A report from our sister theatre city that addresses a number of issues, including making a living and the generational gap. Thoughts as to how it relates or doesn't relate to Portland?
"I left Seattle and full-time acting simply because I could no longer make ends meet. I was working more and more and harder and harder and making less and less money." Just before the teaching offer came from Savannah - and before the economy began to tank - Ballard was taking a course to get a real-estate broker's license." -- City Arts Seattle continued...
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2 comments:
Larry Ballard left Seattle? Wow. Truly a loss to the NW theatre scene; Larry is an actor of excellence ~ exceptional and inspiring. I am sorry to hear that he's no longer teaching where my young actress friend is now training. His concerns with our business resonate strongly; too many of us wonder too often whether working in the theatre is worth the sacrifices, doubts and fears. God bless the actor, designer, stage manager, independent artist... I am thrilled Larry's found a healthy position in Savannah, and wish him well with all my heart. Thanks for posting this.
Fascinating article. I forwarded the link to an architect friend who saw parallels with his profession. He's never had a steady job for more than two years; presentations to prospective clients (I've seen a few, myself, in a past life) are very much theatrical performances; and the big money folks behind substantial projects don't get much of what architects do, immediately start adding to and lopping off parts of the design, etc. Just in general, there seems to be an unspoken assumption that if your work is creative or enjoyable, if you could actually LOVE it, that somehow justifies lesser financial compensation. There were some references deep in this piece that brought back memories: I remember Denis Arndt in a number of shows (esp. Ibsen's "Brand") in the mid 1970s, and I saw that OSF production of Comedy of Errors that had the gorilla suit. If I recall correctly, a young actor named Allen Nause was one of the Dromios.
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