Don’t Quit Your Day Job (No, Really)

IF YOU ARE A YOUNG PLAYWRIGHT JUST STARTING out, you will meet playwrights who have had productions, some degree of recognition, and maybe an agent. Chances are you have asked a more experienced playwright for advice about the craft, making connections, and how to balance it all. I am now myself one of those experienced writers to whom younger writers turn for advice. What I tell them is a bit different from what other folks dole out, and far less glamorous. I tell young writers to get a day job. A full-time one. Probably in an office. Preferably with health insurance.

The sad truth of the matter is this: It is highly unlikely you will make your living from playwriting, especially when you are starting out. Careers take years, sometimes decades, to build, and even then there is no guarantee you will make a living as a playwright. You will be asked to devote your time to networking and unpaid internships. You will have productions where you are paid a meager stipend that barely covers the cost of your transit. Maybe you will self-produce, or have to go to a development conference that can last up to a month, two options that are likely to cost you money.

In short it is unlikely that any of this activity will be enough to pay the bills. So some writers choose to get their MFA and teach. Some do freelance work or work in the service industry. These are all fine paths.

But is it possible to have a traditional full-time job and be a working playwright? The answer is yes. I have had a full-time desk job while making theatre for the past 15 years, and while it presents challenges (like getting enough sleep!), I have somehow made it all work.

I talked to some