<p>That’s actually a good question @connections. In our city, there is a program called “Young Playwrights Program” where professional playwrights work with high schools in the classrooms and students create their own original work which is reviewed by a jury. A handful are chosen to be produced on the local stages using local acting talent including professional actors. It’s a “one night only” type deal but they usually sell out. Every year there were students from both of my kids’ respective high schools that had their work produced or commended (including my daughter her year.) So that is at least a glimpse into part of the creative process.</p>
<p>We also have an all teen produced theatre company here that every year puts on a festival of one acts (I believe these are student created new works) and two main stage shows. They do everything from marketing, sales, casting, stage management etc. Typically the main stage performances are not new works, but they sometimes are new takes on existing work like for example mounting an all-female cast of Julius Caesar that more or less was “Mean Girls” meets Shakespeare. They do gain experience in everything else it takes to put up a show. They are self sustaining and self funded and the Board of Directors is also comprised entirely kids as well and the minute you age out of it, you’re out. </p>
<p>The funding piece is a big question. I know for example I was solicited to donate to a web series program called “The Hinterlands” (which you can see on YouTube) that include some local actors along with established Broadway actors. I think it was one of those “fund me” type appeals but it was written and conceived by an award and grant winning writing team who had received a Jonathan Larson grant for an earlier project. I believe it was fairly successful if you measure success by the fact that it won some awards and they did produce multiple episodes. It seems as if once you manage to crack the code on the first new work effort, the path to producing future work might be slightly more direct. On the other hand, I doubt anyone is making a sustaining living on any of these efforts - at least not yet. </p>
<p>Yes, it’s possible but I don’t think that too many are able to do it without income from other sources. My D has combined both writing and acting since her high school days. She continued it in college and with a group of fellow students and professional actors she knew formed a theatre company that performed original works. She spent one summer during college touring the UK with these friends performing one of her plays. This was made possible by a contact she, and they, met during a performance in NYC. It’s interesting to think how her life may have evolved differently had she not met this that night years ago. He offered her a job prior to graduation but she took advantage of a similar offer in Chicago right after she graduated and spent a year there with a terrific theatre company.</p>
<p>She then moved to the UK, and has lived and worked there continously ever since. She has never had a ‘day job’. She continues to write and to act and has been in a ‘playwright-in-residence’ type position for several years now. She also receives commissions from other companies to write. She’s been incredibly fortunate in that she loves what she does and often has more things lined up than she can currently get involved in.</p>
<p>alwaysamom, thanks for sharing your daughter’s unique journey. Can i ask–when she toured the UK in the summer, how did her group pay for it? Where did they perform the play-- I mean was a venue set up? Did they rent a place? Did they get funding from the college? Did they have a mentor? I’m curious about nuts-and-bolts survival stuff and strategies. It’s funny how big things can come from seemingly trivial or random events, but I think part of that is knowing to seize the moment and the opportunity. Wonderful for your daughter.</p>
<p>Connections, I noticed that in my post I didn’t explain it well and a couple of words were missing when I finally posted it. The individual who my D had met during school that previous year in NYC was from the UK and he is the one who suggested the summer tour after seeing one of her plays produced and reading several others. He and she worked together organizing the details and he looked after the funding. That particular contact led to the options she had post-graduation and he is largely responsible for her having been employed continuously since then.</p>
<p>@alwaysamom, your daughter’s journey highlights the mix of hard work, talent and serendipity that goes into a successful career. I always tell my kids that they have to do the hard work to be ready when luck strikes so they can recognize and grab the opportunity. I truly believe that is the path to success in any field.</p>
<p>@jkellynh17, that’s a great article. My D and I actually saw Fly By Night last year when it was work-shopped at the Dallas Theater Center. The actors and director met with students from my D’s school to discuss the process of working with a new script. It is an amazing play – I would probably say it’s one of the best plays I’ve ever seen. My D’s actually trying to figure out a way to travel to NYC to see it again at Playwrights Horizons. </p>
<p>@mamarose, my daughter just saw Fly By Night in NY and she loved it! She wouldn’t tell me much about it as she doesn’t want to spoil it for me, but she insists that we see it when me meet up this summer. </p>
<p>Trying to breath! Just got done with grad party, grad ceremony, and all night party all within 48 hours of each other. What a crazy crazy week this has been. S and I are both feeling a little unsettled now that high school is finally and completely over. All there is now is this college thing, on the other side of the county. It feels… surreal and so unknown. It’s weird that we both feel a bit unhinged now that high school connections are finished. </p>
<p>octavair. these are interesting times to be sure. i think it will hit us a bit later since college is only 2 to 3 hours away from home and at least initially, he plans to come home a lot. hang in there. one of his best friends who watched both his girlfriend and my son gradaute probably got hit the hardest at graduation. i think the grads were too excited saying “goodbye to you” to their high school to get hit yet although my son had some surreal moments within the last 2 weeks</p>
<p>I guess I made a boo boo and posted something not allowed because it was deleted. But I think it’s an extremely important read for our kids and ourselves as parents. My dear friend posted her first entry on her blog and it is heart wrenching. Not sure how to link you to it without getting in trouble. Her name is Eden Espinosa and she blogged on tumblr. I hope you will take the time to find it and read it. Let me know if you were able to find it with just the info I gave. </p>
