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Job outlook for performers in the United States
Performer job and salary trends over time
Performer jobs over time
Performer job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2,633 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 4,366 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 5,026 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 4,359 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 3,629 | 0.00% |
Average performer salary over time
Performer salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $51,601 | $24.81 | +4.0% |
| 2025 | $49,595 | $23.84 | +5.4% |
| 2024 | $47,063 | $22.63 | +2.2% |
| 2023 | $46,044 | $22.14 | +2.8% |
| 2022 | $44,795 | $21.54 | +2.1% |
Performer jobs by state
Most common states for performers
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ohio | 11,658,609 | 18 | 0% |
| 2 | Pennsylvania | 12,805,537 | 8 | 0% |
| 3 | California | 39,536,653 | 6 | 0% |
| 4 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 6 | 0% |
| 5 | New York | 19,849,399 | 6 | 0% |
| 6 | Michigan | 9,962,311 | 5 | 0% |
| 7 | New Jersey | 9,005,644 | 4 | 0% |
| 8 | Indiana | 6,666,818 | 4 | 0% |
| 9 | Nevada | 2,998,039 | 3 | 0% |
| 10 | Arizona | 7,016,270 | 3 | 0% |
| 11 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 2 | 0% |
| 12 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 0 | 0% |
| 13 | Delaware | 961,939 | 0 | 0% |
| 14 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 0 | 0% |
| 15 | Alaska | 739,795 | 0 | 0% |
| 16 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 0 | 0% |
| 17 | Vermont | 623,657 | 0 | 0% |
| 18 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 0 | 0% |
| 19 | Maine | 1,335,907 | 0 | 0% |
| 20 | West Virginia | 1,815,857 | 0 | 0% |
Most common cities for performers
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Newark | 2 | 6% | $68,441 |
| 2 | Herndon | 1 | 4% | $57,698 |
| 3 | Agawam Town | 1 | 3% | $68,936 |
| 4 | Atlantic City | 1 | 3% | $59,869 |
| 5 | The Colony | 1 | 2% | $37,979 |
| 6 | Troy | 1 | 2% | $55,307 |
| 7 | Orlando | 3 | 1% | $35,535 |
| 8 | San Bernardino | 2 | 1% | $62,275 |
| 9 | Carlsbad | 1 | 1% | $61,976 |
| 10 | Kissimmee | 1 | 1% | $35,732 |
| 11 | Atlanta | 1 | 0% | $34,883 |
| 12 | Aurora | 1 | 0% | $37,573 |
| 13 | Fremont | 1 | 0% | $64,850 |
| 14 | Jersey City | 1 | 0% | $60,589 |
| 15 | Minneapolis | 1 | 0% | $46,103 |
| 16 | New York | 1 | 0% | $57,086 |
| 17 | Tampa | 1 | 0% | $36,556 |
Performer job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of performer experts
Warren Wilson College
University of Hawaii at Manoa
Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania
University of Akron
Skyline College
Bridgewater State University, The State University of New York at Oswego
Texas Wesleyan University
University of Wisconsin - La Crosse
University of Minnesota
Stonehill College
Fairleigh Dickinson University
University of Arizona
University of San Francisco
California State University, Northridge
Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Birmingham-Southern College
University of Bridgeport
Marquette University
What general advice would you give to a Performer?
Candace Taylor: Be prepared. You never know when an opportunity will arise; and you should have your monologues and resumes ready (have more ready than they asked, so if they want to see more, you’ve got them). Don’t be shy, talk to people in the field and ask lots of questions, old actors love to give advice. Keep learning. Take a class, go to auditions, do your research.
What Performer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Candace Taylor: Unfortunately, it’s money management and financial planning. It has little to do with art, but if you can’t figure out how to live on what you make, you’ll be working in a bank in a couple of years. Pursuing a performance career is expensive (classes, clothing, photos, transportation, etc). You can make a living but you’ll have to be smart about money until you’re a star.
What will help Performers increase their earning potential?
Candace Taylor: Get an agent. Be reliable: show up on time, be prepared. Meet everyone you can; most of the work you’ll get is because you know people who will recommend you because they enjoyed working with you.
What general advice would you give to a Performer?
Mark Branner: The real challenge for our American society is to actually value the arts (I could go on a rant here about the scant state/federal funding for USA artists in comparison to many other nations in Europe). If you've achieved a level of education and/or excellence in your craft (an MFA degree, for example), you need to start believing that you are worth being paid for your work. You can't simply volunteer hours of hour time and energy away to star in the next community theatre production. So, first, start thinking/believing that you need to get paid. Advocate for it. Change the culture by bringing it up often. Next, do find a good financial planner. From the very beginning of your career you should be thinking of what your body and voice will be at 50 or 60. Can you actually perform in eight shows a year, when each show will require you to dedicate at least five or six weeks to a rehearsal process? A good financial planner won't care much about your artistry but may care a great deal about making sure you have some money in a retirement fund. Start putting some money away every single month, even if you are only working at Starbucks.
What Performer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Mark Branner: This is not new advice by any means, but being entrepreneurial as an artist is essential these days. How can you find multiple streams of income with your skills (acting, writing, directing, designing, voice over, etc.)? This is not typically a field where you fall into a good company job. It requires constant 'hustle,' seeking opportunities on your own that may be outside the realm of the 'industry' (regardless of what industry that is you are speaking about - Broadway, Hollywood, etc.). So my advice would be to find a good financial planner and take several 'starting a business' classes.
What will help Performers increase their earning potential?
Mark Branner: Much like the comments above, you will need to be multi-faceted. Don't just study acting and think that is all you need. You'll probably need some film editing classes or sound editing classes. YOU will be responsible for your career Nobody else will look out for you in those particular ways. So you need to be working on finding ways to show all that you can do in order to find parking 'gigs' that may eventually lead to a permanent position (if that is what you are seeking). The field (even theatre) is NOT going to move away from technology. So learn how to use video and audio editing tools and social media tools to promote your next production.
What general advice would you give to a Performer?
Professor David Kaye: The arts are a challenging place to do well financially. The hard truth is, artists usually have to cultivate a duel career. So first, ask yourself- what would be fulfilling for me to do that would be my career that will pay for my living expenses and that will also allow me the time to cultivate my arts career? Performers who also have additional training and/or experience in theatre education, design, theater technology and arts administration can keep that second career in the field. This is great because so much of building a theatre (and film) career is making connections and cultivating relationships. The best bit of overall advice I can give is to work to make yourself the most irreplaceable person on the stage or the film set. Find as many ways as possible to support the work that is happening , in addition to doing all the great artistic work you are trained and ready to do!
What Performer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Professor David Kaye: It often takes time to work your way into the professional circles in theatre and film. So advice #1 is to take the time to really identify where you want to live and work. Many students head to NYC or LA, but others go to Chicago, DC, Boston, Seattle, and several other large, medium and small cities. It takes about two years to really establish yourself. Commit to at least that amount of time to really see if you can make your mark there. Find every opportunity to audition. If you are a director, volunteer to serve as an assistant director on a production. In general, get your foot in the door. Also, don't be shy about making something happen on your own. You need to be scrappy, but self-producing is a great way to get yourself on the playing board.
What will help Performers increase their earning potential?
Professor David Kaye: If you want to truly work as a performing artist, you have to continually be expanding the skill set you can apply your training to. You need to have a firm grasp of ALL the fundamentals you need for traditional theatre as well as for camera work. But the growing markets are emerging in the area of immersive and applied theatre. This can be anything from haunted houses to Standardized Patient Training, where professional actors play the role of a patient for work with doctors, nurses and others in the medical field. There are many companies that utilize actors in this way. Strong improvisational skills and the ability to be extremely realistic are the two primary skills needed for this work.
Octavia Biggs-Fleck
Director of Shooting Stars Youtheatre with Lexington Children’s Theatre, Lecturer of Theatre at Morehead State University, and Director of The Little Company with Morehead State UniversityWhat general advice would you give to a Performer?
Octavia Biggs-Fleck: By far the most difficult aspect to acting/the arts is the lack of consistency with regards to pay, the lack of insurance, and other benefits. It is also hard to stay disciplined to focus on the business aspect of being an artist.
What Performer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Octavia Biggs-Fleck: The performing arts have been struggling since COVID. It is becoming more clear with artists of the importance of arts education. We need to help our young people find their voice and share their stories. Acting/theatre is such an important role in our society at this point as we need to continue to tell "THE STORIES", much like a piece of artwork that has been saved that tells the stories of our past, present, and future.
What will help Performers increase their earning potential?
Octavia Biggs-Fleck: By far the most difficult aspect of acting/the arts is the lack of consistency with regards to pay, the lack of insurance, and other benefits. It is also hard to stay disciplined to focus on the business aspect of being an artist.
Kari-Anne Innes Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Head of Theatre Arts ManagementSlippery Rock University of Pennsylvania
Drama/Theatre Arts And Stagecraft
What general advice would you give to a Performer?
Kari-Anne Innes Ph.D.: Broaden your horizons about what a career in the theatre may look like or where it may start. The multi-hyphenate artist is the new triple threat. In addition to talent in acting, singing, and dancing, consider other skills that will make you more distinctive, competitive, and valuable. Some sectors, including the performing arts, are recovering more slowly than others like web publishing, streaming, and motion pictures. The arts and cultural industries employed 4.9 million workers in 2021 (NEA). There is a place for you in it!
What Performer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Kari-Anne Innes Ph.D.: The industry is still recovering from COVID, smaller audiences, and competition from emerging technologies. Entrepreneurship, outreach, and the ability to persevere, adapt, and learn new skills will be essential for any performer, technician, or administrator.
What will help Performers increase their earning potential?
Kari-Anne Innes Ph.D.: Before moving to any market, including the big three of New York City, Los Angeles, and Chicago, research the city for the kinds and numbers of theatres and creative industries, cost of living, and opportunities for networking. You may be surprised at the numbers of opportunities in smaller markets that will allow you gain experience, make connections, and save money before your big move and big break. Remember that you are your own product and brand. Choose a company or city that matches your values and brand.
Dane Leasure MFA
Senior Lecturer and Area CoordinatorUniversity of Akron
Dance
What general advice would you give to a Performer?
Dane Leasure MFA: The industry is always looking for new actors. Between theatre, film and television along with streaming services, the demand for new quality content has never been greater. It is still a difficult profession to pursue, but extremely rewarding for those who do.
What Performer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dane Leasure MFA: Entertaining others is a major like by most actors. Storytelling and being someone else is a thrill. The major dislike it the patchwork nature of work. While you might be employed on a show or film set for several weeks, after that you need to have another project lined up. Many actors are continuing to audition while working other gigs to make sure they can bounce from job to job.
What will help Performers increase their earning potential?
Dane Leasure MFA: Entertaining others is a major like by most actors. Storytelling and being someone else is a thrill. The major dislike it the patchwork nature of work. While you might be employed on a show or film set for several weeks, after that you need to have another project lined up. Many actors are continuing to audition while working other gigs to make sure they can bounce from job to job.
Amber Steele
ProfessorSkyline College
Dance & Kinesiology Department
What skills stand out on Performer resumes?
Amber Steele: In addition to dancing skills, performers need to learn choreography quickly, have proficiency in multiple styles, understand the vocabulary for each dance style, and be able to record themselves for auditions, if not for performances.
What soft skills should all Performers possess?
Amber Steele: Video recording, constructive criticism, punctuality, preparation, knowing your choreography in advance, clear communication, and scheduling.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Performers?
Amber Steele: Physical technique in the dance styles particular to the performance, nutrition, self-care, and basic rehabilitation to care for the dancer's body.
What skills will help Performers earn the most?
Amber Steele: Advanced dance skills for performances, technical theater skills, and/or teaching skills make you more employable, and a diversity of dance techniques, administrative abilities, and creative skills.
Dancers are most employable when they can also direct, choreograph, stage manage, costume, handle public relations, front-of-house, teach dance and assist in the administration of the business aspects of running a company. Most performing arts groups make the majority of their money through education, not just ticket sales. As a member of a private company, additional job skills may include public relations, creating promotional materials, handling budgets and tour bookings, teaching workshops or regular dance classes, scheduling rehearsal space, and continuing to train their bodies to increase the diversity of their dance skills, styles and rehabilitate/prevent injuries.
Dance companies rarely require degrees for a Performer, but when hiring for a full-time position, experience matters, and completing a degree will set you above other candidates for jobs that support the company offstage.
Dancers who wish to teach and/or choreograph as their additional skillset may find the following degrees expected:
-Community and Private Dance Studio Instructors: High School Diploma, Associates Degree or Bachelors Degree in Dance
-High School (Public) Dance Instructors: Bachelor's degree, Masters Degree and State-specific teaching Certificate
-High School (Private) Dance Instructors: Bachelor's degree minimum
-Community College & University Dance Instructors: Masters Degree Minimum, preferably Masters of -Fine Arts in Dance
-University Dance Lecturers: Masters Degree Minimum, preferably Masters of Fine Arts in Dance or Ph.D. in Dance Studies
To make a career income as a performing artist, very few dancers are solely employed as dancers. To compete in this job market, dancers often combine their dance skills with cooperation, communication and people skills, business knowledge, pedagogical knowledge, and physical health practices. For those dancers talented enough to support themselves solely as a performer, physical training is paramount, as well as being exceptional at time management, professionalism, and a collaborative demeanor under high-stress situations.
Many companies now require auditions and performances to take place virtually. Dancers are increasingly required to have knowledge and experience with video recording, lighting, editing (and additional technical equipment and data storage proficiency) to apply for or perform in these opportunities.
Thomas Kee
Associate Professor of Theatre, Assistant Professor/ Adjunct InstructorBridgewater State University, The State University of New York at Oswego
Theatre Department
What skills stand out on Performer resumes?
Thomas Kee: When I'm casting someone in a show or calling them in for an audition, I personally look for solid regional theatre and/or equity theatre credits. The "special skills" area of a resume is also instructive because it gives me a sense of who this person is when they are not acting.
What soft skills should all Performers possess?
Thomas Kee: Showing up for your audition/interview on time, no excuses, no story of how crowded the subway was. Be there, relaxed, prepared, not showing me how stressed your life is. Also, reply quickly, clearly, and stay with the scheduling process so I can get you in and see your stuff.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Performers?
Thomas Kee: Actors that can't be heard and understood in a small rehearsal room cannot be heard in a large immersive environment. They need to make acting choices that support vocal energy and clear articulation. Scaling your volume and intensity is very tricky in our style of theatre, and people either have a knack for it, or they don't.
What skills will help Performers earn the most?
Thomas Kee: Audition skills.
Joe Brown
Professor of Theatre Arts and Assistant Dean of FreshmenTexas Wesleyan University
Theatre Department
What skills stand out on Performer resumes?
Joe Brown: Additional skills such as singing abilities and ability to read music or play an instrument, dialect abilities, stage combat, and movement abilities, as well as dance skills.
What soft skills should all Performers possess?
Joe Brown: Performers are not often trained as public speakers, so the ability to understand the needs of a public speaker and how to organize and present a speech. The ability to have a high level of Emotional Intelligence in terms of dealing with people and communication and stress.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Performers?
Joe Brown: The ability to have some skills in Microsoft Office: Word, Excel, and Power Point. We encourage all our performance majors to have technical theatre skills in the areas of lighting, or design areas, or social media/marketing and graphics. We want them to have a skill set that could help employ them while they are becoming working artists/actors.
What skills will help Performers earn the most?
Joe Brown: We emphasize the need for critical thinking skills that are needed as a theatre artist in any area of emphasis. Collaboration and the ability to work as a team to reach a production goal and theatre production. We also encourage a strong ability in organizational and time management skills, which serves in so many employment areas.
Joseph Anderson
Chair, Costume & Makeup DesignerUniversity of Wisconsin - La Crosse
Department of Theatre Arts
What skills stand out on Performer resumes?
Joseph Anderson: For performers, the variety and number of different roles performed - each role provides an actor the opportunity to delve into the psyche of someone other than themselves, to see the world from a completely different perspective. This allows them to work effectively with a wide variety of people with varying viewpoints and backgrounds. Their resumes also demonstrate, at a glance, the sense of discipline and dedication to a project as each production represents approximately 105 hours of rehearsals on top of a 12-18 credit class load and often an additional outside job to earn income for tuition/living expenses. That's a great deal of pressure and time management for students to navigate successfully, and they do.
The world of Theatre is designed to take place in the present tense. Meaning that we are ultimately producing live shows for live audiences. (excepting the pandemic shut-down) That means that situations often arise suddenly that need to be dealt with and solved just as quickly. Our Theatre majors learn to:
-Think quickly to creatively solve problems
-Anticipate potential issues and proactively prepare for a variety of situations that may arise
-Our Management students work with a diverse constituency each night (audiences are always a different group of people and potential issues). They must employ skills of tact, respect, leadership, and diplomacy when dealing with the public.
-Our Design/Tech students must be creative thinkers but must also be adept at solving problems quickly. Problems arise during productions that need to be handled expediently, efficiently, and yet retain the integrity and safety of the show. Our students are trained to remain calm under pressure and creatively solve problems in a way that the audience never knows anything went awry.
What skills will help Performers earn the most?
Joseph Anderson: I would say that what enables our graduates to earn the most, or more importantly, have a successful career, is the wide variety of experiences and skills they develop as majors. As you can see from the above list, the skills our majors receive line up perfectly with the skills employers tell us they look for in valued employees. Our majors know that it is the work of the group - not the individual, that mounts a successful production. That skill alone is extremely valuable and difficult to successfully cultivate in many other majors. So while we want all our students to have successful careers in theatre doing what they love, it is the last part that is most important to us, doing what they love. That they have been well-prepared and are poised to enter the job market for an endless number of careers is what we value and count as success.
Aaron Todd Douglas
Director, University of Minnesota/Guthrie Theater BFA Actor Training ProgramUniversity of Minnesota
Theatre Arts and Dance
What skills stand out on Performer resumes?
Aaron Todd Douglas: The skills that stand out most are collaboration, problem-solving, concentration, and communication. Not only do our people develop the ability to collaborate with technical specialists (such as sound and lighting designers and technicians) as well as their own counterparts, but they can construct and deliver compelling narratives that communicate volumes quickly and efficiently. They are task-oriented and dogged in their pursuit of conscientious solutions that serve the collective good. They possess analysis and research skills with the necessary focus and follow-through to implement plans of action. Time management and people management skills are also critical in a theatrical production and the classroom.
With the confines of the pandemic and the rise of virtual communication and production, audio and visual technical skills complement most practitioners' skill sets. While it isn't necessarily a requisite, a working familiarity with technology is crucial. Nearly all Universities work with some Learning Management System such as Canvas or Blackboard. Instructors and students should also be versed in the basics like Office Suite, Pages, Adobe, etc., to create and edit scripts and other documents.
The attributes that distinguish the most successful Theatre Instructor applicants include a range of applicable professional experience, an advanced degree, and previous teaching experience. The standouts are personable, knowledgeable, and can identify with students from various backgrounds. A demonstrated commitment to lifelong learning and continued professional development is always a plus
What skills will help Performers earn the most?
Aaron Todd Douglas: Earning potential is a tricky thing. TV & film star and Broadway director Ruben Santiago-Hudson said that "show business" is one of the few occupations where skill and talent do not directly correlate with financial success. That is to say, never underestimate the importance of luck. One of my mantras is a saying attributed to the Roman dramatist Seneca: "Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity."
What general advice would you give to a Performer?
Matthew Greene: Anyone exiting college, or any place of training, needs to understand that everything is reset. Regardless of if you were cast in every show, or rarely appeared on stage, what matters now is what you do going forward. While experience is important, no one cares what you have done before if it’s not reflected in your current work, and most importantly, your work ethic and attitude.
What Performer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Matthew Greene: Staying current with marketing/social media trends as a way of getting your name and content out there. This is where the younger generations have an edge. However, at the end of the day, the work needs to be of the highest caliber. Nothing beats work ethic and a thirst for knowledge.
What will help Performers increase their earning potential?
Matthew Greene: Your focus shouldn’t be on salary at the start of your career—your focus should be finding work in your field and gaining knowledge, experience, and making quality contacts. Do not enter any work environment with the attitude of “What can I get?”, but instead approach every opportunity with “How can I help?”. This is how you will make yourself a valuable, treasured member of the community and build yourself a reputation as someone an employer desires.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Performer job market given the pandemic?
Cynthia Loewus: Since the pandemic: video, on-line, virtual, and site specific work has become the outlet for theater makers.
Self-generated work, all forms, plays, musicals, comedy, cabaret work, dance have risen in popularity and product.
Social media platforms like TikTok, YouTube, Zoom, and Facebook, have given artists "stages" for their expression. Knowledge about these venues until the stages reopen is helpful.
Once we return to the stage, I believe there will still be virtual work opportunities, as it reaches so many people and is affordable for many. Therefore acquiring these skills now is important.
What skills stand out on Performer resumes?
Cynthia Loewus: Resumes for graduating theater makers should show solid training, project completion for technical and writing students, for actors: a clear understanding of their branding and strengths as an artist. Your headshot and resume is your introduction. Make sure it's the best it can be. Also keep social media and website posts up to date.
Credits in virtual work are a must now.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Performers to find work opportunities?
Cynthia Loewus: Post pandemic, I believe there will be lots of new opportunities for the arts to thrive in many cities and towns. People are hungry for the arts, but might not want to travel to NYC to see shows right away, small towns will have opportunities for self-generated work and work written during the pandemic.
TV and FILM is in high demand and filming has continued through the pandemic, so cities that hire for these jobs are places to look for work: Atlanta, Chicago, LA., NYC.
VOICE OVER work for commercials and industry is another place to job search, you can live anywhere and submit virtually all your work.
Theater skills are very useful in event planning and theme parks. Learn how to market yourself to apply for theater related jobs.
Broadway will re-open and there will be a lot of auditions for singers and dancers.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Performer job market given the pandemic?
Henk Stratton: The future of the industry is digital-this trend was set in motion long before the pandemic. Online streaming services have ushered in the second "golden age" of television, and have forever altered the landscape of how we consume home entertainment. If you look at how Warner Brothers is releasing all theatrical films via HBO MAX, there is an argument to be made that this will only last the length of the current public health crisis. But I don't think the marketplace will reverse. For an actor, it is mission critical to their success to market themselves to this digital world. In person auditions will be limited to final meetings or become a thing of the past altogether-less so, perhaps, with musical theatre because of the latency created by Zoom.
What Performer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Henk Stratton: Continue to hone your craft, and remain adaptable. Creating your own content will be key in order to remain current. Even before the pandemic, the multi-hyphenated artist emerged.
What general advice would you give to a Performer?
Henk Stratton: Maintain an attitude that is adaptable, flexible, patient, courageous, and disciplined. Remember that it is hard (and important) work.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Performer job market given the pandemic?
Ken Sonkin: The three most prevalent trends in the performing arts during the pandemic are:
1. Arts organizations have had to make major cutbacks in staffing, programming, and infrastructure. Everybody is hurting financially and theaters are no exception. However, "When life hands us lemons, we make lemonade." Theaters have become some of the most innovative and creative entities, to not only stay culturally relevant but to also come up with new revenue streams in order to help defer 2020 losses;
2. Theater organizations are hiring more people of color. Promoting into leadership roles, casting in non-traditional ways, and commissioning BIPOC writers who are telling stories about and for people of underserved communities. Most importantly, theater companies have been charged with considering how they serve their mission/vision during this crisis. Social justice is much more prevalent in how and what we create; and
3. Theaters are looking for artists who are up-to-date on the latest technology. Zoom and video performances, live-streaming, online formats, social media, etc., will be a part of the visual and performing arts landscape moving into the new normal. During this pandemic, arts organizations have learned a tremendous amount about delivering online content, and these innovations will continue to flourish in the next few years as the economy bounces back. (Hopefully, that will include increased funding for the arts!) Technology will never take the place of live performance, but it will be incorporated into the arts in new and creative ways.
What Performer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Ken Sonkin: Read, read, read! Take in all the material you can, especially things written by writers of color, so that we can begin to dismantle systemic racism in the performing arts. I would also suggest developing an "actor's routine" including audition prep (monologues), re-tooling your resume, creating your website (doesn't have to cost money!), and committing to physical and vocal workouts in order to keep your instrument well-tuned. If you can afford it, invest in computer upgrades, along with a microphone, camera, green screen, etc.
The next generation of actors will need to be proficient at submitting professional online auditions. Next: take a class! There are tons of free and inexpensive resources online for you to broaden your horizons. Also, create your own artist collective - a group of like-minded people who get together weekly/monthly to discuss current trends in the arts, read plays or screenplays aloud, and be a support group for one another. The most challenging part of this year has been the isolation of young artists. We are collaborative beings by nature, so it's vital to maintain your personal/professional relationships.
Lastly, I encourage students who are experiencing a gap year to journal. Write down your thoughts. I believe it's helpful to chronicle what you're going through during these trying times. And who knows? These private thoughts may be fuel for the next great play, film, song, or dance you get to create.
What general advice would you give to a Performer?
Ken Sonkin: Breathe. It's hard to fully understand the challenging times we're going through right now. It may be years before we're able to fully process the trauma and contraction of our economy, the arts, and our lives. But there has and always will be a human need to tell stories. Live performing arts will return and so we have to be patient.
That's hard to swallow for someone who has just finished their training and is eager to get out into the real world. But I believe this is the time to be planting the seeds for the future of the arts. To ask the hard questions. To celebrate the strength of those around us and especially within ourselves. Artists create in the times they live in; we have always held a mirror up to society so that as a civilization, we may laugh, cry, get pissed off or turned on, and challenge our thinking. Now is the time to reflect and prepare. One of my favorite quotes for this year: "What is there left for us, that have seen the newly discovered stability of things changed from an enthusiasm to a weariness, but to labor with a high heart, though it may be with weak hands, to rediscover an art of the theatre that shall be joyful, fantastic, extravagant, whimsical, beautiful, resonant, and altogether reckless?" - William Butler Yeats.
Artists who are beginning their careers now should remember to love themselves and those around them, dare to dream, and most importantly - breathe. They are our hope for a better tomorrow.
Larry Biederman
Professor, Directing/ActingCalifornia State University, Northridge
Department of Theatre
What type of skills will young Performers need?
Larry Biederman: Graduates will need versatility. The more students can apply their training to multiple disciplines, the better chance they will have of finding their specialty. Film, television, and theatre tend to be students' focus, but there are many related opportunities in gaming, corporate events, amusement park entertainment, voice-over, animation, theatre education, and more. Students whose interests straddle performance, production, design, and management can learn how to apply those skills in the contexts of multiple industries and will have the best success rate.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Performers?
Larry Biederman: I think there can't help but be an enduring impact of the pandemic on anyone and anything. I'm not sure anyone can really foresee how, but it's inevitable. When it is safe to work again, I think there will be a rush for content in film, TV, theatre, and gaming which should provide a LOT of opportunity. However, with so much of the industry displaced and unemployed, there will also be fierce competition for those opportunities in a field that is already quite competitive.
Like many industries, some of the remote processes implemented to substitute for normal procedures may become the new standard. Self-taped auditions shot at home and submitted online were already becoming more and more common before Covid, and I see no reason why casting agents and producers would go back to renting spaces to hold in-person auditions, at least for the initial auditions.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Performer job market given the pandemic?
Brian Jones: Entering the theatre workforce (and more broadly, the performing arts) is transitioning to micro-project and community-specific work. Institutional theatres, both commercial and non-profit, are largely closed and adapting to a new reality that will last beyond the end of the pandemic. The trends are pointed toward value-added content and media production. People will continue to need and yearn for experiences of art and enlightenment in the community. Trending is self-produced YouTube content, site-specific work productions for smaller audience segments, and applied theatre work for simulation scenarios and causes such as social justice. Voice acting is also going to continue to grow with applications to gaming and pod-casting.
What Performer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Brian Jones: Learn some production tools such as filming and video editing using decent hardware and software, but not necessarily top-of-the-line commercial/industrial tools. For example, learning to use Adobe suite elements such as Premiere Pro, Audition, and In Design. This can be self-taught via YouTube videos and crowdsourcing instruction. The most important thing is being disciplined about it. Invent a project for yourself and then make it just to learn from it. Know it's not going to be the best and might even suck. Then show up at your work station EVERY DAY at set times and durations. You might also study how to set up a business in Quickbooks or some other financial software or find a partner who can. Start thinking of your life as your business, and your gigs as segments of your "brand."
What general advice would you give to a Performer?
Brian Jones: Be patient with yourself. It's never been normal to make your living in the performing arts right out of school. It's going to take five years after graduation to develop your career and another five to get it off the ground. You will know if you "were made for this" or that you should make a lateral evolution to some other area of your life's experience that's calling you. The good news is that a theatre graduate usually learns pretty quickly to be self-determinate. That brings freedom and satisfaction.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Performer job market given the pandemic?
Alan Litsey: Online content available on many platforms will increase exponentially, in my view. We will need writers, editors, directors, technicians, cinematographers, to name just a few. Theatre will need online streaming specialists. In particular, we need imaginative, agile problem solvers and innovators. The current challenges prove that our world can and will shift very quickly.
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Performers in the next 3-5 years?
Alan Litsey: In the Theatre, my expectation is that more and more arts organizations will make use of streaming technology to ensure their programs are accessible to diverse audiences. The Southeastern Theatre Conference, the largest theatre organization of its kind, continues to develop exciting year-round services. I suggest you contact them for information on the March 2021 Convention. Currently, you see such cutting edge Theatre organizations as the Women's Theatre Festival creating extraordinary programming for online consumption.
Will there be an increase or decrease in demand for Performers in the next 5 years?
Alan Litsey: We rely on story-tellers to entertain, divert us, raise vital questions, and teach us. Our nation's creative artists and technicians are vital as we navigate uncertainty. As our world grows more complex, the need for art will continue to increase. The need and the opportunities are out there. We need leaders who are capable of leading others in making data-informed decisions and thinking collaboratively and boldly. Critically, we need collaborators who can be present with each other, develop trust and rapport with diverse stakeholders, and have the ability to step into the shoes of others. In other words, we need liberal arts graduates.
Frank Martignetti Ph.D.
Chair, Assistant Professor of MusicUniversity of Bridgeport
Department of Music & Performing Arts
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Performers in the next 3-5 years?
Frank Martignetti Ph.D.: For music educators, current and emerging technologies for communication, collaboration, recording, and editing have become more critical than ever before. This trend will continue.
For performers and content creators, methods of disseminating performances over the internet through live streaming paid video platforms allowing subscriptions and ticket sales, and other ways to share their art with an audience will become ever more critical. Upgrades in HVAC related to COVID and other illnesses are vital for the live performing arts to return.
What type of skills will young Performers need?
Jamie Cheatham: The skillset of theatre artists entering the workforce shortly will not change too much. A solid foundation in the craft of theatre, whether in performance, design, or tech, remains rooted in our art form. While theatre does evolve, good theatre education comes with it. Since this spring, the real difference will be that much of the current work that is continuing in theatre has shifted to online formats. Auditions have often involved video submissions. These will likely become much more of an industry-standard, along with video callbacks and interviews. As classes continue to move online, so too do these online skills. So, the Covid-19 shut-down result has led, quite naturally, to the new set of skills that graduates will need. In particular, performers will have to pay a bit more attention to their home video production values, including adequate lighting, composition, and adjusting the scale of their work to the medium.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Performers to find work opportunities?
Jamie Cheatham: Currently, theatre across the nation is hurting. Without an audience's ability to assemble safely, theatre, as we know it, has come to a relative standstill. Artists are finding ways to produce content and share their talents, but this is because artists need an outlet, and they need to create. Finding work will only happen when it is safe to go back into the theatres. Until then, we are all in a holding pattern, trying our best to practice our craft until the industry is once again safe. Hopefully, this will be soon. While it will be challenging to find work in the future, this is nothing new. Theatre artists always struggle, in good times and bad, to find work. It is their passion that drives them. No one enters the theatre, thinking it will be easy to get a job. Though, as many aspects of the job search transfer to online versions, such as auditions and portfolio submissions, new graduates will have access to a greater national reach than ever before as they seek out work. This will be a bonus.
How do you envision technology impacting Performers in the next 5 years?
Jamie Cheatham: New technology always impacts theatre, eventually. Computerized lighting boards revolutionized lighting. Video projected scenery keeps advancing and finding a more permanent place in the theatre. As theatres continue to experiment with online production techniques, they will undoubtedly find a foothold in our future endeavors. Hopefully, not as a substitute for our live performances but integrated within live productions. There is no substitute for live theatre. There is a reason why we still gather after thousands of years this way, to see live actors draw us into their stories, acted out for our benefits. It is a communal sharing of ideas, empathy, creativity, and joy that cannot be found in any other venue.