Bethany, you got me all up in my thinks and feels over here. I’m so glad you’re doing this, and I look forward to following along. I am speaking as someone who has been grieving the loss of her dreams for decades now. My career evolved into something I never envisioned, and I wouldn’t trade my life, but the grief is real. I don’t know if I have a question per se. I just wish I had known in my 20s (when the only game in town was Heat of the Night and I’ll Fly Away)—how much of this is me and how much is systemic? And you touch on that in your piece. I felt forced to accept that there was a system that I didn’t fit into. Dream denied. I’m thrilled to see that old paradigms are crumbling thanks to the workers who are in the thick of it. But the grief. Oy. Much love to you and keep on making good trouble!
Oh Dina, this, this, this. We don’t talk enough about dreams deferred, dreams that change and dreams that don’t come true. We’re allowed to be grateful for our beautiful lives as they are AND sad for things that never came to be AND still hope for things to come. That’s what I think anyway. Thank you for speaking up with honesty.
Firstly, thank you for this newsletter. It's an amazing concept and much needed contribution to the community. My question is this: How do we, as actors, maintain our integrity and worth in this industry, especially in the SE market? The assumption that no one will try to negotiate above scale here, the guest star listings on the coasts offered as co-stars here, and the demand of full availabiltity throughout the shoot window even though the o/a dates are not technically allowed under the union contract for co-stars and day players. Everyone seems to be in a race to the bottom, and I want no part of that.
I hear alllllllll of this. It has been part of the culture here in the SE for so long that it’s a real fight to point out that it’s just not okay. We’ll get into this more for sure. Thanks for the question! (And anyone else, feel free to pipe in!)
Thank you Bethany for the knowledge. Since my acting experience only started in 2019 as a background actor and continues as such, I'm not even sure what a good question would be but I will enjoy learning. Thanks again.
Bethany I'm so glad I discovered this. You always have an amazing insight. My question after a few statements: I can remember when I started acting professionally in the early 1990s the very small Actors' Equity community in Atlanta felt that we were not valued by our union and that maybe we were "too nice" to producers and our union counterparts in NYC. We often referred to actors "out in the regions" as being only a second thought in the negotiating coming out of New York. As the Atlanta film and TV market grew, many actors who were new to SAG and AFTRA expressed similar feelings. Yet outsiders who work in this market can't stop praising how supportive our industry community is here, and how it is such a different feeling from the one in Los Angeles.
So my question is - How do we keep our friendliness to visiting workers and our supportive nature for each other while advocating ferociously for the respect and consideration we deserve as actors "local to Atlanta?"
Bethany, you got me all up in my thinks and feels over here. I’m so glad you’re doing this, and I look forward to following along. I am speaking as someone who has been grieving the loss of her dreams for decades now. My career evolved into something I never envisioned, and I wouldn’t trade my life, but the grief is real. I don’t know if I have a question per se. I just wish I had known in my 20s (when the only game in town was Heat of the Night and I’ll Fly Away)—how much of this is me and how much is systemic? And you touch on that in your piece. I felt forced to accept that there was a system that I didn’t fit into. Dream denied. I’m thrilled to see that old paradigms are crumbling thanks to the workers who are in the thick of it. But the grief. Oy. Much love to you and keep on making good trouble!
Oh Dina, this, this, this. We don’t talk enough about dreams deferred, dreams that change and dreams that don’t come true. We’re allowed to be grateful for our beautiful lives as they are AND sad for things that never came to be AND still hope for things to come. That’s what I think anyway. Thank you for speaking up with honesty.
YES! Dreams have evolved and so have I. And still, grief pops up unexpectedly, like when I read the beautiful words of heart-centered artists. 💜
Firstly, thank you for this newsletter. It's an amazing concept and much needed contribution to the community. My question is this: How do we, as actors, maintain our integrity and worth in this industry, especially in the SE market? The assumption that no one will try to negotiate above scale here, the guest star listings on the coasts offered as co-stars here, and the demand of full availabiltity throughout the shoot window even though the o/a dates are not technically allowed under the union contract for co-stars and day players. Everyone seems to be in a race to the bottom, and I want no part of that.
I hear alllllllll of this. It has been part of the culture here in the SE for so long that it’s a real fight to point out that it’s just not okay. We’ll get into this more for sure. Thanks for the question! (And anyone else, feel free to pipe in!)
Bethany this is so great. Very eloquently put and perfectly articulated what I've been experiencing and see my friends experiencing. Keep it up!
Yes… yes …and YES! Community and being open about our experiences. Thanks for sharing yours!
Thank you Bethany for the knowledge. Since my acting experience only started in 2019 as a background actor and continues as such, I'm not even sure what a good question would be but I will enjoy learning. Thanks again.
Steve
Thanks so much for your support and reading along!
Bethany I'm so glad I discovered this. You always have an amazing insight. My question after a few statements: I can remember when I started acting professionally in the early 1990s the very small Actors' Equity community in Atlanta felt that we were not valued by our union and that maybe we were "too nice" to producers and our union counterparts in NYC. We often referred to actors "out in the regions" as being only a second thought in the negotiating coming out of New York. As the Atlanta film and TV market grew, many actors who were new to SAG and AFTRA expressed similar feelings. Yet outsiders who work in this market can't stop praising how supportive our industry community is here, and how it is such a different feeling from the one in Los Angeles.
So my question is - How do we keep our friendliness to visiting workers and our supportive nature for each other while advocating ferociously for the respect and consideration we deserve as actors "local to Atlanta?"