HowlRound Theatre Commons: Prior to the pandemic, designers, like many theatremakers, existed in a fiscally precarious environment. There seemed to be an unspoken assumption among artistic leadership that we had other sources of income. There must have been, because if theatre institutions actually calculated how much designers are paid, and then how many projects designers would need to take on in a year to survive without outside funding, then the current pay scale would appear to be unconscionable.
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This article starting out with discussion of a “fiscally precarious environment” was not incredibly assuring, but it later provides hope. I knew some differences between working via contract or as staff, but I did not know the grasp of the financial disparity. Any monetary cushion could have been harmed by the pandemic and people might have completely run out of savings. The included collage was a particularly striking example of the workload and the titles were all very compelling. I hope to see change when it is possible and when in person performance returns. The unemployment system has been a mess across the nation; I had no idea how complicated it could be on top of the normal issues for by the gig people. I thought there was a more comprehensive system in place for those cases. This article mentions the designer union not advocated for more. I wonder why this is because I thought that was what unions were supposed to do. I really hope there is a way that will work out for everyone in the end.
I think that some level of insecurity or risk is implied when one chooses to go into a creative field. All anyone ever tells you what you say your majoring in theater is how hard it is to get a job and make a living. But these comments from well meaning aunts and uncles are easy enough to brush off. It becomes very disheartening, however, to see some of my fears confirmed by articles like these, written by people who are actually living a life I might be adopting sooner rather than later. I think the pandemic really exposed how harmful these pay structures are to many designers and hopefully gave us some time as an industry to think of ways it can be improved. The thought of being in tech every week on different productions simply to support myself is intimidating to essay the least. I’m not sure how much this will realistically change, but I am hopeful that theater as an industry will someday shift away from requiring all participants to sign their entire life away in order to join the club.
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