THE BAD NEWS

I am now nailing home my "negative" badge and hope that some of you will forgive me, but anyone who knows me well will tell you that speaking my mind (there are one or two exceptional circumstances) is all part of my persona. An actress friend who had walked the usual path to the profession, (Guilford drama school, agent, agent changes, TV commercials, TV speaking roles. Theatre tours etc. etc.) once told me the 'bad news'. She said that these days there is a "hierarchy" in the acting world that goes like this. Top of the ladder is a small elite group of well known actors whose agents receive the best casting breakdowns for lead roles. These performers do not audition, they just accept or reject offers. Next down the greasy pole are important supporting roles and almost the same procedure applies. Then there are actors who work constantly and whose agents receive still prestigious castings and can send their clients to audition for small speaking roles in high profile shows etc. The next foothole downwards are actors whose agents get sufficient breakdowns to get them a reasonalble amount of auditions for non speaking roles in high profile stuff or alternatively get them enough castings to enable them to work quite a lot on tours or West End chorus lines etc. Next in the descention are actors who have established enough contacts and have worked enough to be known in some circles to get auditions for fringe shows and tours. This means that their CV's look good enough to actually get seen if nothing else. Now we've reached the bottom of the pit. The simple reason actors find themselves in this very dark place is that they haven't managed to obtain the criteria needed to be at any of the above levels if that makes sense. Not only is it a "chicken and egg", "Catch 22" scenario, but if you look around at the 'sheer weight of traffic' in our profession, ie. the increase of so-called Drama Schools offering stardom to young students each year and the young hopefuls (not to mention the old ones who STILL haven't made it) going after EVERY role, no matter how small, poorly/NOT paid, etc. If you take into account the dreaded "Reality Shows" which provide instant fame to members of the public, who can then miraculously become performers on TV or in the theatre because the powers that be know that there is money to be made by having a 'named' celebrity in their show. Meanwhile, those of us who are trained, who genuinely long to perform and have talent, are left with a struggle that is so daunting that only the strongest can muster the will to keep trying. WHEW! As you can see I am not in a good place right now where work is concerned, even though I am cast in a play for a "Community Theatre" company (for no pay of course). But I absolutely know that I am one of very very many. Please do NOT tell me I am a pessimist, a "glass half empty" merchant. I absolutely know that this is the REALITY of the situation. Many times I wonder what to do - I ask myself if I can stand much more of not even getting auditions for the hundreds of castings I submit for. The only reason I don't give up is that there is nothing in this world I want to do more than perform. But the dilema and disappointment seems permanent. I don't need therapy! I don't need ANY remarks about not trying hard enough, about not selling myself well enough. The truth is that as my actress friend put it "for some actors, it doesn't matter what they do, they will not be able to rise to the next level." That is a hard pill to swallow!!!