Once upon a time there were two young actresses, Gretchen the Grasshopper and Agnes the Ant. They were roommates who were fresh out of acting school and just starting their careers. Both were talented and driven, but like all newbies they faced a dilemma. To gain experience and exposure they needed to get acting work, but most of it paid little, if any, money. So how could they solve the puzzle of doing a show and paying the bills while working fewer hours at, or completely leaving, their day job?
Meet the Actresses
Now Gretchen was a go-getter who was charming, funny and smart. She naturally knew how to schmooze and always made a good first impression. Unfortunately, she was also a spendthrift. She couldn’t walk from the front door to her car without spending $20, or so it seemed. Even though she made more than enough to live on from her day job, she was always asking Agnes for a loan to get her through ‘til payday. Whenever she landed a paying gig she would blow it all in celebrating her success.
Now Agnes had a real head for the Biz. She enjoyed the challenge of staying in touch with all of the producers, directors, actors, etc., that she knew. Agnes understood that marketing and advertising were the key to getting people to notice and remember her. In addition, she was a thrifty gal. Early on, she had set up a special savings account; she called it her “Acting Fund”, into which she put $200 a week. From this account she would cover the cost of working on those important, but low paying, projects. Though she made the rounds and networked like everyone else, she was always careful to keep an eye on her money.