Anonymous (she/her):
- I came into this industry as a performer, as so many do. I'm Meisner trained, I've taken countless vocal lessons, I'd like to think I'm quite good, even. Along the way, I developed an interest in producing and management as well. But usually, these stories end with arts administrators realizing they "weren't good enough" to be actors or giving up on that dream. I'm not quite ready to give up on my acting dreams, but I'm also living out my second dream by working a fancy desk job in a producing/management office.
- I often feel like I need to hide my acting ambitions. Like, I don't want to reveal to my boss that I still audition because I don't want him to think that the only reason I work for him is to book a role. It's not. I work for him because I am equally invested in these two parallel paths of my life. My hope and dream is that these are not mutually exclusive, and I'll be able to craft a career where I can produce AND act, without the two getting in each other's way.
- My question is: does the old guard look down upon "multi-hyphenates"? Is there any way to be all in on two things? Or will there come a time where I have to choose?
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Dear Anonymous,
Yes there is an old guard who do look down on “multihyphenates” and think you need to choose. The key term is old guard. I think the majority of us in the industry, especially younger generations, recognize that it is essential to be a multihyphenate (I mean, in this economy?!) and is a great asset to your career as a theatre maker. Look up LaChanze’s impressive career as both a Broadway producer and an actor. Coleman Domingo was a producer for Fat Ham. In film, Jordan Peele’s Monkeypaw Productions or Margot Robbie’s LuckChap Productions. So yes, I think you can be more than one thing in this industry, and you can find people who are examples of doing just that successfully now.
From one multihyphenate to another,
Fefu
