[MaryMag]

Aside from money, what have you given up/missed/sacrificed to audition or perform?

I'm contemplating missing a big family vacation this weekend to go to an audition at a theater WAY out of my league.

But I was my best friend's maid of honor and missed her bridal shower to be in a commercial (and get paid quite a bit.)

I almost missed half her wedding reception to be in a run of Lend me a Tenor at a equity theater, but she freaked out a little about that, so I didn't take the role.

I chose not to miss my grandpa's funeral and, after months of rehearsal, had my part given to someone else so that I could attend it.

I can handle being poor. I can handle being busy and sleepless. But I'm starting to get really damn sick of alientating my friends and family because I have to go to an audition or a performance or this or that. Most of em don't understand how rarely these opportunities come up and that it's SO HARD to make it in theater that you have to fight like hell every time you're given a chance.

I'm getting tired. I'm gonna keep moving forward and keep auditioning and whatnot, but F*CK. I am not looking forward to who I'm gonna piss off next because of having to miss event A or event B.

[I Love Lockstock]

I have missed way too much school for performances. Freshman year I missed at least 3 days of school a week doing shows October-December. It really wasn't good. And besides that, I've also missed so many things with my friends that I was really looking forward to doing, just simple dinners and parties, but stuff i really wanted to be a part of.

[Cake_in_Song]

I've sacrficed my contentment, stability, and inner peace.

[Brackynn]

My Chemistry grade ... whenever I'm doing a show, it goes way down.

I'm also going to miss out on a few days of a family vacation so I can go to an audition. My dad is not happy.

My horse -- I had to sell him because I didn't have time to take care of him and ride him enough with school and theatre commitments.

Oh ... and my mum, who's a travel agent, gave up a trip to Egypt so she could come to see my show. Sure, the trip would have been for work, but she loves Egypt ... and she still came to see me. I thought that was so great of her (although I did feel a bit guilty as well).

[Glissando]

Time with my friends.
I saw a T-shirt on the interent that said "Sorry...I can't, I have rehearsal". I seriously considered getting it so that I wouldn't have to say it once more.

[Eponine93]

I've missed a lot of time with my friends, including a big beach party/slumber party because I had a show. It was at the end of the school year, and pretty much the best party of the year. I'm glad I did the show, because I made a really terrific friend doing it, but I still think doing the party would have been fun.

[rebellohan]

me being constantly busy with shows and rehearsals contributed to me losing my boyfriend

who i love very much

[Dancediva19]

[musicalsnewbie]

Just today, I decided to drop out of the IB program at my school for next year, my senior year, so that I can do community theatre.

If you don't know, IB is an international honors program thing... basically, it sucks, and it's so much work, and requires so many extra classes if you want to get the IB diploma when you graduate. I only have a year left of it, but I decided to drop it, so that I can do what I love instead of getting three hours of sleep every night.

But I'm really happy to drop, and I'm not really losing much, except some respect from the pretentious kids in the program. Rather, I'm GAINING time for theatre and I'm gaining a normal sleep schedule and peace of mind. So I guess it's not really a sacrifice. It's a trade.

[EponineMNFF]

I've missed a few Disneyland trips because of rehearsals.

I've still never seen the fourth Harry Potter movie on the big screen, because our shows were the same days as the opening weekend.

I know this one isn't what the thread is about, but I temporarily stopped being a vegetarian for like three minutes so I could eat a Twinkie on stage. That was sort of cruel of the director but hey...

[JIJane]

[pish123c]

[BroadwayBaby0202]

[UniquePerspective]

[BroadwayBaby0202]

That's what I thought but she said vegetarian; not vegan.

[Bagel]

I've missed two funerals of family members because I was in a show halfway across the country and couldn't come back because it was either tech week or the actual performance.

Some terrible grades in college, including a D because I had to skip a major assignment to costume a show. Ironically, that assignment was for my costume class.

I've destroyed my hair several times from cutting/dying it for shows (once I cut a foot off only to be put in a wig when they decided they liked long hair better).

I've gotten some nasty illnesses from performing outside, and got laryngitis from god-knows-what that was living in the ventilation at a theatre. I missed walking at college graduation to get a cortisone shot so that I could hopefully get my voice back and perform the lead (the only time I've had one) in an operetta that week. I didn't get my voice back for several weeks and had to whisper-speak a dozen songs for the rest of the performances.

[master0rolando]

my grades go down whenever i have a show...

i lose time and gain conflicts at my job Lifegaurding...

and im still trying to design my characters...phew...

more recently...ive given up Soda, Tacos, Doughnuts and pretty much all my favorite foods and taken the miserable practice of excercising...

see i had nothing to do during April and May but study for my AP tests so i got really fat and gross during those months...

now i need to lose the weight AND get my stomache to become at least semi-attractive cuz were gonna do Grease for our musical next year...thats means tight shirts...

[ConverseSneaker]

I gave up my dreams of basketball and soccer. I never have time to write stories and poetry anymore. And I lost complete interest in horses.

But Theatre has given me more than I've lost.

It gave me friends, something to look forward too and love, it gave me my life back, and made me happy.

[Bianca.]

Sanity.

[Dancediva19]

[Jman383]

Ugh, I sacrificed a lead role in the play, "The Outsiders" for a school trip I was willing to drop anyways, and the script had to be pried from my hands...literally.

In general though, sleep, girlfriend and grades have all been lost or suffered from my performing. But I don't care about those

[EponineMNFF]

[Melindaisy]

missed out spending more time with my mom (who lived four hours away) while she was ill and going through chemo befoe she passed to do The Secret Garden. It was what she wanted, though, and would call me for updates...
Generally, I've missed spending evenings sitting in the twilight on our deck, sleep, and fourth of July outings for the last 18 years to do our summer show.
It seems like summer is half over by the time we finish.
But, on the whole, I would say that doing theatre is more fulfilling to me than whatever I have missed. My family has always been supportive, and most of my friends also do theatre. It's also how I met my husband.... and it is one of our biggest bonds.

[Chevstriss]

[Timmy_Wishes he was Quast]

Weight is generally waht i loose around showtime. I always make sure that i breath-in when measured for costumes.

C'mon who has time to eat in show week. Worst was when i was directing i lost a stone a week for two weeks!!

[EponineMNFF]

[pish123c]

[Dancediva19]

Yeah, I tend to have to eat a very unbalanced diet at not normal mealtimes. I live on Hot Pockets (2 minutes in the microwave and easily eaten in the car) and Wheat Thins during tech week. But sometimes I try to be "healthy" and bring some baby carrots. Then when I get home at 10:30 or 11 pm, I eat whatever I find in the fridge and as much as I need to fill up. But I justify it by reminding myself how much energy I use up at rehearsals.

[Holly]

Health, sanity, sleep, time with friends.

[what_the_heck013]

Seeing my dad.

I'm not joking. He would leave for work before I wake up in the morning. And I would arrive home from tech rehearsals after he had gone to sleep. I didn't see him LITERALLY for a whole week... even though we were in the same house together.

[LaurelDP]

[LesWickedPhantom]

I routinely do two shows at the same time in the spring (HS and community), and I go for weeks at a time not seeing my younger siblings (I'm the oldest of 4). We usually don't get along well, but it brings us closer in a way when I find out that they miss me.

[Glissando]

My sanity. And my sleep.

[SuperKabob]

-Space in my brain for other things than the show and school

-my eighth grade promotion (to go to a rehersal)

-about a thousand other things

[disneybeauty]

I missed out on a trip to Sea World with my family because I was rehearsing for a professional production of Annie (a show I still despise).
I had to leave my sister-in-law's wedding to make a rehearsal (in all fairness, it was her 2nd wedding, and I did have to take my twins to the baby-sitter so my husband could go to the reception dinner).
I missed countless dances, proms, etc due to rehearsals and different shows.
I almost missed a show because I had laryngitis, bronchitis, strep throat, sinus infection, and hyperextended both my knees three days before we opened.
I had a director tell me he wouldn't cast me because I was missing the first rehearsal of his show to go see my brother before he left to serve in Afghanistan for 2 years.
That's all I can think of for now.

[brown_eyed_actress]

I feel for all of ya ... of course, I definitely know what it's like to miss out on stuff because of shows/rehearsals.

*Money, obviously ... gas to get to rehearsals ... food at lunch/dinner breaks ... etc etc etc

*Many many school functions ... dances ... coffee houses ... talent shows ...

*Time. End of story.

I think everyone in theatre needs that bumper sticker/T-shirt yall were talking about earlier ... "I can't. I have rehearsal"

Does anyone ever feel like sometimes it isn't worth it? I love theatre just as much as the next person, and I've done my share of sacrificing ... but sometimes I feel sucky about all the stuff I've missed and am going to miss in the future. Sigh.

[The Russian]

Um...my marriage, all other meaningful relationships with other human beings, my dogs, being able to eat whatever and whenever you want.

Having to commit endless hours a day to improving your voice and your body and not having time for family, friends or lovers. This life sucks.

But the rewards are outstanding. How's the line go? "Nice work if you can get it, and you can get it if you try." Just depends on how hard you want to try.

[bwayluvor31]

The patience of many of my friends, the support of my parents, my peace and quiet, and the ability to not care about the nutritional content of my food.

On the other hand, I gained the bliss of doing what I love, and the love and friendship of those working with me. Plus, I have a direction and a purpose for my life that, while it does cause major stress and insanity, I can feel content with.

So, in many ways, it balances out; although, I wish there were no sacrafices, but that's just unrealistic.

[eXcessDrama]

[~Dancing Through Life~]

Soccer, prom, grades (seriously sometimes I have no time for homework), hanging out with friends, parties, my health (I eat so poorly during shows. lol Today I had rehersal 8am-1:30pm and all I ate was grapes), etc...The list goes on and on lol.

[Chevstriss]