There's a TON here that's nothing but good stuff. Really can't add anything else other than what I did to diversify.
When I lost my job in 2008, I also ended up moving back to Phoenix and starting
flat over. Working in theater is always feast or famine (more famine at times). But, to make ends meet until I could figure out the recession and how it REALLY kicked Arizona hard I drove a Taxi. Let me tell you: NEVER resort to driving a taxi!! You will appreciate every show you work and not hate humanity as much as I do today. But, I suppose it's why I scramble so hard to keep the gigs I have.
I ended up deciding to go back to school to master audio engineering. This is because I had gained most of my work as a
Stage Manager and a properties designer. But, the more I worked the more I noticed how theater companies pay out the ass for live sound engineers, especially if it's for a musical. Also, most venues don't have the proper equipment for anything more than a basic performance. When you need a full cast of Lavaliers, 8
track digital recording and the mess that goes with that, most venues will lease out and I can assure you, if you think you're good at sound, run a show with 15 lavs, full recording, live musicians WITH canned elements through Ableton Live and do that for 6 weeks and then let me know if you think you can hack it. It still makes me stressed and I get paid to do it! Also, with an education in live sound I have a great fallback: Musicians! Yes, it's not theater but I have a strong background in music (Dad was a union giging musician and mother was a studio drummer when she was much younger), and any band who is halfway average will know the value of good kit and a good engineer right after their first BAD show!
But, the key to standing out isn't just skill. As a theater guy who WENT into live sound at 30, I had the
edge of being able to exist in several worlds: I knew what it was to be an actor, a theater
Stage Manager and TD, and a musician and live sound guy. Knowing the ins-and-outs of various and somewhat secretive industries can give you an
edge on who to ask when there's a job to sniff out and who *really* runs the show.
Also, I come with my own kit. This may sound expensive because it is, but when I can show up to a gig and tell them I have EVERYTHING they will need (even if I don't, but know where to get it so they wouldn't be the wiser), I can convince them that I'm worth an extra $100/week than the other guy when they can save a grand a week on equipment rental. No one likes to rent kit on TOP of paying for a contractor. So, the more tools I have to work with, the faster I work and the less the
Producer and
Stage Manager have to think. This applies to carpenters, lighting engineers, costumers and the like: The more resources and hardware you can bring to the table, the more attractive you are. Of course, this requires capital and that is probably the one unfair disadvantage to the entire tech side of entertainment. Some like me cheated: I took out student loans greater than my audio engineering degree WHILE working full time in order to get the kit I needed. Others just did the part time thing and did it slowly. But, when you can bring that
edge no one else has you get the gigs first, and that's the
element I recognized from my years as a barely-fed SM that I knew I could trump, especially since I can fabricate not only some of my own hardware, but write my own software if needed.
Is it a good idea: NO NO NO NO NO!!!!!! But, that doesn't mean that it isn't an awesome job that is the perfect fit for some. Remember: Do what you love. I've been unfortunate to do what I dislike and I can honestly tell you that if I had to drive a cab for 6 more months, I would've ate my gun. Not. Kidding. So, theater in a way kept me going! Beats any office job hands DOWN.