VP's BLOG: What Am I Doing Wrong?

BroadwayWorld.com is excited to introduce its newest blogger - VP Boyle! VP BOYLE is one of the most sought after Broadway audition and life coaches for professionals in New York City and works with actors at every level across the country to spread his irreverent approach to theatrical wellness. He wears many hats in the Broadway community (director, casting director, actor, writer, producer) and is most known in the theatrical casting world for creating The Musical Theatre Forum, a professional casting workshop with every major Broadway casting agency in NYC.

VP currently serves as the creator and Chair of the New York Film Academy's new cutting-edge Musical Theatre & Film Conservatory Program. The two-year program merges conservatory musical theatre training with Broadway professionals and an intensive acting on film curriculum that culminates with an original movie musical film project.

VP will be blogging weekly for BroadwayWorld.com...

WHAT AM I DOING WRONG?

Maybe nothing. Or exactly that. There is a residual panic/anxiety/stress that I'm facing on a weekly basis with many of my coaching clients regarding callbacks and appointments. Or the lack of them. The recurring themes are variations of the following:

What am I doing wrong?
This song always got me a callback and now it tanks.
My audition book isn't working anymore.
My agent couldn't get me in...
I'm not sure I can do this anymore.
I can't afford to take class since I'm on unemployment.
I need two weeks of work to keep my health insurance.
I'm feeling totally stuck in every area of my life.

Please wake up and hear me on this? The economic meltdown doesn't exclude artists. And yes, everyone in every industry is feeling the crunch. We are only halfway through the financial squeeze (endlessly debatable topic) and there will be post-trickle-down for everything and everyone in our biz. If you are going to stay in the game you have to play your theatrical adventure smarter, healthier, savvier and more creatively with your resources. Those resources include your mind, your body, your spirit. If you decide you want to get out, be prepared to pay a different set of dues because every industry is only holding on to it's best players at the moment. Things are and will continue to look different going forward in the biz so you cannot put your self-esteem or self-worth into any idea of a callback ratio or fancy appointment these days. No one is resting on their laurels including Tony-winners, so why should you? This is a great opportunity to study, diversify, stabilize, and explore. Move with the market and you win. Be vigilant in your victim-approach to complaining, staying stuck and digging your heels into the shoulda/woulda/coulda paradigm and you will suffer a slow, painful decline. Here are a just a few ideas to stimulate your next steps, but I encourage you to take a couple of hours and write out hundreds. 1 out of 10 will write the list and 1 out of 100 will tackle something on that list. 1 out of 1000 will tackle numerous things on that list - and will shine.

A FEW THINGS YOU CAN DO TO KEEP YOUR ARTISTIC (and personal) LIFE AFLOAT

1. Find different ways to get your health insurance
2. Accept (find, create) a survival job that will ride out the economic storm
3. Create your own projects: concerts, showcases, play readings, demos
4. Jumpstart your goal list with accountability group "dream team" study, study, study no matter what it takes - growth is movement
5. Do great work and eliminate any need for approval from "callbacks"
6. Get fearless about new avenues of promotion & marketing
7. Suck up more open calls & stop freaking out about minutia (stupid small stuff you can't change)
8. Diversify your theatre life into other arenas: film / tv / commercials / voice-overs

Live who you are. Love what you do.

XOXO VP