Can you make a living in Performing Arts?

answers1: Just like the others, I also think it's possible for you to
make a living out of acting. I'm an aspiring singer, so I can relate
with you. xD The 'fallback plan' itself wouldn't hurt though,
considering there are quite a lot of actors/musicians these days who
didn't start their career with a similar background (eg. Carrie
Underwood studied Broadcast Journalism, Sophia Bush was a Journalism
major before she auditioned & won a part in 'One Tree Hill'). <br>
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So maybe you could major in Culinary Arts while taking acting classes
outside of college at the same time. When you're ready, go ahead and
look for auditions. That's the path I'm taking. I'm going to pursue an
Associate of Arts in Advertising, but I'll keep on searching for
singing opportunities along the way and hopefully something will come
up. <br>
<br>
No matter what, keep on auditioning, because that's where you'll find
real work. Anyone can survive in the entertainment industry with or
without a relevant college degree. All it takes is the 'it' factor.
It's pretty much a gamble. But if you really give your all and put
your heart into it, believe me, you're going to go far. xD All the
best.
answers2: i wanted to go into performing arts or fine art before my
family talked me into nursing saying that even though i wanna to go
down the artsy path i should still have a "back up" plan. <br>
But i seriously believe that any career, if you truly believe in what
you do and you try your best to do it, eventually your hard work will
pay off and people will appreciate it. So yes, I do believe that you
can make a living in performing arts, it may be a far harder path than
getting into a professional school and to study to become.. say, a
lawyer, then pretty much you're guaranteed a secure job and pay. <br>
But if you really love performing arts and you know that you have the
perseverance and stick to your dream then yes!! go for it while you're
still young :-) your mom will eventually understands :-)!! <br>
ps. also know your limits tho, don't push too too hard or to follow
things blindly :-) all the best!!
answers3: Yes you must live in NYC city limits to attend any
performing arts school. You are not eligible if you do not live in the
5 boroughs.
answers4: All this talk about "if you really want it you can do it" or
"live your dream".... listen - this is reality. The performing arts
world is not a forgiving place and to make a career in it you have to
have an immense amount of talent, world class training, incredible
self determination and luck! You can have all the talent and will to
do it but unfortunately luck plays such a major role. <br>
<br>
Is there good money - no and are all actors that poor - yes.... well
the majority. You have to first ignore all the big time actors and
actresses. You cannot think of the Tom Cruises, the Brad Pitts, the
Chris Rocks.... because for every one of them there are at least a 100
who don't have jobs. The ratio of performers with good paying jobs to
those who live pay check to pay check has to be 100 - 200 to 1!!!!
<br>
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You need a back up plan. In New York City, there are so many
unemployed actors/actresses and music theater wannabes. They spend
their day trying to make enough money to pay rent! Most of them wait
tables. In a city like new york where most come to pursue a
performance career, the opportunities are there but they only select a
few... and most of those jobs pay very little. Something you cannot
make a living out off. There are so many unemployed performers in the
world! <br>
<br>
It will not be an easy life! I know so many friends who struggle
month to month because they don't get enough gigs or make enough
money! I am a classical pianist, I had luck on my side and have a
successful performing career - however I have friends who are much
more talented than I and they have nothing. <br>
<br>
Its not as easy as getting your equity card and getting gigs like some
one else said. Money is money - without it you can't live and with
the way the economy is going you need more off it! You won't live in
a slum but I know people who room with 4 others in a 2 bedroom
apartment because they can't afford a place. I have heard of other
crazy arrangements for housing in NY and I know people who literally
eat 29 cent instant noodles every day because that is all they can
afford. <br>
<br>
If you make it, life can be good, if you don't life is difficult.
There are much more who live a difficult life then those who live a
healthy life as a performer. Its sad but true.
answers5: Nearly all people who make a living in the performing arts
are poor, or at least they live a very austere lifestyle. <br>
<br>
ALSO.. remember... it is called PERFORMING arts for a reason. If you
have a lot of talent and can do well in the AUDITIONS then you can
make a living, but if you don't get through the auditions, then YOU
DON'T WORK.
answers6: I want to be an actress and a singer and it has been a dream
for the longest time! And I am going to try and persue it too! The
only person you should really be listening to, is yourself. Some
actors are unemployed because they dont take the risks they should,
they are uncomfortable with something, they have a bad agent, they
didnt have enough pratcice with it or they just do live in the right
area. In order to get paid good money, you would have to be quite well
known. In order to become well known, you need to work very hard. You
need to take every chance you can get, go to auditions all the time,
maybe move somewhere where you can really persue it, like New York or
Los Angeles. The majority of movies and shows are filmed in those
places along with celebrities living there and good agents and loads
of auditions to try out! Not all actors are poor, the ones we hear of
today in the movies and in television shows are not poor at all, not
even close. But other actors that are struggeling or just starting,
may not have enough money to even pay off rent, so most have another
job. I may not all be right, but I am just saying what people have
told me! But anyone can do it, which means so can you! All you need to
do is work hard, take every oppertunity and get practice! Good luck!
answers7: I have dwelt on this issue from an Indian perspective in my
e-zine. I will quote from that article: <br>
It has become a matter of great concern amongst theatre lovers of
Delhi as to whether amateur theatre will survive in the coming
decades. An occasional performance in a packed auditorium builds up
expectations of resurgence in the amateur theatre movement. In Mumbai
and Kolkata there have been traditional theatre audiences. People do
buy tickets and actors do get paid in those cities. About Delhi, one
can say that the only culture that interests the city dwellers is
either horticulture or page-three-party-culture. However, boredom with
television has also led to some audience revival. But will Amateur
theatre be able to support this need for cultural gratification from
live performances? In the seventies and early eighties the actors who
populated amateur theatre groups were intellectuals or radicals. Badal
Sircar's influence was strong and street theatre movement was at its
peak. The NSD actors after graduation were doing theatre and the
combination of intellectual amateurs and NSD full timer was deadly
and imbued vitality to the atmosphere. Street corner discussions at
the NSD fruit shop and late night discussions over a glass of beer or
a peg of rum was the order of the day. Even JNU and Delhi University
were pumping in radically oriented and committed theatre people,
audiences were growing. Spirits were really high. Those were really
happy times. But then came the onslaught of television and cinema.
What started as a trickle with the departure of Shiv Puri, Om Puri,
Naseerudin Shah and Raj Babbar, became an exodus as Sudhir & Sudhanshu
Mishra, Neena Gupta, Alok Nath, Sushmita Mukherjee, Ravi Baswani,
Lalit Tiwari, Manohar Singh, Surekha Sikri, Ratna Pathak, Pankaj
Kapoor, Ranjit Kapoor, Anu Kapoor and so many others trooped out of
India Gate (New Delhi)and flooded into Gateway of India (Bombay).
That's because they were not able to earn a living from theatre. I
used to believe that things were better in the western countries, but
I think it is the same everywhere. As a well known Indian saint had
said " You cannot pray on an empty stomach" The same holds true for
performing arts. You can read the full article on the following URL:
answers8: if you go to school and get a degree in what your doing. and
if you know what your doing, then yes. you need to know your way
around hollywood. who should you be making deals with and such. but
yes, it is possible.
answers9: Being a working actress doesn't necessarily mean you're
going to be a poor bohemian artist suffering or your work. Seriously,
it is actually quite easy to make a decent enough living, especially
if you're in stage and get signed as a player to a theater. Become a
member of the union and you'll be able to get jobs that will pay you
enough to live on.
answers10: I agree with the advice Chinese Cowboy gave you. <br>
You can pursue your dreams, but you need a back up plan. Get a paying
job and try out for plays. Take acting classes. <br>
I write operas. <br>
On the average, it takes a year and a half to two years to complete. <br>
I know where mine are being performed. If you didn't have an in, that
would be another obstacle. <br>
Make sure that the goals you make for yourself are realistic. Good luck.