Posted: 7/1/16 at 11:41pm
Hello! I was considering a career as a theatre director and all that would entail. What is the likelihood of "making it" and how difficult is it to break into the industry? How long does it typically take for a director to work on a Broadway production? What is the salary one could expect? Information and/or personal experience would be greatly appreciated!!!
Posted: 7/2/16 at 4:20am
The "likelihood of 'making it'" all depends on how passionate you truly feel about it. Unless you're already a business man interested in a different business, lol. In all seriousness though, work your way up there. Start out at community theatres (assuming that you're young) and work your way up.
Posted: 7/2/16 at 10:20am
Also keep in mind that Broadway is not necessarily the be-all end-all of everyone's career in theatre, no matter the discipline. There are many people who have had a long and successful career without a single Broadway credit to their names.
Posted: 7/2/16 at 10:43am
This is true for any profession but my top piece of advice is: don't go into it with a focus on making it, or on making money; go into something for which you have a passion.
Truth is, only a minuscule percentage of people who start out considering a career as a director make it, and most end up finding something else to focus on along the way. So my next piece of advice is to go to a school where you will be educated rather than trained. This is for 2 reasons: first, because it prepares you for more than what you now think you want to do (most people really do change their mind a few times no matter how certain they won't) and second because it prepares you to be a better director even if you did guess right.
Posted: 7/2/16 at 11:13am
AEA and Hogan are right. There are lots of ways to be a professional that don't include broadway as the ultimate goal. (for example, will you be a failure if you are making a living at directing, but never have a show in NY or Broadway? You'll be happier if the answer is no.)
Learn. A lot. Acting, theater, history, theater history, design, business, communication. But, as with any art, if its not an absolute PASSION, don't. If you can imagine yourself doing ANYTHING else to make a living, do that.
Posted: 7/2/16 at 2:18pm
Be sure to define for yourself what "making it" is. If it is Broadway, remember there are probably 1-2 dozen people who get to do that and there are thousands and thousands of directors in the country. If it is being able to continue working on increasingly exciting material, that can happen nearly anywhere. If it is fully supporting yourself doing theatre, that is very hard and most I've known who did it started out independently wealthy.
In short, you will have to find other sources of income. Many join become admin on theatre staff, become teachers, and many go the food service industry route. The salary of a Broadway director is great if you get there and if your show actually runs.
I don't remember whose quote it was but: "In the theatre, you can make a killing, but you can't make a living."
So, prepare for a very unpredictable life. This is a business where is all about who you know - it's cliche, but it's true. If you can do anything else, trust me, you'll end up doing it. But if you must, be veracious with everything life has to offer, see everything you can, learn everything you can, be the most curious person you've ever met. And prepare for a very rocky road.
My knowledge is hard won.
Updated On: 7/2/16 at 02:18 PM
Posted: 7/2/16 at 7:47pm
It takes anywhere from 1 to 100 years to "make it" as a director, and the annual salary ranges from $0-$1M+.
Sorry for the snarky (but true) answers, but if you have to come to an anonymous chat board to get career validation, you should probably look into something else.
