Tyrone Reid, Staff Reporter
SEEING THEM perform on-stage often brings tears of joy. The sight of their pay cheques may just make you laugh or induce the inverse - tears of sadness.
Many insiders opine that living off theatre alone is not feasible. Not that it cannot be done, but those who 'go it alone' are exceptions. "I don't think it is feasible, although there will be some people who can manage. But over the years it still has not developed into the kind of industry that offers security," explained renowned playwright and radio announcer, Barbara Gloudon.
According to Mrs. Gloudon, she would not encourage any individual, especially a rookie, to forsake their steady and sure nine-to-five for a shot at seeing their name in the lights. On the contrary, she told The Sunday Gleaner that they should use the regular job as a foundation before jumping headlong into acting as a full-time career.
Mrs. Gloudon stated that the thespians' struggle for survival is not only limited to the shores of Jamaica, epitomising the proverbial 'anyting weh gwaan ah yard gwaan abroad'. "Even in the metropolis, actors are not secured. There is a kind of myth that theatre is easy and that's not true, as work in theatre tends to be spasmodic -- The life of an actor is an uncertain one; sometimes you get the fat sometimes you get the lean," reasoned Mrs. Gloudon.
Christopher 'Johnny' Daley, a favourite from Lime Tree Lane and who is currently in Cindy Relisha and the DJ Prince, started out holding his acting career in one hand and balancing a regular job in the other. "Our line of work have to do with when the work come we live like the wind, the birds and the trees, I mean, we don't really have a set routine," reasoned Daley.
SHE STRONG
'Johnny' is of the view that surviving solely on the income earned from theatre is hard because of the lack of professionalism that plagues local scene. He argued that if the Jamaican standards were matched against those of some First World countries, it would leave much to be desired. As a result, Daley highlighted that only the strong will survive. "Hear the problem with our system; only the true stars make it in Jamaica. The people who make a mark in the artistic world is the people who work hard at it; you have to make up your mind to take the good and the bad," said Daley as he likened the ups and downs to these experienced in a marriage.
As Daley slipped out of that role, Donald Anderson took it on. "It depends on how aggressive you are," he said. He continued: "From my knowledge, it is not the majority that do it, but the few who survive on theatre alone live a good life. They are able to pay their bills and live well -- it nah go mek yuh suffer."
Being the comedian he is by nature and by profession he added: "It's not minimum wage; damn sure it's not minimum wage. In some cases it is four times and in others 10 times the minimum wage per show."
It is ironic that a deejay and an actor might share the same level of fame and yet, if they compare bank accounts, the actor will walk away with his head hung in shame. This many be aligned to the train of thought that people are more inclined to support music than theatre. It was the wise King Solomon who stated that there in nothing new under the sun. It is nothing new for actors to balance their art and a regular job. Mrs. Gloudon used two stalwarts of theatre to bring across the point. She said that Ranny Williams juggled theatre and life as a salesman, while Mrs. Louise Bennett-Coverly walked the tight rope as a social welfare officer whenever she was not on stage.
Veteran performer Charles Hyatt chipped in with his lines. According to Mr. Hyatt, choosing to pursue only one route in acting will pose financial problems for any individual. "Everything is theatre - radio, television, dramatic or comedic act on-stage - but if you are going to stick with one, obviously it won't work," Hyatt stated.
Mr. Anderson supported the view that theatre encompasses all these media listed by Mr. Hyatt. "An actor is exactly what he is - an actor, which does not limit him to doing only plays," says Anderson. According to him, if an actor makes use of all the avenues open to him other than the stage, he can do more than just survive, he can start a family and be able to take care of them.
Still, not every actor will get the chance to do an advertisement or host his or her own television or radio programme. Thus, provisions need to be made for the grassroots people so that they can survive and be better able to take care of their children. It is a move Mrs. Gloudon predicts will not happen anytime soon.
"Jamaica has not developed in that type of theatre market and I don't foresee it in the near future, as millions of dollars will have to be invested," said Mrs. Gloudon.
She continued: "We don't have that type of investment in theatre, we don't have that backer that will inject say even $10 million."
Separate from suggesting that new facilities are needed islandwide to house plays, 'Johnny' said it is time those involved stop talking and make it start to happen. "We talk about focusing on the arts, but we really not paying all the attention we should and something should be done," he said.
When all is said and done, all those interviewed by The Sunday Gleaner believe that the local talent is as good as they come and theatre is a potential economic goldmine that is not being excavated.
