Elizabeth Harvey

Dr. Anne Canavan

English 1010
April 5, 2017
Theres No Business Like Show Business

A career in the performing arts industry is an exciting and complicated endeavor. As with

any career path, there are many questions that must be answered to determine what course of

action youll want to take, depending on your unique goals and circumstances. Where should you

begin? Where can you hope to end up? What should you be doing now to make this dream job

into a reality? Luckily for you, I sat down with Mr. Kelly Dehaan-the award-winning choral

music educator at West Jordan High School and Music Director at the Hale Center Theatre-to get

some answers and help you figure out if a career in theatre is right for you.

The first step youll need to take on your road to a theatrical career is getting some

experience. Have you been in many plays or musicals? Taken an acting, dance, or vocal lesson?

If not, look into trying some of these out. Audition for your school or community theatres next

show, and get a taste for whether or not this is something you love. If you already have a pretty

impressive rsum, and are confident in your passion for the theatre, then the next type of

experience youre probably thinking about is college. This is where it gets a little tricky, as

theatre is one of the few fields in which you can become successful with little or no college

education. As Mr. Dehaan told me, it can be helpful to recognize that many famous actors never

went to school for acting at all. A lot of them just have it, he said. Theyve got the skills, and

they jumped into it young, and they do it (Dehaan). He went on to say that education will give

you some great experience, and can make you into a much better and well-rounded actor. Just

remember that no matter how many years of formal education youve got under your belt, you

can always be beaten out for the role you want by the actor who has none, but is right for the
role. Thats just the business, says Mr. Dehaan. So when deciding to go to college for theatre, it

really all depends on you. Consider the type and amount of experience youve already got under

your belt, the knowledge and experiences you want to gain, and how much it will profit you in

the long run. It could be the best possible route for you, or a bit of a waste of time and money.

Theres no right answer with this one, only whats right for you.

After, during, or instead of college, Mr. Dehaan suggests becoming a member of the

Actors Equity Association (AEA) as a great first step to get your career started. He says that

membership lends professionalism to a performer's resume; It means that youre a legitimate

actor(Dehaan). Joining the association requires fifty weeks of qualifying work, but Mr. Dehaan

says that it may be a better use of your time than pursuing a collegiate degree in theatre (Equity

Membership Candidate Program, Actors Equity Association). He points out that of the equity

actors he sees in his work at the Hale Center Theatre, only about half went to school, the rest

just started acting, and went and got their [equity] card (Dehaan). Reaching equity status is time

consuming, and according to Dehaan, requires paying crazy dues ($1,100 initiation fee, $118

per year, and 2.25% of gross earnings under equity contract), but the benefits can be substantial

(Dues & Fees, Actors Equity Association). A card-carrying equity actor has access to member-

only auditions, health insurance, minimum wage requirements (based on the tier of membership),

and more (Benefits Overview, Actors Equity Association). Equity status also lends an actor

some legitimacy. Dehaan told me about an actress friend of his who tried her luck in New York

City (basically every theatre nerds dream), sat in the waiting rooms of auditions day after day,

but ultimately was never given a chance, all because she lacked equity membership. So dont let

the time, work, and money scare you away from the AEA. Do your research and decide how

much you need the credibility that equity status offers.

 Youre probably wondering what kind of salary you can expect to earn as a working

actor. Mr. Dehaan said that one of the toughest things about this business is that its not

necessarily one with a steady income (Dehaan). As an actor, how much money you make will

depend on how often you work. That may seem obvious, but as Dehaan said, its important to

realize that if you audition ten times, and get called back for one thing, thats a successful year.

If you get one show, wow, you did it, because most people dont get the work! the occupation

of actor is one of the few jobs listed by the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics without an

available annual wage, probably because acting, by nature, is relatively financially unstable

(Entertainment and Sports Occupations, Bureau of Labor Statistics). Now, as previously

mentioned, if you are a member of the AEA, you are entitled to a minimum wage. The salary

you earn as an equity actor is based on the tier of membership youre on, the scale of the

production you are participating in, etc. (Minimum Salaries - Cabaret Agreement, Actors

Equity Association). So there is some certainty in what you can expect to make when you are

able to find work. Its just that finding work is never all that certain. You may end up doing what

Mr. Dehaan referred to as moonlighting: having a side job here and there. For him its his work

as the Music Director for the Hale Center Theatre and conducting a community choir, both

outside of his main work at the high school. For you it may be running the ticket booth for a

show youre not onstage for, or working as a directors assistant. Whatever the case may be,

working on multiple projects on the side is a great way to supplement your income (Dehaan says

it makes up about fifty percent of his) and make ends meet. So yeah, finding work and a steady

salary may be difficult. But in a way, thats part of the thrill of being an actor! All of the greats

suffered for their art, and if you really want the full experience of being an actor, being a
starving artist can help you get there. Its probably a good idea to stock up on some top ramen,

though... Just to be safe.

So, after hearing all about the work and uncertainty attached to a career in theatre, are

you still up for it? If not, no big deal. Mr. Dehaan confirms that you can find the fulfillment and

joy that the theatre provides on many different levels, not just as a professional. He suggests

pursuing it as a hobby, on a paraprofessional level, or as a teacher such as himself. And if you do

decide to go pro, just make sure that its what you want to do (Dehaan). Dehaan warns that its

not an easy field, but confirms that if you love it, you should most definitely pursue it. And

though he says that it came as a surprise to him, Mr. Kelly Dehaan [loves] every day of

working. So if youre up to the challenge, work hard, act your butt off, and above all else,

remember: its theatre, not theater.

Works Cited

Dehaan, Kelly. Personal interview. 22 Mar 2017.

Equity Membership Candidate Program. Actors Equity Association. Web. 5 Apr 2017.
Dues & Fees. Actors Equity Association. Web. 5 Apr 2017.

Benefits Overview. Actors Equity Association. Web. 5 Apr 2017.

Entertainment and Sports Occupations. Occupational Outlook Handbook. Bureau of

Labor Statistics. Web. 5 Apr 2017.

Minimum Salaries - Cabaret Agreement. Actors Equity Association. Web. 5 Apr 2017.

Mr. Kelly Dehaan Interview Questions - March 22nd, 2017

-What is your official title here at WJHS, and at the Hale Center Theatre?

-What kind of education or training did you pursue to prepare to work in this field?

-Is there anything that you wish you had studied, or studied further?
-What does an average day at work entail for you? What are your day-to-day tasks?

-What is your favorite part of your work as a Utah Theatre LegendTM?

-Is there anything that you find particularly challenging or un-fun about your work?

-And what are SLOs?

-Is there anything that surprised you about going into this occupation?

-How do you use writing in your day-to-day life?

-Do you yourself get to perform as often as you would like?

-What could a person considering a career in this field expect to make, in terms of salary?

-What advice would you give someone considering a career in musical theatre?

-Wow, so how much education would you recommend, if any?

-Is there anything else I should know, that Im not asking?