The other day an actor was complaining that he was feeling not enjoying the roles he was playing, not excited about the work he was doing nor motivated to attend rehearsals
Twenty years ago, this would have been unheard of. Actors lived for rehearsals and shows. It was everything to them. But we have moved from a theatre culture of 20 performances a year, to almost a hundred. And that changes everything.
One of the great things about theatre in Bombay today is that there is a lot of work. A lot of sacrifice, but there is a lot of work. So actors, who would earlier have been lost to mundane day jobs, can actually eke out a living and pay rent based on acting alone. Pay bills through tonnes of theatre work and the odd advertising commercial and thereby live the life of a “professional actor”. This existence is by no means comfortable. Sacrifice is a recurrent theme among most actors. There are acting couples who have decided against raising a family because they know they can’t afford to have children.
The city is full of plenty of bachelor actors who are sharing a single room with ten others to keep the rent affordable. Numerous strugglers avoid buying local rail tickets and risk being arrested each day. All this so that the “theatre habit” can be funded.
Old timers might argue that this young actor is complaining needlessly.
Not so long ago stage actors had to juggle corporate jobs with their love for theatre. The pressures of paymasters meant that actors didn’t always make it to every rehearsal. And that’s why each rehearsal and each show was precious. It was the one place they wanted to be, so when they were rehearsing or performing they treasured it.
But with the explosion of theatre in India, and particularly Bombay, actors are often running to two rehearsals a day before a performance in the evening. This often results in fatigue. While once actors were hungry to take any work on offer, now many actors are becoming a little more “choosy”.
Normally this would be seen as a problem for the industry. But interestingly there are many benefits. With the busier actors excusing themselves from work, there are now numerous opportunities for the newer lot. Also these actors now will be more dedicated to the work they are doing, not simply going through the motions; Picking scripts, directors and stories that not only give accolades but also challenge or improve one as an actor. The thrill of being on stage that the old timers talk about will return.
In the last couple of years a number of young dynamic actors have been excusing themselves from work. One actress even decided to do backstage work to give her a different challenge in the theatre, another actor took a month off and left the city to regain perspective, yet another prolific actor took a year-long sabbatical from acting on stage. In each case the actors have returned hungrier, refreshed and more determined to do work that excites them.
This appears to be a natural maturing process of our fledgling industry; people not just doing, but doing well and doing because they want to, not because they have to.