Acting School: Acting For Money 101

by Bob Fraser

Acting for money.

As those who've read my book know, I exhort all actors to make a choice in their professional lives (at some point) to decide that they are in the business of acting for money.

Acting for the fun of it is a great joy – but it's no substitute for a paycheck earned on the boards. (Which means on a stage or sound-stage.) But how do you do it? Let me tell you how I did it and hopefully give you a sort of blueprint to follow.

Throughout my career, if I wasn't offered a job – I made my own job. (There's going to be a lot of work involved in order to follow this plan – so just be warned.)

I've literally made half the money I've made in my life by "putting on a show." For instance during my early years in NYC, when Equity roles were few and far between, I started a children's theatre. I found a carriage house in the courtyard of a building on W. 45th St. and my wife and I converted it to a small theatre.

We put on plays for kids and we charged for tickets. We made a nice living – and so did the actors who worked with us. (For those of you in NYC that was the start of The Courtyard Playhouse - some 40 years ago.)

Even when I was booked for a TV show or film, that children's theatre kept bringing in a steady income. Why? Because there was (and still is) very little COMMERCIAL children's theatre being done. By that I mean theatre that actually appeals to the audience it is intended to serve – kids.

To this day it is a virtually untapped market in most good-sized cities. And any small group of actors can get together and do it. You don't have to be in LA or New York to do it.

It does require a lot of work - and it's not to be taken up lightly – but for a way to make money while acting, it's great.

Why not put on plays for an adult audience, you ask? To be blunt, it's a tougher crowd. The competition, even in a small city like Minneapolis or Atlanta – is abundant and daunting. But the best reason is that the kids audience is a real audience. Folks with kids are looking for your product. Kids will enjoy it (or not – depending on your ability to entertain). The skills you develop in front of a paying audience will become a cherished resource.

Not to rile anyone up, but most folks have learned to avoid the kind of plays that are generally being produced in some 'hole in the wall' theatre. From the actor's perspective this is not a good situation. Because, in many cases, the production ends up playing to an audience of other actors or industry people, friends, relatives, critics from the throw-away papers ... and only the occasional paying customer.

You cannot learn your craft by playing to a reluctant, hyper-critical or blindly accepting audience. So that's my first suggestion: Put on a show where you can make money. Look for an under-served audience.

Another kind of show, which takes a lot of work and a lot of sales ability – is the Industrial Show.

Almost every company of size in the US (and probably all over the world) has occasion to put on a 'show' from time to time. These companies are always on the look-out for a self-contained show they can 'hire' to entertain the employees at a dinner, or cozy up to the customers at a convention, or simply to develop a good relationship with the public.

These shows can be musicals, comedies, spectaculars, even little 'kitchen' dramas as long as they have a point that the company wants presented. This sort of venture requires someone with writing ability ... but actors are the essential ingredient. Again, this is not an easy thing to accomplish - but the steps are clear and the competition is not as fierce as network television and major motion pictures.

I spent several years producing and acting in this area – and I made a lot of money. A lot. Corporations have very generous budgets for this sort of thing.

The terrific upside of either of these kinds of productions is that you are playing for a paying audience - something that is central your goals. This is a good habit to get into. Remember, if the audience isn't eagerly paying for the show – you probably won't be getting a pay-check.

I have a lot more to say about the tactics for making money with your acting – but they will have to wait for another article – I'm late right now.

I'm taking my 6 year-old niece to see a production of Cinderella.

Ten bucks for her ... fifteen bucks for me.

I hope it's a good show.