The Truth About Living the Bi-coastal Actor Life

from Playbill.com http://www.playbill.com/article/the-truth-about-living-the-bi-coastal-actor-life

Updated On: 8/29/16 at 06:42 AM

Is it still true that you pick the East Coast for a theater career and the Other Coast for TV/movies?

wonkit said: "Is it still true that you pick the East Coast for a theater career and the Other Coast for TV/movies?



I think that, although it may be slightly changing that is still the case. I remember, before seeing Paramour, I read an article that was an interview with Ruby Lewis. In it, she joked about how she managed to find the one and only musical theatre agent in L.A.

I honestly think though, that NYC is more of a theare based city. While there is some theatre in L.A. I don't think that it holds a candle to not only Broadway and off Broadway, but to all the small theatre companies that open up all around the city. NYC as a filming location though, for TV and film, has been popular since what feels like the dawn of time. We now have three major movie/tv studios within New York City (Silvercup Studios in Long Island city, Astoria Kaufman in Astoria and Steiner Studios in Brooklyn.) Those make it easier for shows/ and movies that are set in NYC to actually film here rather than use a set on a Hollywood backlot that imitates NYC. But, all this is just how I view things, I am not sure at all of what is actually the case. But, I do think that many still feel that if you want to do theatre, you go to NYC, for TV/film, you go out west.

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Film and Television has never been more active in NY and the east coast. Shows that shoot in Boston, Washington, Georgia, and other southern states often cast out of New York and while that doesn't of course mean jobs always go to NYC actors, casting directors will often call them in over an actor in LA whom they've never seen.

Bi-coastal life does definitely exist for actors. Regardless of what I just mentioned many NYC based actors will go to LA for Jan-March for pilot season because the studios are headquartered there and most commercial theater will have been cast ahead of Tony Season.

LA remains largely a film/television town if actors want to make money. NYC has plenty of opportunities for actors to pursue stage and screen work.

The Headband is right that casting for stage and film/TV takes place in more than one place.

While it's true that earning a living from stage work alone is harder within the LA city limits, many if not most Broadway shows and national tours hold auditions in LA as well. I have friends who work for peanuts but work constantly in LA theater AND regularly audition for Broadway shows and national tours.

One other difference: because of the scarcity of AEA work on the West Coast, there isn't the talent gap between union and non-union stage performers. A lot of stage actors work all the time, but don't join the union until they have to.