Ok folks, here is a thought when it comes to local theater. I love it. I want to do lots of productions. But here’s the deal: I can’t afford to spend lots of money driving to a lot of rehearsals if I’m not being paid, not even a little. It’s the principal of the thing. Actually, no. It’s simple economics.

Example: A certain theater company wants me for various roles. I enjoy working with them. I enjoy the space. I enjoy the foothills. But it costs me anywhere from $5-$10 per rehearsal or performance to travel to/from the venue. Even if I were doing a paying show at another company the money wouldn’t be enough to live on, so basically I’m performing as a hobby. Which is perfectly okay by me. But in how many other “hobbies” do other people pay to see the result when the artist does not see any of that money? Not many. So it’s more of a profession/hobby hybrid. Hobbies also don’t require a certain level of skill to participate at all. Then again on the other hand not everyone who wants to participate is allowed, so those who are “chosen” feel grateful to be performing at all.

It’s a strange business. But basically I feel it comes down to this: if you’re making money off of someone for services rendered, you need to compensate that person in some fashion or another. Is the work itself compensation enough?