When actors first move to New York it can be easy to get lost in the shuffle of the city. Everyday life has a way of distracting you from your goals of becoming a professional “working” performer. Most actors find themselves living on couches and working late restaurant jobs till two in the morning when they have to be their best for the early morning auditions.
That old saying of “your body is your instrument.” is the truest cliché in the show business. When it’s not being used, a guitar player puts his instrument away in a hard shelled case to protect it. This is how we should treat our instruments. Having a safe environment to come home to every night is a good start. Eating right and exercising, going to class, meditation, all these things are part of keeping your instrument “in tune”.
It’s also important to find mentors that are available to you for guidance and discussion. While growing up I was fortunate enough to learn the “ins and outs” of theatre through a great mentor named Michael Blevins. Michael and I became business partners in 2003 starting the Group Theatre Too, a company that helps cultivate young actors in New York . Mentors are extremely important because they help keep you on track. It is easy to stray from the path in New York . Blevins would constantly remind me, “In New York you can turn the corner and find yourself in the best situation or the worst situation.”
For the past 10 years of being a working artist in New York I have been able to survive by performing, directing, choreographing, teaching and producing. I never believed in the whole “jack of all trades, master of none” saying. You have to just do what you love to do and the money will follow. You have to also have a strong sense of who you are. What are your principles, your goals and inspirations? I would never have made it this far if it wasn’t for my mentors and the community of fellow artists I created with the Group Theatre Too. I studied as a young performer at the Circle in the Square Theatre School . I’m now a faculty member at Circle but for years after graduation I felt that the director’s office door was always open for me to drop by and grab some further guidance.
So, your body is your instrument. Find a good living situation here in New York where you can sleep and feel safe. Nutrition, mentors and a strong self confidence (without allowing the ego to slip in) are necessities. And finally, always remind yourself that the person you are is not based on what you do and what other industry folk think about you. You are an artist and it is most important what YOU think of yourself and the craft you are creating. Stay true to you and just be thankful you are doing what you love to do!
