Author Topic: Fortitude  (Read 3346 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

hbelden

  • Permanent Resident
  • *****
  • Posts: 412
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
  • Affiliations: AEA
  • Experience: Professional
Fortitude
« on: Feb 13, 2015, 04:53 pm »
I will be the first to admit that I have had a very fortunate career.  I've been privileged to work with brilliant directors on projects that I feel passionately about within companies for which I feel a strong affinity.  However, my career has hit a major snag and I'm having trouble holding on to that gratitude.

In chasing my dreams and jumping at opportunities, I feel now that I've boxed myself in.  It's been almost a decade since I've lacked at least two future jobs lined up, and I'm back in that boat now.  But the difference is that now I'm tied to a geographic location that makes it hard for regional theaters to hire me, because most of them want to put their housing budget for the benefit of the performers onstage, not backstage for the stage managers.

So I think I'm very skilled, but finding an opening for an out-of-town SM is like finding dry land after a shipwreck, and sending out a cold resume in response to a job listing feels like sending a rescue message in a bottle.  I feel like I've exhausted my personal network.  Maybe the hooks I've sent out over the last couple of months will get some nibbles, but most likely not.  I'm beginning to wonder if I should slide sideways to production management or something.  For the very first time in my professional career, I'm worried about fulfilling my health weeks.

I keep telling myself that this is the exact same thing that other stage managers face all the time, and that I myself used to know how to hustle work without getting discouraged, but that's not helping me in this moment.  A decade ago, my daughter had not yet been born, my wife had built a profitable career in a major market, and my in-laws were entirely self-sufficient.  Now, we need daily to secure the health and quality of life for my in-laws, my wife has fewer opportunities and a lower income range, and my daughter needs the best opportunities we can provide her.  But more than all of that, I want to be a real part of my daughter's life, and even if job opportunities arise for me, it's going to kill me to spend half the year or more apart from her.

I guess all I can do is keep plugging away at the job search, and be grateful that I now live in a time when searches are facilitated by internet connections, and interviews can be done via Skype. I need to reconnect to the faith that connections will be made, that my own ability and experience will carry me forward, and that the path I'm currently on will lead to good things.  In the meantime, I'll hold on to my clear conscience and the blanket support of the people who love me.

Thanks for listening.
--
Heath Belden

"I'm not good, I'm not nice, I'm just right." - Sondheim
--

Maribeth

  • Superstar!
  • *****
  • Posts: 1056
  • Gender: Female
    • View Profile
  • Affiliations: AEA
  • Experience: Former SM
Re: Fortitude
« Reply #1 on: Feb 14, 2015, 02:11 am »
Heath, this post hits home for me. I'm not in the same place that you are right now, but I've been there before. I don't have a lot of advice to offer but I do send you sympathy and understanding.

At the end of last season I had most of the this season lined up, but could not fill the "first" slot of the season (August/September/early October) to save my life. I ended up taking 2 jobs that were related-to-but-not-exactly stage management (sideways moves for sure) and while they were valuable experiences and I learned a lot, ultimately neither one is a path I see myself going down. Both made me appreciate how much I really enjoy stage management.

I think it gets harder as you get older, if you form stronger ties to one particular area. Having a family and a mortgage, and a desire to spend time with loved ones is really limiting, and I agree that it makes it a lot harder to take touring or out-of-town gigs when you want to be at home. I spend a lot of time these days thinking about what I'm going to do if/when I have kids- I don't know that my current career lifestyle will work for me then.

In terms of practical suggestions- Have you thought about branching out into opera or dance? It won't help with the health weeks but it could help fill in the gaps. And a lot of opera contracts are shorter and pay a little better than theatre. Opera companies are also more used to housing out-of-town SMs, in my experience. And, you said you had reached out to your personal network, but sometimes I have found that mentioning that I'm looking for gigs to people I normally wouldn't has unearthed some opportunities that wouldn't normally come up, especially for things like subbing or workshops, which could help with the health weeks.

I go through career slumps once in a while, and when they happen I start looking frantically for other work. Inevitably something comes along, even if it's not what I thought it would be. Keep your head up- something will change, some connection you've made will come through. It happens to everyone at some point.

MatthewShiner

  • Forum Moderators
  • *****
  • Posts: 2478
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
  • Affiliations: AEA, SMA
  • Current Gig: Freelance Stage Manager; Faculty for UMKC
  • Experience: Professional
Re: Fortitude
« Reply #2 on: Feb 14, 2015, 12:35 pm »
I have given Heath more detailed advice on his situation last night, but some generic advice.

I strongly think that relocating to a bigger theaterical center for family reasons (so not every job needs to be on the road), and also allow him to branch out to freelancing.  Since regional theaters do try to hire local (for a wide variety of reasons), the jobs with housing and few and far between.

It takes time to get the word out and rekindle connections when you leave a long term position to let people know you are out and looking for freelance work.  I feel, now about 5 years since I left behind 12 years of being associated with one theater or another, it's really out there I am freelancing, and always looking for the work - and can be made available for work.  I feel like it took about two years to get the hang of booking work as a freelance . . . and now, I feel like the jobs are landing.

But the biggest advice I can give is based on my personal experience is that you can re-invent yourself - you can build a successful freelance career after being in a resident position - you can change from classical theatre to musical - from regional non-profit to commercial - it just takes time and effort - and someone willing to take a small gamble on your success moving from you past of proven success.

Now, remember, there may come a time with all the fortitude in the world, and patience - and you aren't going anywhere - maybe at the time you should listen to the market - if you can't make a living being a stage manager, and you have changed everything you are comfortable to change . . . maybe it's time time to think about shifting your career . . . not everyone can do this for a living.

Just some quick thoughts.




- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Anything posted here as in my own personal opinion, and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of my employer - whomever they be at a given moment in time.

 

riotous