Theater and rejection tend to go hand in hand. So it's understandable that breaks away from the activity may occur, especially if you choose to focus on other passions at a given time.
In fact, a popular study by Queen Mary University estimated that only 2% of professional actors ever 'sucessfully' make it in their careers! The study also found latent years, where an actor doesn't score any jobs, very common. In a longitudinal case study of one actors career, they found that out of 23 years they only acted 12 of those years for a total of 17 jobs. Between active years the actor experienced periods of latent years up to 4 years long!!! Notably, this is only one actors experience and the study only measured amount of IMDb accredited jobs. However, the takeaway is clear, acting is competitive. If you don't match a director's vision, for whatever reason, chances are you will get a 'no'.
I started acting back in 6th grade, and fell full-heartedly in love with it. For 7 years I found myself feeling the exhilaration of being on-stage 16 times and stage-managing 3 other times. Of course, during these years I faced my fair share of rejections but I always got back on my feet and auditioned for any other feasible opportunity. However, once in College the statistical inevitability of rejection in theater led to a falling out with theater.
An actor's statistical likeability in being casted is dependent on several factors. Opportunity, is notably one of the greatest factors. At home, I was fortunate enough to go to a smaller school that hosted a play and a musical every year and hosted sessions of week-long theater camps. Additionally, I lived close-by to a community theater with open auditions. In college, the school plays were often limited to small cast sizes with roles usually (and reasonably) going to theater majors. I lacked a car so couldn't travel to other auditions. And while stage crew was always an option, I found myself investing time in other passions and new-found ambitions around my schooling.
I remember after my first theater rejection in college, I broke down and cried. Even though I faced rejection many times before, the sting of rejection never seems to dull. Reasonably, rejection hurts more the more you care/want something. Currently, being in the midst of unemployment and on the hunt for a job, I find this truer than ever. One of the things I'm most grateful about theater however is the resiliency and strength you build from the commonality of rejection. Even though I was not as involved with theater in College I never really forgot about theater. I would continually audition after every rejection.
Then it happened!!! I was casted in a College play...over zoom. I remember being over the moon and overall when I got the casting email, but the play itself was strange and there was no real sense of 'a theater family' that I had previously cherished. Afterwards, I tried to block it from my memory and banned family and friends from rewatching it... but overall it was still a good if untraditional experience.
Despite the 'cringe-factor' of the Covid play, I still continuously auditioned...and got rejected from school plays. That is, until my very last semester of college when the theater department announced they would be doing their first larger-cast play. Even better- the play was a readaptation of Alice in Wonderland.
If you don't know Alice in wonderland was my first ever official play, and frankly was the turning point for me in becoming a full fledged theater nerd.
I am humble (or let's face it, self-deprecating) about most things. But, I won't hold back in saying I was the absolute best caterpillar the world has ever seen. I absolutely DEMOLISHED that role thats how good I was. In fact people still ask me to do the voice to this very day lol.
The idea of finishing my student acting career with the story that started it was surreal. When I got the callback I was so nervous and excited I almost puked. Then, I was casted as Twaddle (basically Tweedle Dum) and it was absolutely a DREAM of an experience. We would play classic theater games such as zip-zap-zop, cat-and-mouse, mafia, before every practice. The cast and crew soon became a theater-family and one of my fellow advisees and I got closer to classmate was also casted as well as a previous resident of mine. I received a squishmallow for being one of the best student actors and I was proud of myself for speaking up and collaborating with the Dee to my Dum despite my certainty she wasn't my biggest fan. Then it was show time, I felt my body shake with the thrill as the curtains rose to reveal myself and Dee. As Twaddle I got to goof around and showcase my yoga and improv skills on stage. On the third showing my heart was filled to the max when the curtains rose and I saw my family in the very front row. The surprise however, only kept going as I found out my best school friends and my partner's family also came to the show.
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