It's A Competitive Industry

It is with out a doubt, that upon reading the title of this recent post, you thought to yourself "No Kidding...this is OLD NEWS!" Well,  what if I were to put forth to you, the idea, that there is no such thing as competition within the dance/theatre/television industry. Have I peaked your interest yet? I mean, after all, how can this be. Whenever we go to any type of audition there can be numerous people in for the initial screenings. Even when you get to the final callbacks, you may still be up against numerous people for that illustrious job that we're all chomping at the bit for. So how is it possible that in an industry such as this, that we would not be in competition with our colleagues. It's simple really, in my opinion, competition within the industry should be viewed as something within yourself. When it comes to work that is artistic at it's core, I truly don't believe competition really factors in.

A good friend of mine turned me on to this thought process years ago. I'll never forget what he said. First off let me preface his words to me by telling you that I, by nature, am extremely competitive. I used to consider everyone in the audition room my competition. Now I consider no one in the room my competition. Upon discussing an audition with him that I was up for, I was telling him who the other contenders for the same show were. I distinctly remember saying to him that I considered a handful of other dancers serious competition. He then said to me " You know, I don't believe in competition. We all have something unique to offer. You are who you are, and they are who they are. If the people in charge of hiring want what you have to offer, they're going to hire you. Nobody beats you out for a job, you book it because you're right for it. It's as simple as that."
 That was probably over fifteen years ago, and those words have stuck with me ever since.

Getting ready for the Flashmob

Now don't get me wrong, there are times when I forget that way of thinking myself. But at it's core, there is a lot of truth in that statement. Think about it. Whenever you hear of someone getting any kind of  job, it usually never comes up that they beat out their competition, but more to the fact that they had what the creative team wanted. Lets face it, sometimes the creative team doesn't know what they want. They may have an idea, but it may not become clear until it's presented to them in the audition room.

Now drawing from my own personal experience, let me share with you a couple of examples.
 I was recently hired to film a flash mob for a television series. When I went to rehearsal there were numerous people there. All different shapes, sizes, ethnicities...you name it. I looked around for anybody that had any similarities to myself. Other than the fact that there were other men there, there were none who shared what I had to offer as a whole. I was the only older, salt and pepper haired dancer guy in the bunch. I had a similar experience when I was hired to shoot a Best Buy commercial a couple years ago. I was told without hesitation that I was there "Dad type." I didn't see one other person at that audition who I considered to be like myself, in any regard.

On set shooting a Best Buy Commercial with Sean Cheesman

Many of you will remember when I was teaching all the audition material for The Wizard of Oz here in Toronto. Now it was taken for granted by most, that I was going to be in the show as their swing dance captain. To a degree, I even took it for granted that the likelihood of that happening was more than great. After all, it was the exact same creative team that I had worked with on The Sound of Music, I was now more than familiar with the dance material, and had proven myself more than capable. I was a shoe in right...wrong. It was decided before the creative team arrived in Toronto that they would not be using children as Munchkins. That instead, for logistical reasons, the ensemble would act as the Munchkins, there-for many dancers needed to be smaller in stature. They felt I was not right to cover any of the key characters and in the end I was too tall and didn't tumble. I received a lovely email from the choreographer outlining all of this. I was told that it was preferable that the swings be smaller so that they could swing both the shorter tracks and the taller tracks, and that atleast one had to tumble. It wasn't personal, I wasn't in competition with anyone else, it was just plain and simple logisitics. I couldn't offer what they needed. Don't get me wrong, that was a hard pill to swallow, but I totally understood.
(On a side note to that particular story, I was invited to the first dress rehearsal of the production and truly wondered after investing so much of myself in to that audition process, how I'd feel watching it. Would I be bitter, angry, jealous, all of the above...Well I'm happy to report that all I felt was happiness for everyone involved. I felt that the casting was appropriate and that everyone was wonderful. In fact, I agreed that I really didn't fit the three key characters who travel through Oz with Dorothy, as far as covering was concerned, and I really didn't see myself within that ensemble. I also was happy with the fact that I was a better person than what I had given myself credit. In some ways, I had evolved.)

Often times when you hear a director being interviewed regarding a particular actor being cast in a production they'll say "When they walked in to the room, there was really no one else for the part."
I remember a great story regarding Stephen Spielberg's casting of Oprah Winfrey in the Color Purple. He saw her hosting a talk show on television and said "That's my Sophia." It was simple as that. At that time Oprah had never even done a movie. In fact, I don't think she had ever acted. There are many stories out there such as this and I have no doubt, you've probably heard a few yourself.

So, when it comes to competition, maybe try to think of it as something within yourself. Something that drives you to be so much more than the last audition or job you did. Strive to be a better, more unique you, than you could ever imagine. That's when competition becomes something of value. At forty nine, almost fifty, I am still extremely competitive within myself. Sometimes I fail, but more often I triumph...usually as a result of my failures. Do your best to be happy for your colleagues in their triumphs also. This mind set will only lead to more good for you in the end. Remember...there's room for EVERYBODY!

Sincerely Stephen Findlay
A.K.A. The Oldest Male Chorus Dancer in Toronto