make the gig.
Being L.A.-based, of course, will make the whole thing easier. And because you can easily commute, why wait? Overall, it sounds like you're in a job that complements your aspirations. "Every smart actor needs a day job," says Wharton, "and this is the best day job one can have. But please—put me on a set or a stage instead!"
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