The Actor's Guide to Everything

I can't afford THERAPY, what should I do?

Should I go to GRADUATE SCHOOL?

Where can I get discount tickets for BROADWAY shows?

What kinds of HEALTH INSURANCE can I get?

How do I stay SAFE in NYC?

How do I find an APARTMENT in NYC?

Should I move to LOS ANGELES or NEW YORK CITY?

I have no INSURANCE. what should I do if I get SICK?

What does THERAPY have to do with my acting?

How do I find a "DAY JOB"?

How much should I TIP?

Is New York City SAFE?

Help me with my FINANCIAL priorities?

I have a NATURAL TALENT, do I have to study?

Can I ride a BIKE in NYC?

Should I own a CAR in New York city?

I already know all I need to know - I'm gonna be a STAR!

Where are free Health Clinics?

How can I GET "DISCOVERED"?

What are the benefits of seeing a THERAPIST?

If I want to focus on TELEVISION, can I do that in NEW YORK CITY?

Where do I buy GROCERIES?

Should I join a GYM?

Do I need a roommate?

ACT I - GETTING HERE
THINGS TO CONSIDER
FANTASY VS REALITY
ARE YOU READY? LEVEL OF EDUCATION
LOS ANGELES VS NEW YORK CITY
PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES
LIVING HERE
SURVIVING THE CITY
ACT II - GETTING STARTED
ACT III - GETTING AHEAD

THINGS TO CONSIDER

Most people who have been in a school play or studied acting in school think they know all about show business, but really, mostly what they know is simply how to be in a show. They don't know, usually, who pays for a show, how the finances work, how it is marketed, to name just a few details of the business. It is a business. Artistic concerns are involved, of course, but the bottom line in show business is that there is a bottom line, and somebody is trying to make money at it.We are taught at an early age that if you are good at what you do, you will be rewarded. People complain when they do not get rewarded for their skills and talents; many actors get angry and bitter because they think that someone should recognize their talents and that somehow their careers should just "begin." They say "it's not fair."

They're right, it's not fair. But life is not fair, nor that simple. Success at any career usually requires knowledge of how that business works.

It is quite understandable to want to "hit the ground running" as soon as you arrive in New York - auditioning for anything and everything, sending out mailings to everyone in show business, and feeling frustrated when progress is hard to find. This is an impatient culture. We tend to want instant results and immediate gratification. But there is no such thing as an overnight success. Take a look at anyone who "made it overnight", and you'll find a whole lot of preparation.A slow, deliberate career is better than a fast one. Fast careers burn out early.

So, don't get impatient. You cannot really measure your progress in show business from the time you were born; it began at the time you started pursuing it as a business. That's usually when you started planning to get headshots, prepared your resume, and moved out on your own as an adult.

For many of you, that's not so long ago.Start learning to be responsible for your own behavior and your own career. No one owes you a career or a life fulfilled. Develop your skills, in performance and in business. Talent does not ensure success, it is what you do with it that counts, and that is up to you.