The Reluctant Stage Mom

Hello everyone! I’m working on a new blog post that will be out next week but wanted to get information about this great opportunity to you sooner as everyone’s schedule fills so quickly this time of year.

A friend of mine, who has a child in a Broadway show and is also herself a guardian, along with another guardian are offering this great opportunity for parents of children interested in musical theater. It’s a great way to learn the ropes of Broadway from people who live it daily.

Check out this link and sign up for their “talk” if you can. Wonderful connections to be made here!

https://www.facebook.com/events/1041054202614300/?ti=icl

Talk to you all in a few days! Have a great week!

 

I’m back!! Both to the blog and back home 🙂 Zack’s tour is over and it took a couple of weeks to find the house, graduate the oldest from high school, and catch up on late appointments etc… I know some of you were missing the blog, which is surreal to me, so thank you for your patience.
This week I’m going to talk about several different miscellaneous things I picked up during this adventure. None of them really go together in a nice theme, but they are important enough to mention, so bare with me if this seems a little tangential. They are random things, traditions or expectations, that come with your child performing that I would have found helpful to at least have had on my radar before we embarked on the journey. Here they are in no particular order….if anyone knows of any others that I am missing or perhaps have already forgotten, please feel free to contribute in comments.
There are a lot of different occasions for gifts. There are opening night gifts. These are not only for when an individual cast member joins a company as a replacement, but also happens when an entire production opens. There are several tours currently casting kids’ roles to either start on a new tour or for replacements as kids outgrow their roles i.e./ Finding Neverland, The King & I, and Annie. When Zack joined his tour as a replacement I was shocked by the gift giving that took place. To me, coming from a larger family where we try to minimize gifting, it was overwhelming! The gift of going on was really enough but you can’t fight tradition. As we integrated into the cast, spending time together in the laundromats, etc, we noted that they all seemed to have a number of items with the name of the tour emblazoned on them. There were draw string knapsacks, laundry bags, water bottles, pencil cases, hoodies, etc…Apparently on the original opening night they had all exchanged gifts and apparently this is tradition….who knew??
There are also “happy trails” gifts. This happens when someone performs for the last time with the production. The tour Zack was on also had a very touching “happy trails” ceremony which was actually quite sweet but very emotional. I was not prepared for all the tears after each goodbye.
There are many websites from which you can order these novelties but I noticed there was almost a “dibs” factor on ideas so things weren’t duplicated. If you’re like me and a little less creative then I’d suggest getting a jump on this!! A couple of the girls on Zack’s tour even bought wooden Jenga sets and had each cast member autograph a piece and pen a memory that they shared on them as a very meaningful keepsake. This level of creativity definitely escapes me!!
Another expectation that I wasn’t aware of was the tipping of the dressers. No…this is not some strange city game mimicking cow tipping. There are actually people called dressers involved with the cast. They are locals in each city (or in the city if not a tour) who are hired specifically to assist the cast with the management, donning , and doffing of their costumes. In community theater Zack was always expected to be able to orchestrate his own hair, make up, and costumes, getting help only with a quick change and generally from his fellow cast mates. Typically on our tour, in each city
there was one boy dresser and two girl dressers. It is traditional to tip the dresser at the end of the stay in each city. Zack LOVED these people! They were kind, attentive, and seemed to go out of their way to make the kids feel at home. People generally tipped $10-$15/week on tour. I know there are also dressers on Broadway and that it is traditional to tip them as well but I’m not sure how much or how often as we have not yet had the Broadway experience ourselves. Zack particularly enjoyed writing each of them a personal note to go with the tip, and he’s not typically a kid who enjoys reading and writing, so they were definitely special to him.
A cast with several children may also have a plan to handle birthdays. If you find yourself involved in one of these casts and there isn’t a birthday plan I would volunteer to coordinate one if I were you. On our tour each child would contribute $5 the week prior to a birthday and the parent coordinator would shop for a gift card for the birthday boy/girl that would be of particular interest to him/her. They also bought a card for all the kids to sign. This practice made sure that no one was ever forgotten and that everyone got the same or similar recognition.
Another tradition on our tour was something called “Onesie Wednesday’s”. Not sure if this is a common tradition or just one that our tour did, but these little things the cast did helped to foster some continuity despite their worlds constantly changing. This meant a lot particularly to the kids who were in swing nation. These kids work super hard often performing in 2, 3, or even 4 roles but unless someone was sick or on vacation they only performed 3 or maybe 4 times/week. When we’d get into a new city Tuesday’s would be preview night, Wednesday’s would be publicity or “opening” night, and the swing kids would rarely perform until Thursday. “Onesie Wednesday’s” gave them their own special tradition they would have to open a new city and I will say they got pretty darn creative with those onesies and the other kids who were performing were pretty darn jealous of those onesies!! I will also say that onesies are NOT the easiest thing to find for a tween! I think Zack finally had one for the last two weeks of the tour.
One final miscellaneous item is show “swag”. Man do these kids like their “swag”. T-shirts, pajama pants, hoodies, tour jackets, onesies, all with the name of the show on them and often with their name and the name of their role on the chest. We were very lucky to have one mom who was willing to take “swag” on and occasionally coordinate orders including the personalization etc…If you have kids who want swag then see if there is one parent who is willing to coordinate. It allows everyone to be included, the kids get the exact same items, and there tends to be a discount with larger orders.
I will mention that another surprise to me was the “super fans”. There are some very passionate fans of these shows and sometimes they will cross a line in terms of personal space and general social appropriateness. This doesn’t happen often but it does happen and it tended to happen more if we were in a city for 2-3 weeks or in a couple of one week cities closer together. During these stays we would put the swag away for a bit. It just became too common for the kids to be stopped for pictures and autographs disrupting field trips and interrupting some already very tight meal breaks attracting a lot of public attention. I wasn’t prepared for all of this and my advice is to close the window on social media keeping it all very private and if not private then vague. Sadly there are some very scary individuals out there.
I hope to be better with the blog now that we are settled back home. If you have any questions or topics you are interested in then please let me know and we can tackle them together. Until next time 🙂

As a “reluctant stage mom” I have, by default, learned many many things about subjects that never occurred to me as requiring much thought. One of these subjects is vocalizing. You have a child, he/she works through the developmental stages with encouragement and excitement from you, and by the time he/she is 3 or 4 years old you have a child who talks. If your children are anything like mine, you often wonder why on earth you ever thought encouraging them to learn to talk was a good idea! Nevertheless, it has been learned. I never gave much thought to the mechanics behind it. Even as a practicing physical therapist I never thought about the muscles or structures used to produce a voice, the physiological needs of a voice, or how posture can impact the voice. Of course these are things I think about daily at work but not for my children…until Zack came along.
As I have mentioned before Zack is a singer. The kid just sings. It comes naturally to him. The pitch, the tone, the harmonies, all of it. Unfortunately, because we come from an area that does not promote vocal training or education for children under 10 years old, he developed some bad habits very early. These habits didn’t demonstrate any real negative impact until he started to perform more regularly and then his voice would become raspy and “tired” at times. This indicates the presence of some inflammation of the vocal codds. I wish we had understood how important great vocal health would be for him as he progressed along this path so we wouldn’t now be encountering these periods of frustration as he is performing professionally.
This week I’m going to share with you some of the basics of good vocal health. I would ask that if any of our vocal coaches out there happen to read this and feel like chiming in to either correct me or to add to what I am saying that they PLEASE feel free to do so!
There are some basics we have learned. Hydration is number one on the list! Actually may be numbers 1, 2 and 3!! This, for a long time, was the hardest thing for Zack. He is not naturally a water drinker, he isn’t a big drinker of anything really. The difference in his voice when he’s hydrated is undeniable. He, at 12 years old, can totally appreciate the improvement. This has to become just a regular daily habit. The hours before a performance you can’t just chug a liter of water and expect miracles.
Your voice is created from two vocal cords, sometimes also knows as vocal folds. They are two membranes that stretch across your larynx, the top of your wind pipe, that move together as you exhale to create different sounds. The material of the vocal cords is somewhat similar (basically speaking) to the material of your lips. Think about how miserable your lips feel when they are dry and chapped. When you stretch them to talk or smile they will even split. They tend to get chapped from weather impacting them externally or when we have a cold and switch to mouth breathing with air constantly flowing past them. If we are well hydrated and our mouth is moist our lips tend to feel less dry and chapped. Your vocal cords are the same way. When you are hydrated your vocal cords are moist, mucous is thinner and easier to move, and the vocal cords move with improved fluidity and without the irritation that can be created when two pieces of tissue are rubbing together. With your lips you can apply Chapstick as an external lubricant. This is not an option for your vocal cords. They are at the top of your airway which is quite cranky when anything other than air gets near it. Lozenges, hot drinks, etc…can feel soothing, but they are not directly impacting or improving your vocal cords. You can’t drink water and superficially wet your vocal cords. Your body with reject that with a fit of coughing and choking only further irritating the cords. You also can’t drink water and direct it to your vocal cords. The only way to ensure your vocal cords are moist and lubricated is to drink enough fluid to keep you whole body hydrated. You want to avoid caffeine; most of us with young children discourage them from drinking caffeine anyway, as it can act as a diuretic, which encourages more fluid output and is ultimately less hydrating. Sugary drinks often contain caffeine so be careful of these as well. We us a lot of caffeine free tea and honey.
The one external way you can impact the moisture of the vocal cords is through air quality. If you are in a cold climate with dry heat or constantly have the AC running, this can be very drying. Using a cool mist humidifier can be very helpful. The other way is by the use of a personal steamer. Vicks sells one for short money at almost any local pharmacy and many of the kids on tour with us use this version. We found that Zack is so busy looking around and chatting that the open steamer really doesn’t work that well for him. We invested in the Mypuremist steamer with the face mask that was recommended by a speech language pathologist he works with, and have noted a dramatic improvement.
Another important basic for good vocal health is establishing a good posture that allows you to use the breathing muscles with the least amount of strain. If you picture your wind pipe as a tube of toothpaste and your voice as the paste then you know that when your tube is straight you can squeeze out the toothpaste with little trouble. If the tube gets bent or twisted it takes much more effort to get the paste out and it can get messy and harder to control. Good posture is good for easier flow. It is also important, mechanically, to allow the necessary muscles to work with less effort and to make sure you are calling the correct muscles to do the work. A child who hears a favorite song on the radio will automatically mimic the song the way they hear it using whatever they find within themselves to make it sound the same. Much of the time they are using throat , shoulder, neck, and tongue muscles to do this….and yes sometimes eyebrows and nostrils too…I am speaking from experience.
The fact is that most of the muscle effort should be coming from their diaphragm and their core strength. Children typically don’t have the best core strength naturally. Their bodies haven’t matured yet and are constantly changing making it necessary to constantly revisit their posture and strength to ensure the best technique. There are, as always, exceptions to this, but just speaking generally. Good posture combined with good stretching and strengthening to reinforce the posture as well as recruiting the correct muscles is key. The younger they learn this the better.
People often talk about diet and vocals. Sure there are some fast and true rules. Dairy is not great to ingest before a performance. It can cause an increase in and thickening of mucous. Some swear vitamin C can thin mucous. Ultimately you will find what does and does not work for your child. Good overall health will work for everyone all the time. Make sure your child has a well balanced, healthy diet with plenty of fruit and veggies. While traveling on tour place to place and being exposed to so much we have chosen to give Zack a daily vitamin C supplement and are constantly reminding him to wash his hands. A cold can really take the fun out of performing.
Those are the very basics of vocal health. If you have a child who is truly a singer I suggest finding a vocal coach to work with sooner vs. later. Skype works for us! A good coach is going to focus on all aspects of vocal health, building a great foundation and habits for your child as he/she grows. Make sure the coach has experience working with children too! It should be fun work not misery.
As always please feel free to ask any questions or add any comments.

So I’m afraid this week you’re going to be stuck with another opinion piece. I’ve been asked my how I feel about this scenario several times in the last month and feel quite strongly about it, shocking I know, so now you all get to hear about it. My editor, aka/ retired English teacher mom, is in Paris this week so please excuse any run on sentences or poor grammar.

We all parent differently. Despite the numerous “how to” books you can buy there is no secret recipe for success. There are weeks that I feel I have it all under control, that I really have the whole “mom” thing running like a well oiled machine, only to be humbled by the next stumbling block that comes flying out of left field. My point being that I will express in this blog how we as parents , Sean and I, have chosen to deal with this scenario with clear understanding that ours is not the only correct way.

How many times has your child begged you to let him/her audition for the local production that your community theater is producing? We have heard “it’s the role I’ve always dreamed of!”, “all my friends are going to be in it!”, and “Please mom! Please dad!” More often than I would care to remember. We love our community theater. It’s where our children have learned to love theater and they have gained so much skill through their experiences there. Here’s the catch. You’ve just spent money, time, & energy for the last several months obtaining an agent, creating a resume and headshot, and have made several trips into the city to audition for the “big leagues”. How can you tie your child’s time up with a community production when you have already firmly planted both feet on this path to professional theater?

It’s tricky! You have to decide right from the beginning that once you commit to the production you are not leaving despite what other opportunities might come along. We had to sit Zack down and make sure he understood that this was his decision. If he auditioned for this show and was cast he couldn’t change his mind later because something “bigger” or “better” came along. It wouldn’t be fair to the director or to the rest of the cast and a commitment is a commitment, “you’re only as good as you’re word”.  If he still wanted to audition then I would also email his agent and give him a heads up about Zack’s plan and the dates involved and make sure that he didn’t know of any reason for which we shouldn’t pursue the opportunity. Inevitably, each time after Zack was cast and accepted the role, some great opportunity came up with which the local production conflicted. Sometimes the other project would accept a video submission in light of the conflict, other times we simply had to pass. It was hard to watch the opportunity slip by but we felt strongly enough about the lesson the situation taught to let it go.

Friends and aquaintances struggle with this too and will ask my opinion. Her are my thoughts:

1) To quote a favorite show “A contract, is a contract, is a contract”. Whether paid or not you and your child gave at least your word, if not your signature, saying you would participate in the production. What lesson are you teaching your child if you allow him/her to leave the theater in the lurch to take another, “better”, opportunity? You’re teaching them you can step on whomever you want to on your way up the ladder, it’s OK to bail out on your friends and set them up for unnecessary trials or outright failure if it helps you to succeed, and that some people are more important than others. Sean and I agree that as much as we want our child to find success on this path he is traveling, our first goal is to raise a kind and independent child who has integrity, compassion, and loyalty. Of course you could discuss this with the director at the theater and perhaps they may have an option “B” for your child that would allow them to leave the local production without causing too much difficulty. This has not been our experience and we have watched as many relationships have been irreversibly damaged in the process.

2) Every role is a good role. It is what you make of it. I personally have a problem with the philosophy that a child has “out grown” an ensemble role or can no longer learn from a community theater experience. Bologna! Each new role, no matter how big or how small, gives your child an opportunity to embrace a new character with new challenges. The challenge could be in the spotlight singing a solo, an ensemble role playing three different characters and learning how to quick change, or an ensemble person with one role also helping with scenery changes and a need to remain quietly backstage. Guess what!?! Even most Broadway actors have to play more than one role, know how to quick change, and …yes…even have to change scenery. There may be long periods of time in professional shows that actors are expected to remain quietly back stage. It’s a very important skill. Your child will learn and take from the experience what they invest in the experience. It may even offer an opportunity to act as a mentor, you won’t know unless you keep an open mind.

And finally,

3) This is your child’s dream. To a certain degree they are choosing their own path. You may not agree with the choice of what may feel like a “step back” to the community level after the investment you’ve made in the professional process but as the parent you are really just the “guide”. It’s his/her journey. You can express your concerns, make sure he/she understands that once the commitment is made you expect him/her to follow through, and ensure that it is understood that there may be sacrifices if other opportunities come along, but ultimately it is his/her choice to make.

It’s hard sometimes. They are our children. We are programmed as parents to want them to succeed. Sometimes we can confuse success with money and notoriety and forget about happiness. There are times, for reasons we do not always understand, a role comes along that is tremendously important to our child and he/she will invest in the role and will be happy and learn more than you could imagine from the new experience. In my book this is a great success story! What’s that old saying…”one in the hand is worth two in the bush”.

Parenting is not for the faint of heart. In the grand scheme these are truly not life altering choices; however, how you react and follow through with them certainly can be life altering as you are setting examples for your child to follow. Don’t lose sight of your goals as his/her parent while also playing a part time role as his/her manager.

As always thoughts are welcome.

 

 

The question about how school happens for these entertainment kids when they are working on a show keeps cropping up. I am not a teacher but am more than happy to share my understanding of how school is handled in a few different scenarios and also how our experience has been while on tour.
There are a few different scenarios that effect how school is managed. 1) Your child is and will continue to be home schooled. God Bless you! I truly admire parents who have the patience and organizational skills to offer this to their child. Not to mention the actual skill to teach all of those subjects. 2) Your child is in rehearsal for a show, either for a touring show or for a show “sitting down” somewhere. 3) Your child is performing in a show and currently touring or 4) Your child is performing in a show “sitting down” somewhere i.e./ Not changing location like the shows that are playing on Broadway.
If you already home school your child you have the best case scenario in terms of setting up school when embarking on this adventure. You won’t need to change anything. You already have your system in place and presumably know all the requirements for school aged children in your state of residence. If you decide you are going to begin homeschooling your child as you begin this adventure I would strongly suggest that you do your research on the requirements for schools aged children in your state of residence. You’re going to want to know minimally how many of hours of school / week are required, how school work and progress is required to be documented i.e./ a portfolio, regular assessments, etc.., and any annual standardized testing that may be required. I suggest you find someone in your community who home schools and is passionate about it as they will be your best resource. I know that in many ways Zack would benefit from home schooling but it is one gift I have not yet been able to give him. More power to you! Parents who home school have my complete admiration!
From this point on we will be referring to children who are not home schooled. When rehearsing for an equity show, school or tutoring is typically arranged by the company. They will provide the teachers, the schedule and cover the cost. This may not necessarily be true of a non equity production and is absolutely one of the points I would want to have clearly laid out for me in a contract before my child were to sign with a non equity show. The rehearsal schedule will typically require kids to be present at rehearsal during regular school hours. This would make it impossible for a child to attend his/her regular school during the rehearsal period. Zack has done non- equity professional shows local to us during the school year. The company worked with us to make sure that his call times for rehearsal were after school throughout the rehearsal period. When the show moved to tech we were fortunate to be in a school system that was willing to accommodate him missing a few days of school to afford him the experience. This made for some very long days for Zack but he never complained, maintained his grades, and for the short run of these shows it was manageable. The equity shows we know of both through our own experience, and those of our friends, work with an education company that provides tutors to the show. The company researches to make sure the children are in compliance with the regulations in their state of residence. The company we are most familiar with is On Location Education. Their tutors on site are excellent and their office staff are right on top of everything and worked with our school system to offer Zack the most seamless transition possible to school on tour. They are even aware of when our school system has vacation days and gives Zack those same days off from tutoring.
For the most part our school system was willing to share an outline of the curriculum that Zack would have been covering if he were to have remained in school at home. They even loaned him the text books he would need. This is a great scenario and is not always the case. Some kids we are touring with did not get that level of support from home and have worked with On Location Education to find a curriculum that would work best for the child while meeting the requirements for  regulations in their state of residence.

Once rehearsal period is over and your child starts performing whether or not the company continues to provide the tutoring necessary for school will depend on if your child is touring or performing in a show that is staying in one place. Typically a touring show has a staff of tutors, ours has 2, that will travel with the company and provide school. The company is very respectful of the regulations regarding the education of the children in the cast and school is given priority. The children are allowed to “bank” a small number of school hours that they may perform in a slower week that will ensure they are not missing required time in the case of illness. The company continues to support school financially, you are not responsible.
In the case of a “sit down” show, one that is not moving, Broadway for example, the company is no longer responsible for providing the education piece to your child. There are plenty of schools in NYC that can offer your child an education so it is then up to the parents to decide if you will enroll your child in a local school, find an online or “virtual” school for him/her, or transition to home schooling. We have friends working in each of these scenarios and after a period of adjustment they are happy with the choice that they made. I personally questioned the ability of a child to perform on Broadway and still attend a regular school offering “regular” school hours. After speaking with one particular friend who had a son who did this for a fairly long period of time I was relieved to hear that for the right child in the right school this is a totally viable option.
So that’s what I know about school in a nutshell. I hope it helps those of you who had that on your list of questions as you consider embarking on this adventure. If you have any specific questions please ask them! If I don’t know the answer there are enough regular readers here that there is sure to be someone else who may have an answer and we can all learn something from the answer.
Until next time…..

So, here you are! You’re ready for this! You’ve had your child coached. The audition book is ready and it is a masterpiece that shows what an awesome performer your child is. The head shots are GORGEOUS! Those eyes just pop! Your child is just the right size for 80% of the roles out there, and you were lucky enough to sign with an agent, or manager, that totally gets you, AND your child already has his/her first audition appointment next week. You’ve got that resume with some great community credits and training stapled back to back with that gorgeous head shot neatly trimmed and you’re ready to go! A quick reminder to your child about what to expect when you arrive at the audition in the big city and you even remembered to pack headphones to tune out all the drama while you wait. You’ve done your homework and this is going to be a piece of cake! Well….yes, you’re as ready as you can be for sure, and that is so important because now you’ll be able to weather the parts of this process you can’t control and all of the emotions that it brings.
I don’t know about you, but there is not one part of what Zack does that I could do now, at the age of nearly 48, that he has been doing professionally since the age of 9. Taking pictures is painful! Singing in front of people?? Not going to happen! You’re welcome. He has to show up to this place and be prepared to sing, dance, speak, and smile, essentially selling himself as the character they are looking for, while waiting together with dozens of other children all there for the same reason, and remain calm. Seriously! This is not what your average tween does in daily life.
As the parent you have to be ready to support your child emotionally through this minefield that is full of politics and subjectivity. You have to be able to put your own emotions aside and be prepared to offer support and guidance during both the best and worst situations. If your child really wants to live his/her dream you have to be strong for him/her. They are only kids and with all their talent they have not experienced enough of life or matured to a point to be able to handle what’s about to come at them in a healthy, positive, professional way without your support. Are you ready mom, dad, grandma, grandpa? I thought the logistics of getting started was the hard part. It was certainly the part that frightened me as we began this journey, the “being the mom” part I felt ready for. I had no idea how sheltered my world was and have left many audition experiences with multiple holes in my tongue.
As you start auditioning regularly you are going to discover how small the professional theater world is, particularly for kids. You will see the same children and parents over and over again. You and your child will begin to think of many of them as your friends and will even begin to look forward to seeing them at these auditions. It truly does have a lovely sense of community and in general the kids are a great support to one another. After having been involved in this process for the last 2 years and having attended upwards of 30-40 auditions I can say there are always a few in attendance who are strategizing from the moment they walk in the door. Fortunately, they are not the majority, but they are the ones who can undermine your child’s confidence if he/she is not prepared for what these people bring. The parents will talk loudly with their child’s representative on their phones in the middle of the room or hall, discussing how they can’t possibly take another job since their exceptional DD (darling daughter) or DS (darling son) has been booked solid for weeks. Some of the equity kids will enter the room wearing wearing their show jackets despite the fact that it is 80 degrees outside, and will pull their audition material from a bag that has been emblazoned with all of the shows they have participated in. The “psych your competition out” game has begun. It will move forward, after the initial entry, to some prep rituals that will include stretching to the point that the child has become a human pretzel right before our eyes, doing loud vocal warmups demonstrating incredible range, making our children feel significantly under qualified to be there, or standing in the mirror right next to where you and your child are seated and repeatedly brushing and rebraiding hair in various styles to find just the right one.
This may sound like I’m being judgmental, and if I’m being honest with myself, perhaps I am a little. I am an introvert; none of these are things I would do or encourage Zack to do, and maybe there’s a small piece of me that is jealous of the boldness in nature and overall self confidence demonstrated. Ultimately this is a job interview and in my world, what I like to consider “real” life, this is not the way one conducts himself/herself at a job interview. As Zack’s mom I believe part of my job is to teach him how to get along in the real world. I encourage Zack to be present, to be friendly, to connect with the kids, but to do so in an understated way that is respectful of the feelings of everyone attending the audition. He will not wear his tour jacket, nor will he carry his tour bag. He will let his resume and material speak for him in the room. Out of the room he’s just a kid who shares the same passion as the other kids. Yes, he has been fortunate to work professionally, but this is a new ballgame and he is on equal ground with all of them as they meet a new creative team. He will often recognize kids from previous auditions and sometimes from seeing them perform in previous shows. He loves to see familiar faces and I encourage him to cheer them on, wishing them luck or congratulating them on recent accomplishments. He is a kid and at times I do hear “oh no, he’s here too, now I’m doomed”. I have to remind him that this is a new process and he wouldn’t be there if he didn’t have a chance of booking the part, and his focus should be on making a good impression in the room. If he has a need to warm up we find a quiet corner out of the main room or ,if available, will rent a warm up room for 15 minutes. I encourage him to sit quietly with his head phones on and mentally prepare himself for his own audition while tuning out any drama.
Inevitably there are times when self doubt will creep in. They are children, they need reminders of the talent that they bring to the table, and that their job, especially in a first call, is to be seen and make a good impression. Half the battle is having a chance to get in front of the casting directors so that they may be thought of when the casting directors are working on future projects. Remind them that nothing ventured is nothing gained and even if they don’t get the part or have an opportunity to move forward in the process, they have done their job just by showing up. Take the giant pressure of the end goal of booking the job away from them and then have them aim for something much more attainable like making a good impression. They will gladly switch their focus if you remind them to do so.
This should never be so hard or stressful that there are tears or physical symptoms like vomiting or feeling faint. If there’s that much pressure, then try to refocus on the fact that this is not a life or death situation, give them some perspective by asking what’s the worst thing that could happen, make sure they really still want to audition, and if emotions can’t be controlled, then excuse yourself from the process. There is nothing more important than your child’s health and happiness, and that can be very hard to remember , even for an adult, in these circumstances.
Zack has experienced very friendly audition rooms with smiling faces and warm greetings at the door leading into a bright and attentive room. He has also faced situations where the door opens and a person who looks less than happy to be alive calls his name, and without making eye contact, shuffles him into a silent room full of people staring at their papers barely acknowledging his arrival. How off -putting would that be if you were interviewing for a job? I certainly have experienced both of these scenarios in my professional life, but I have the tools and the maturity to handle both.
Prepare your child. You will get a feel for the room just by observing the greeting that the children ahead of you receive. I will say to Zack “can you imagine how tiresome it must be to see the same material over and over again? That poor person looks like he/she could use a smile. Give him/her a very nice smile on the way in and cheer him/her up”. Unfortunately all you can do is encourage them and remind them of their goals. Once they are in the room they are on their own.
One time Zack came out of a room after an audition and my husband, who was with him for this particular audition, could sense something was wrong. It hadn’t started very well to begin with as Zack was more nervous than usual, due to the fact that they were recording some of the auditions for a news segment which meant that he was wearing a microphone. Then, if you can imagine, he had been brought around the corner to enter the room and some moms sitting on the other side decided his outfit would look better if his shirt was tucked in. Zack has a very definite sense of style and comfort but has been taught to be respectful so when the women started tucking his shirt in for him, yes strangers were tucking my sons shirt in his pants, he didn’t stop them. My husband heard what was going on and intervened returning Zack to “his” way and did not return to his own seat until Zack was safely in the room. Apparently when he entered the room the director immediately stated “you don’t look like a (insert name of character being auditioned for here)”. Here he is , 10 years old, entering a room of strangers ready to put himself out there, and he doesn’t even get a hello what’s your name before hearing that he doesn’t look at all like the boy he is auditioning to portray. Needless to say he was quite upset about the audition but managed to leave the area before demonstrating any real emotions. As a parent there is nothing you can do in this situation. It’s a teaching moment. I can tell you that I would be hard pressed to allow Zack to audition for that director again.
There are times that cuts are made right in the room. They might not be called “cuts” but described as “the creatives have seen all they need to see for today” but the kids sense the meaning. As parents we need to prepare them for the good and bad of this scenario. If they are told they can go they need to gather their things, thank the people running the audition, and leave professionally. No doubt they are disappointed, but they need to save their emotions for after they have professionally exited the audition area. The same goes for the kids who are selected to stay. They need to be told not to openly celebrate and to respect the feelings of the kids who are leaving. This is usually not a problem , particularly if they’ve spent any amount of time together, they feel their pain and say their goodbyes. After the other kids have left, then they can be excited about moving forward.
My personal favorite is when we travel anywhere from 5 1/2-7 hours to get to the city for a “final callback” and we find ourselves sitting outside the room with just one other parent and child pair. Both times this has happened the other child has auditioned first while Zack and I wait with the other child’s parent in the hallway. Each time, after the other child has completed his audition and come back to the hallway with his parent, the director has come out to greet the parent saying how nice it will be to work with his/her son again, how’s the family doing, does he/she have any questions about how the work will be done, exchanging big hugs and air kisses, all while we are sitting right there watching and waiting for Zack’s opportunity to audition. How do I, as the parent, put a positive spin on this one? The second time this happened Zack whispered to me “oh brother, here we go again!”. I said to him “well I guess all you can do is go show them what they are missing out on!”. Of course he wasn’t cast for either of these parts but the second time his positive performance earned him a referral to another coveted job on another project that he ended up being hired for without an audition. A positive, professional attitude and making a good first impression will eventually be recognized and rewarded.
The bottom line is that you can only be as prepared as you possibly can be. You don’t have a crystal ball to predict every factor that goes into a casting decision. The director may have a dislike of a boy in a pink shirt, they suddenly decide he/she is actually looking for someone who looks much younger, but he/she didn’t realize that until later in the process, or a twist of fate lands an unexpectedly available well known talent in the projects lap moving your child to second choice. It’s a business. It’s unpredictable, it’s disappointing, but it isn’t life or death. The process can offer opportunities for you to use your child’s dream to teach early some of life’s most important lessons i.e./ nothing ventured nothing gained, you will learn something from every experience, kill them with kindness, and persistence pays off. A friend recently shared this with me:
If you fail, never give up, because F-A-I-L means “first attempt in learning”. End is not the end. In fact, E-N-D means “effort never dies”. If you get no as an answer, remember N-O means “next opportunity”. Be positive!
We are a Christian family so we refer to Jesus as the higher power in our universe. You can insert whatever your family believes in, everyone has someone/something. We tell Zack “Jesus is driving the bus”. You have to believe that if you stay true to your values, be kind to people, try your hardest, and keep the faith, you will end up where you’re supposed to be at the time you’re supposed to be there. It’s all part of the plan. This can be the hardest thing to do even for a grownup: promote integrity, kindness, persistence, and faith. Your mission as the parent of a child entertainer is use these tools to grow a happy, functioning, adult who has been able to live his/her dream when he/she comes out on the adult side. This makes resumes and head shots look like child’s, play doesn’t it?

I am often surprised by the number of people who think my husband and I are getting “rich” off of Zack’s work in theater. Unless you are in the category of Neil Patrick Harris or Sutton Foster ,the superstars of musical theater, you will just be able to get by on the salary your child will make. If you’re child is union he/she will also have excellent benefits but the average professional musical theater actor is not getting wealthy. We are not in this for the money.
When you include accommodating the laws surrounding child labor and the need to have a trust established in his/her name, agency fees, union dues and taxes the take home pay check is considerably less than it initially appears. Further add in the cost of a second home while the child is working and the possibility of a lost salary for the parent who is with the child while he/she is working away from home then the reality is hard to deny, being the parent of a child performer is not going to improve your financial situation.
If your child has this dream and you find yourself compelled to support him/her in it and chase this dream it can be done but you will have to be frugal.
A Broadway Union contract can typically pay a salary of @ $1,900/week or @ $98,000/year. The tax rate for the state of NY in this income bracket is 6.65% or @ $6,500. The federal tax rate in this bracket is 28% or @ $27,000. As I’ve mentioned previously in this blog your child’s representation could take 10-25% of his/her take home depending on which representation path you chose. An agent collecting 10% would lead to @$9,800 further deducted from the take home. The trust required for a child actor to be permitted to work in NY moves 15% or @ $14,700 into that account. Equity working dues would move another 2.25% or @ $2,205 from the take home. Finally, housing in the city. A small one bedroom in midtown with utilities will cost at least upwards of $30,000 for the year. When you add all of these deductions up you are left with @ $7,300 of the original $98,000 salary. Obviously this is just an approximation. There are an infinite number of different scenarios that could be played out with these factors and this is merely an example to allow for some perspective. There are also all the factors that would include the differences between touring and being on Broadway, but again, this is just an example.
For our family we did have to factor in the loss of my salary while I am out on tour with Zack. Before we even agreed to take on the tour role we had to sit down with our 12 year old and make sure that he understood that the money left over after all of these deductions would have to become “house” money to make up (in part) for my missing salary in order for us to afford him this opportunity.
The good part in all of this, at least in our opinion, and aside from the excellent credit on Zack’s resume, is that 15% going into his trust. That absolutely is money in the bank that is available to him when he turns 18 to be used either for college or to take him in another direction of his choosing as he moves into his adult life.
Let me talk a little about the trust account needed and the work permit process. The need for a trust began way back in the days of Jackie Coogan and Shirley Temple. There was a great concern for kids in entertainment being used by their parents to generate income, and being left as young adults without any financial benefit from all of their hard work. We have gone through this process with Zack as residents of New Hampshire obtaining a child labor permit for New York. Zack has also needed to acquire permits in the other states requiring them that the tour traveled to and the paperwork was very similar. Not all states require permits. New Hampshire, for instance, does not nor does Massachusetts or Maine but New York does. New York has made the process of acquiring the permit fairly straight forward. The two pieces parents can find most difficult are getting the school to sign that the child is a student in good standing, this is particularly true in the case of home schooling, and the establishment of a trust account. We could not find a bank local to us in NH that would offer a Coogan account for Zack. Fortunately there were several that offered an UTMA account which is also acceptable for a NY State child performer work permit. If the state that you are seeking a permit in requires a particular type of trust account, California does require the Coogan, and you are having difficulty finding access to one then call your local actors union office. They can be a great resource of help in finding an institution that will offer one of these to you.
As for obtaining a NY State child actor work permit there is an excellent website that is most easily accessed by searching “child labor permit NY”. This will bring you to a page on the website labor.ny.gov and offer you prompts to work through the process.
Most people, ourselves included, have an immediate need for a child labor permit due to their child being hired for a job.
On the website you follow the prompts that allow you a one time only 15 day temporary permit. This is truly permitted only one time per child. This will allow you to immediately print off and use the permit for work happening immediately. Since it is only good for 15 days my suggestion is that you do not go through the process of obtaining the temporary permit if your child has work pending unless/until you are sure that the work is going to happen within that 15 day window. You must complete the process of the temporary permit at a device from which you can print as it will not be something that you can print later. Aside from the temporary permit it will also generate the paperwork/ forms needed for you to acquire your child’s 12 month permit. This includes a health form, a school form, a trust form, and also a list of other documentation that needs to be included.
When you print this out it is my suggestion that you get to work immediately assembling the rest of the packet and send it in ASAP as you do not want to miss job opportunities due to a lag between the temporary permit expiring and the receipt of the 12 month permit.
The first time you submit for the 12 month permit is the most difficult. The state requires less documentation for renewals barring changes to your child’s situation. I also recommend keeping copies of everything you fill out and mail in to the state each time that you submit or renew. Things have been known to get lost or delayed. The good news is that aside from the cost of a stamp there is no fee for the permit!
Sorry to disappoint anyone who thought that musical theater was going to allow them to retire early 🙂 If you find a way to make that happen PLEASE do share here with the rest of us!! We have done much less work in print and film however, in just the little we have done, there certainly does appear to be some better opportunity for financial improvement in that line of work.  I am scheduled for another brief reprieve at home during the next week or so. If my blog does not pop up on Friday the 15th and you are anxiously awaiting it 😉 don’t worry…it will get there…just may take a few days.
Have a great week everyone!

If your child is pursuing professional roles in musical theater you can’t help but notice the number of auditions posted for touring opportunities. Some of them are equity tours, some of them are non equity tours, some are for 6 months plus, some are for shorter holiday gigs but anyway you slice it, touring is an adventure. It is one of those things that people talk about with much excitement; “what a great opportunity!”, “Imagine all of the places you will get to see!”, “Someone is paying you to travel and to perform? You’re so lucky!”. These are all true statements and the opportunity is awesome in terms of being able to perform,and to do so on so many different stages, but let’s not overlook the amount of work involved.
First of all, I myself would not have my child sign on for a non equity tour unless he/she had a very experienced agent or manager who could hammer out every last detail prior to signing. Zack and I are currently out on an equity tour and I am SO grateful for the conditions that have been negotiated by equity to ensure the work/travel conditions that we have while we are on this adventure. I was certain that touring was not an option for us with our larger family and the need for a guardian to travel with Zack leaving our family short an adult at home. The fact that it is an equity tour allowed some peace of mind and ultimately made it manageable for one of us to travel with Zack and give him the great credit for his resume. We will move forward from an equity tour perspective here but keep in mind that there are also non equity tour opportunities out there as well.                                                                                       Think about the organization and details that go into planning a family vacation for a week or two. Now imagine those details for a company,consisting of dozens of cast and crew, touring for a production for a year or more. Transportation, lodging, salary, cost of living, work hours, and basic needs that have to be found in each new and strange location. On an equity tour there are things that you can count on the company arranging; flights and buses, offering two affordable housing options that when possible include amenities that have been negotiated, and they will provide transportation i.e./ rental cars to be shared by the cast and crew if the lodging is more than a certain distance from the theater.
The company has to make all efforts to offer walking distance lodging, laundry options, workout options, access to dental and medical, and recommendations for groceries and dining at each stop on the tour. Although the company needs to offer you these options, it is generally not mandated that you utilize them. Many people on our tour find apartments to rent and share through Airbnb, VRBO, or Craig’s list.
When you sign a contract for a tour, information re/ salary , money for cost of living or per diem, etc., will be included in the details of the contract. Before embarking on tour there is certain information that you will want to know that isn’t included in the contract details. How many suitcases can each of you bring? Is there a weight limit for the suitcases? How about carry on items? Do you have a “trunk” or personal storage container that will be kept at the theater and loaded in/out at each stop on the tour? Can you initially send a box or two of belongings to the theater to place in your personal storage container? I would have made significantly different choices in how I managed our belongings before moving to NYC for the month of rehearsals had I known to ask these questions before we left our home.
One of the questions I was asked most leading up to our departure to NYC was “how are you going to pack for 6 months and every climate?”. Well, that was a very good question and certainly one of the biggest challenges. Let’s face it, two suitcases each weighing less than 50lbs a piece can hold a lot of stuff….but what 12 year old boy is going to be able to manage his 2 suitcases independently while mom handles hers and everything else. It was time to take a minimalists approach. Underwear and socks are VERY important! Those can be the limiting factor if there is not laundry on site. As a society we tend to be quick to wear clothes for a few hours and then throw them in the hamper. We have learned that a pair of pants , barring any unusual activity, can be worn twice before really needing to be washed. With our new found concepts of clean and prioritizing, we were able to fit enough pants , shirts, tshirts, shorts and underclothes into only 3 suitcases and 2 backpacks to manage our needs, even moving from West Palm Beach Florida one week to Detroit Michigan the next. This is also where our “trunk” that we have at the theater comes in very handy. During our time in Fla. we were able to stash our winter boots, shoes, coats, hats, and heavy sweaters in there to allow us to move with less weight until we headed north again, at which point we switched the summer clothes for the winter clothes. The trunk is also a great space for mementos that accumulate in your travels, as well as anything that can be bulky or heavy especially when flying. We have learned to carry small bottles (3 oz or under) of our shampoos etc…when moving to a new location and we place the bigger bottles in the trunk. This significantly lightens the suitcase. Many people also have things like crock pots, blenders, hot plates, and some of the kids even have scooters in their trunks.
As you review the housing options offered to you it will become easier for you to choose where to stay as you determine which amenities are most important to you. For us, being able to walk to and from the theater vs. having to share cars and coordinate schedules is truly most important. Being able to come and go as we please allows some of that anonymity that can be lost when touring in such a big group. The walkability of the lodging is followed very closely by having laundry on site and that is also followed very quickly by having the capability to prepare meals in the room. Today most hotel rooms have refrigerators and microwaves, and it is really amazing what you can prepare having even them in your room. Twice we have had the pleasure of both free laundry on site and a full kitchen in our hotel. It was like heaven! Some of the things that are lesser important to us are a pool, a workout room, parking, or the ability to have your pet at the hotel. There is also the issue of smoking vs. nonsmoking which can be very important to someone who has allergies. A strict non-smoking facility can be rare, often disguised with the line “non smoking policy” or “fee for smoking in the room”.
Another piece of information that would have been valuable for us to know ahead of time is that a tour will typically have a “point of origin”. Many times it is NYC. This is important because once cast, if you do not live in commuting distance to the point of origin, it is your financial responsibility to travel to the point of origin, and you are also responsible for your housing during rehearsals prior to leaving on tour. You will not be paid a per diem during rehearsals. The per diem typically does not kick in until you have left the point of origin. We were not aware of this and had to scramble to make our own living arrangements and find the money to pay for all of it.
A few other pointers to get you started. It is worth a trip to your bank to let them know that you will be traveling. Many banks , particularly the smaller credit unions, will lock your accounts if they notice a lot of unusual activity in different places, assuming that your information has been stolen. Traveling can be hard enough without suddenly being unable to access any of your funds. Everything we read emphasized bringing things from home that would make your hotel feel more like home. Of course the mom in me loved this idea, for the first week, and then it was just more stuff that had to be moved and packed and, frankly, it didn’t make us miss home any less. Zack has his bear and we have one small picture of the family and it’s enough. Keep track of all of your expenses that are not reimbursed by the company. Meals, transportation, supplies, training activities etc…you will need them for your taxes, particularly if you are receiving a per diem for cost of living. I have both a journal and a pentaflex filing system I carry with us with one pocket just for receipts and I maintain them diligently. Your smart phone will become your life line. We have found Google Maps to be our new favorite app! Learn to Uber if you haven’t. The idea intimidated me with recent news headlines but we have had only positive experiences and at stops in bigger cities where you don’t have a rental, the easy access of an Uber allows you to take advantage of what the city has to offer. Take pictures, each tour is a once in a lifetime experience for both you and your child. It may be hard and overwhelming at times but some day you will cherish the memories made.

The union question is a big part of the “process” that I have previously referred to as being the “frightening” part of the entertainment business.

My job, when I’m not a reluctant stage mom, is in healthcare, many years of which were spent in management. Union is a word I have been taught to dread. It is also a topic many people seem to feel very strongly about….maybe not as strongly as our current presidential election…but strongly. One of the first questions we are asked by people we meet is “is he Union?”. This is usually followed up by either “you definitely want to join as soon as he is eligible!” Or “avoid that as long as you can, they’ll restrict him too much at his age!”. Needless to say this certainly hasn’t made the word “union” any more desirable.

Zack is currently in an equity show, which makes him AEA eligible, however we haven’t quite figured out the next steps to take or even if we are ready to take them. He has also received forms stating that he can only work one more day on a union project before he would have to join SAG/AFTRA. I don’t have all the answers yet, but I have done quite a bit of research and will share with you the facts as I now understand them.
Let’s start with Actor’s Equity Association (AEA). It was founded in 1913 and is run as a democracy complete with its own constitution and by-laws. There is a national counsel as well as three regional boards; Eastern, Central, and Western. The National headquarters and the Eastern Regional offices are both in NYC, the Central Regional office is in Chicago, and the Western Regional office is in North Hollywood. Equity contracts cover jobs in three categories; principal, chorus, and stage manager.
There are three ways to become eligible to join AEA.
1) sign a contract with an equity show. Certain contracts may have length of eligibility requirements before becoming eligible. The membership department can assist in determining this and that is our next step with Zack. One important note is that the regulations state you are only eligible while under that contract.
2)have a membership in a performing arts sister union i.e./ SAG/AFTRA, AGMA, or AGVA. You must be a member in good standing and must have performed work while a member. You would need to provide a letter from the union with which  you are currently enrolled  stating that you have met these requirements.
or
3)Equity Membership Candidate Program (EMC). I think coming from an area of the country where work opportunities for equity actors are fewer and farther between this option is the one I have heard most about. The program involves one becoming connected with an equity theater and logging weeks of work on equity shows, almost like an internship program. The program is for actors/stage managers in training and sounds as if the theater has agreed to act as a kind of a supervisor while you work and train. You must log 50 weeks of work before you are eligible to join the union and there are forms available on the website to submit. This particular option was a bit confusing to me so if anyone has other information that could clarify please chime in!
Let’s talk a bit about what being an AEA member affords you.
1) The union negotiates minimum salaries complete with work rules including length of day, breaks, and days off. As we are currently on tour I can also add the requirements of housing, the money paid to assist with cost of living on the road, and the location of the housing relative to the performance venue.
2)The union guarantees safe and sanitary working conditions
3) The union provides access to affiliate services i.e./ tax preparation and membership in a credit union
4) The union mandates the use of professional wranglers or guardians backstage for the kids
5) The union members have access to an excellent health benefits plan as well as being enrolled in a pension plan
6) The union membership allows you to attend members only auditions.
And perhaps most importantly
7) The union allows you access to a support system of up to 50,000 other members and all of their collective experiences and connections as well as the right to vote in any future elections.
Truly, any one who dreams of working in a career in the theater has the goal of achieving union status, so why is there any question?
Perhaps for adults it’s a no-brainer. They are out on their own, working independently to support their households, they are no longer reliant on their parents for healthcare benefits, and have probably at least begun to think about their retirement.
For kids there are concerns about not being able to participate in their home community projects. Many times kids can have a point in their career when they are busy for a period of time and then they find themselves in a transitional period where they could end up back at home and not working on a project. Under union rules they would not be allowed to participate in school plays or dance recitals etc…The rules of AEA say that kids under 14 can ask to temporarily withdraw from AEA to allow them to participate in these non union projects. Once they turn 14 you need written permission from AEA to participate. This would even include benefit performances.
The AEA doesn’t require kids to join until they are 14 years old. There are many who advocate for putting off joining as long as possible unless your child already has a firm plan to make his/her career on the stage.
There are some rules for members of AEA regardless of age and include , do not rehearse or perform without a signed contract, give your best possible performance at all times and make no changes to the performance without direction from stage management, be on time and notify stage management per regulation about illness, and contact the deputy or stage manager with any disputes.
The AEA is self supporting and funded by membership dues and initiation fees. These fees include an $1100 one time initiation fee that has to be paid within the first 2 years of signing up (with a $400 initial payment at time of sign up) and if payment is not completed you forfeit the other contributions you have made during those 2 years. Membership dues are comprised of two different types. Annual dues of $118 /year paid in biannual payments due November 1st and May 1st of $59 each. The second type is the working dues which are deducted directly from the members paycheck whenever they are working under contract at a rate of 2.25% of his/her earnings up to a max of $300,000/year.
SAG/AFTRA is very similar to AEA, with the exception for children being that once they turn 4 years old they are only allowed to work 2 days on a union job before being required to join. These do not need to be 2 days on the same job, they can be a single day on two different jobs.
The contract categories under SAG/AFTRA are also much greater in number than under AEA but benefits, responsibilities, and penalties are all very similar.
The initiation fee for SAG/AFTRA is $3100 with similar time frame for payment. Annual dues are $201.96 and with the same due dates and a biannual payment plan. Work dues are also present and are at a rate of 1.575% of money earned working under contract up to $500,000/year.
These are the basic facts about the union(s). Clearly there are many benefits of becoming a member, not the least of which is the pride in being able to say that you are a member, and there are also a few drawbacks to consider, particularly if you are a child. We, as a family, have not yet decided on the direction that will be best for us but will continue to consider all the options and be able to make an informed decision when the time comes. I certainly hope this blog entry helps you to better understand the process.
Next week there will not be an entry on the blog. I am going HOME!! Yeah! For a few days to see my other children and husband. I plan to give them all of my time and energy. I will be back in two weeks with another entry. If there’s a particular subject matter or question you have that you’d like me to attempt to address I’d be happy to hear from you. Until next time….

If you’re anything like I was when Zack was starting out you are probably experiencing a few truths: 1) you have no idea where to begin 2) you could very easily be taken advantage of and there are people out there who will try to take advantage of you and, by proxy, your child, and 3) you’d give anything to have a tutor willing to offer you guidance. We were so fortunate to have a friend with lots of experience in the “business” who was willing to act as a manager for Zack, and truly be that tutor for us as we got started. We were also , eventually, able to sign with an agent who works specifically in musical theater.
Although we were lucky to have experienced both, the truth is you don’t really need to have both a manager and an agent. They each take a percentage of the money when your child “books” a job so if you have both representatives generally 25% of his/her pay will automatically go to his/her “team”. While I feel that both their services are invaluable, the sad truth is that it is rare for a child to become wealthy while getting started (or really ever) in the entertainment business, and it is best to choose one or the other. We have needed to be very frugal during Zack’s first “big” gig just to allow us to maintain the two households necessary while affording him this opportunity.
There is quite a difference between an agent and a manager and the choice of which to contract with is a very personal one. I’ll give a little information here about each and hopefully it will offer you some insight and guidance. As always, please comment with any additional information you may have. I love to learn new things too. I would ask that if the conversation turns to particulars about a specific agent or manager by name that you take it to a private chat. I think it’s great to share that information and help each other out, but this just isn’t the forum. I would also be happy to offer any information about our experiences outside of the blog.
An agent, as mentioned in last week’s blog, will typically work for a talent agency. There are many many different types of agencies out there. The different agencies may have specialties or, if they are a bigger agency, they may offer many specialities with certain agents assigned to each area. Some of these divisions can be babies, print, film, dance, or musical theater. Although there are many agencies, the number of talent looking for representation is far greater. An agent will generally sign a contract with you for 18 months and will typically take 10% of earnings from any project /job that you book. The talent agent’s job is to find audition opportunities for you and to schedule appointments for the auditions. When you book the job, they will then act as the liaison between you and the company you are working for, ensuring all paperwork is processed to allow prompt payment and also act to foster smooth communication.
Sometimes agencies are described by their size. A boutique agency has a smaller number of clients , 100-150. They may have only a single agent working for them or as many as 4. A bicoastal agency is a medium sized agency with offices usually in both LA and NYC. They may have as many as 200-250 clients. They may handle kids and adults in all departments. It’s important to know that just because you are represented by this type of agency you are not necessarily going to be submitted for all projects. Only certain agents will have contact with certain casting directors so it is important to be clear with the agency what type of work most interests you before signing with them. Above the bicoastal agency are the mid sized and corporate agencies. These are huge. They have hundreds of clients and are the professional sports/Hollywood star agencies.
A manager is different from an agent in that he/she doesn’t only look for “job opportunities” for your child. He/she will actually “manage” the child’s career. A manager will typically sign a contract for the long term, as long as three years, and will be compensated 10-15% of your child’s earnings. Given his/her involvement in the whole career, he/she tends to represent far fewer clients, which allows him/her to give your child more individual attention. He/she may help with picking out the best photos from an entire photo shoot, assist with clothing choices for an audition, offer advice and feedback for/from certain casting directors and projects, and offer emotional support when things get difficult. He/she may also be very helpful with publicity, including management of social media and/or creating your child’s own web page.
For two reasons it is best to obtain an agent/manager through a referral from someone you trust: 1) there are many people looking for representation and a referral will get your foot in the door and 2) although there are many reputable agents/managers out there , unfortunately there are are also many who have bad business practices that will take advantage of people who are less knowledgable about the business. I have actually only heard of people signing with an agent/manager through referral ; usually a coach, casting director or a friend already represented by him/her, but I imagine there are people who have obtained representation on their own. I would think that sending a mailing of resumes and head shots to selected agents/managers is another way to obtain representation, as one would with any employment opportunity. I am just not familiar with anyone who has had success with this method.
You should always have a face to face meeting with anyone with whom you are considering signing. You’re interviewing them as much as they are interviewing you. You need to make sure that you are a good fit with the person who is ultimately representing you to the casting world. We had a friend looking for representation for his daughter. She had already booked her first Broadway show but needed an agent. For her dad it was important to work with a straight shooter. He wasn’t interested in hearing a lot of compliments about her work or promises about things that would happen; she was bringing her job to the table and he just wanted to hear what the agent would do for them. It took a few meetings but they were able to find the perfect representation for them and it was through a referral. We were also very lucky to get a referral for Zack through his coaches and have been incredibly happy with his agent. Unfortunately this is not always the case, and you only have to look to today’s entertainment headlines to see stories about talent in big legal battles with their representation.
If you are searching for representation outside of referral be smart and do your research. You should never, I mean EVER, have to pay a fee, tuition for classes, or for a fancy photo package to get someone to represent your child. Most states actually have laws against this type of business practice, but there are always people out there finding new ways to skirt the laws. If you feel like you’re having to pay anything out of pocket up front then run for the hills! It’ll only be the beginning and these are not the people you want representing you. A legitimate agent or manager is paid when, and only when, your child makes money working.
Many locations have online Facebook or social media groups, often closed to the public, offering support to parents of kids in the business. Ask friends whom you see at auditions or workshops if they know of one in your area. These are great groups to belong to as the parents come from all types of experiences and offer the best advice and referrals. A great example is being able to bounce off of them the name of a person who is looking to represent or work with your child. If you put it out to the group I guarantee that within minutes you will have a ton of valuable feedback.
So, I think those are the basics of representation. I myself am struggling right now a bit with the union vs non -union question, so my hope is that I will finish our personal research this week and be able to offer some information in the blog next week. Have a great week everyone!