Month: April 2016

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.