AN OPEN LETTER TO THE ARTIST-Bobby Steggert — Page 2

Kad said: "Steggert is an incredibly intelligent andempatheticguy (and very approachable and down to earth- not self-important at all), and I think he is very candid in this essay about both the greater social reasons he has for turning away from acting as well as his own personal reasons. He's also not a fool and he's not a kid. He knows what he's getting into by shifting his career to social work.

I also don't think that participating in a staged reading at the O'Neill particularly negates his claim to be turning his back, professionally,on theatre. Changing his career doesn't rule out short, informal gigs like that. I'd be surprised if he doesn't pop up in concerts here and there."

He's not the first actor to voluntarily walk away from the business. The fact that he has written an opinion piece promoting himself as altruistic seems a bit self-aggrandizing. And if he thinks his professional life is going to be less chaotic and more balanced, he's pretty delusional. Depending on what he actually ends up doing in the field, he may be spending most of his professional life defending his decisions, either to supervisors or in a courtroom. He will have less control and significantly more stress. The only thing that will be steady is his paycheck.

I think talking about changing your career as an established adult and detailing the personal reasons why is important and worthwhile.

newintown said: "But there is an air of affected grandeur and, perhaps, self-consciousness inthe tone, Ithink."

As there are also seems to be in many of the replies/reactions...

I'm really rather stunned at the reaction here.

Perhaps this piece by Steggert is speaking to me because I've made a conscious decision to step back from a pursuit of a career as a performer for a number of reasons. But, unless we become Gilead full stop, the business will always be here. I always tell my acting students, 'Go live a life. How can you portray one if you don't live one?'

I read nothing grand or self-congratulating in this. And he's right, at this moment when our republic is hanging on by a shred, art for art's sake isn't enough. Even frivolity takes on the tone of laughing into the abyss. He's simply responding to the world as it is right now. And he's not wrong. This moment in our country is a call to action to lead with empathy.

One other thing I try to impart on my acting students is that, no matter where you go, you can use the tools learned in our classes together. You can walk into a room and hold attention. You can speak clearly in front of people. You can read body language and analyze what people are after. Those are skills that are irreplaceable. And they are exactly what we need in facing the moment.

Popular said: "He will have to work very hard to find the control, stability, and balance he seeks in populations and broken systems that often have none. As an MSW I welcome him to the profession and hope it fulfills him. If I can offer two words of unsolicited advice - SELF CARE!"

Could not agree more. I wish him luck working with poor communities, at risk youth, and other situations you would never encounter in the land of pretend.

I found BS's (no editorial meant:) letter to be rather meaningful. I am a Stage Director who spent 20 years in the business with 60 Equity contracts to my credit who left to get his MSW and has since had a meaningful 20 year career as a Psychotherapist here in New York. I believe that second acts can be restorative and worth the work if we no longer find the joy in our current profession. I remember getting some guidance from AEA Actor's Work Program. The big gift I received from them was the point that we are always artists no matter how we earn our living and it is that depth of creativity that will always inform all of our future decisions. I think Bobby is simply asking all of us to hold on to our humanity as artists and use it to our fullest potential. I remember that the great english actress Claire Higgins took a break from her career to get her degree in the British equivalent of Social Work and worked extensively in both careers. Our lives are too short to get stuck in a profession where we experience diminishing returns emotionally and financially. I think it's really brave to take some risks and try to synthesize all of our talents into a cohesive whole. Our lives are about chapters and Bobby is embracing his Act Two. Who knows how many acts he has but how brave to try to explore his personal narrative.

The entire Yank 10th year reunion at 54below is on YouTube, and Bobby is great! That final speech (in character) moved me! While I'm sure especially right now he may not be having major regrets - it is interesting to me that he really did have a lot of acclaimed performances and a Tony nomination but still wasn't quite achieving the goals he wanted to. I hope he might find a vehicle in the future that brings him back.