The end of the cigar story
As previously noted, I bought a five pack of Phillies Blunts over a week ago to use as props in a musical.
One fell apart before the rehearsals ended. It was never lit.
A second, with some strategically applied tape, lasted through yesterday's performance and was then trashed. It was never lit either. In fact, I rarely placed it in my mouth, just to try to stem any complaints about obscene behavior.
The others were trashed today. I've been bothered by allergies, and the last thing that I wanted to do was smoke a cigar.
So my record of not smoking for more than ten years still stands. Sorry, Playmates.
Incidentally, I'm not about ready to chuck my day job and start an acting career:
Median annual earnings of actors, directors, and producers were $27,400 in 1998. Minimum salaries, hours of work, and other conditions of employment are covered in collective bargaining agreements between producers of shows and unions representing workers in this field.
On July 1, 1998, the members of Screen Actors Guild and American Federation of Television and Radio Artists approved a new joint contract covering all unionized employment. Under the contract, motion picture and television actors with speaking parts earned a minimum daily rate of $576, or $2,000 for a five-day week, in 1998. Actors also receive contributions to their health and pension plans and additional compensation for reruns and foreign telecasts.
According to Actors Equity Association, the minimum weekly salary for actors in Broadway stage productions was $1,135 per week in 1998. Those in small "off-Broadway" theaters received minimums ranging from $450 to $600 a week, depending on the seating capacity of the theater. Smaller regional theaters pay $400-$600 per week. Average earnings for those able to find employment was less than $10,000 in 1998.
Some well-known actors have salary rates well above the minimums, and the salaries of the few top stars are many times the figures cited, creating the false impression that all actors are highly paid. In reality, earnings for most actors are low because employment is so erratic. Screen Actors Guild reports that the average income its members earn from acting is less than $5,000 a year. Therefore, most actors must supplement their incomes by holding jobs in other fields.
Now you can see why most actors must take other jobs to stay afloat! Very few can make a living just acting. Yet, there are those who make it big and take home millions of dollars a year. I think it's that possibility, along with the shot at fame, that keeps drawing so many people to this profession despite the financial and emotional hardships.
And here's one final thought. For now.
Comments