Say There's No Future: What is a realistic goal for a fledgling actor?

Choosing to study Theatre in college probably ranks among the most dangerous gambles I've ever made. It's definitely crazy to imagine that I would ever throw myself into theatre, like what the - WHAT? And yet, it's happened. Wow. To this day I am still in disbelief at the sheer audacity of my mind believing that the student who blanked out for 15 seconds during her Project Work Oral Presentation can somehow conjure up the guts to be a paradoxical mix of vulnerable and courageous in front of an unspecified number of people.

However, the choice really didn't come so easily. At the heart of my decision was my answer to the perennial question: Will I make it? What if I don't make it? What will I do then? And then I asked myself - What even was my definition of "making it"?

I won't even pretend I'm not an ambitious person. I set my sights on the largest theatre on Broadway, and if I am going to die chasing the stars, then well, so be it, I'm ready. I've researched and double-checked on every possible route to getting my Actor's Equity card one day (the recent announcement last month that AEA now allows non-Green Card holders to obtain the Equity card gave me a ton of hope), and I fully intend to either complete an Master of Fine Arts after my undergraduate studies or attend a proper drama conservatory at some point - whichever is available to me.

So "making it" to me means "making it big", and contrary to the views of many jaded actors, I don't think it's wrong to be ambitious. It's not wrong to dream like a fool, because sometimes fools actually make the dream work. We need to quantify ambition with knowing what we're in for and then doing the work that's needed to give us the best possible chance in the industry. That's the crucial step between having a dream and then taking it towards reality.

Despite that, I acknowledge that "making it" might not actually happen for everyone. Things happen, for one reason or another, and a single event can derail all the progress you've ever made. Nevertheless, my personal answer to the titular question is that one ought to use the word "realistic" very carefully. Trying to measure the immeasurable is a pretty futile endeavor after all, so instead of worrying about whether it will happen, why not just do it? You have infinitely more chances of landing a shot if you try than if you pass on it completely.

Funnily enough, actors aren't the only ones hearing the naysayers go at them. Scientists get it. Entrepreneurs get it. Human rights activists get it. Heck, people laughed at me for being interested in computer science when I was 12 and suddenly it's all the rage. So long as you're pursuing something that someone might potentially be able to pick a bone with, you have to be ready to defend what you love. To do that, you have to make the first move and become your own greatest supporter. Start taking acting classes, start hanging out with the drama club, start auditioning for student films. Starting anything is hard, and having nothing to show for yourself is even harder.

They call you crazy until you "make it", and suddenly you were "walking the talk" and a "visionary fighter" all along. So why listen to them? If this is truly what you want to do, don't fear starting. It's the best thing you can do for yourself as an actor.

P.s. Of course the post title came from somewhere! "Say there's no future" is a line from WICKED the Musical's As Long As You're Mine, and it goes like this:

Say there's no future

For us as a pair

And though I may know

I don't care

I thought it was perfect for a post describing my relationship with acting. Anyway, it's also one of my favorites.