Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums General Discussion OK, who suggested acting was a good idea?

That's very cool for you Wren. I wonder about something re your dd - does *she* really want to act? Is it something she's been asking to do? Or is it something you thought of that would be fun for her? My kids have friends who enjoy acting but they've been able to enjoy it through local productions which are not huge time-sinks and don't require agents etc. Have you thought about letting your dd try out acting through a local group first before sinking a huge investment in her time and energy into the more professional route?

polarbear

My (anecdotal) impression (mostly from listening to Fresh Air) is that the actors who are the most...well-adjusted, and who go on to have successful careers as adults, focused on community theater as children. I think Polarbear asks some great questions.

I only suggested that she could go out for dancing commercials, as something to look forward to when we moved. It was a tough year, losing her father, moving from NYC to Toronto.

Then an agent I contacted, (since I know nothing about how this works) suggested this very expensive acting camp, the only opening was the first week we were here. I asked her twice, before I signed her up. Are you sure you want this? This place was not cheap but I thought it would help her with the transition. The coaches were overwhelmed with her and referred her to the agents. You cannot see a top agent without a referral. And so the process of seeing agents. DH was in local theater and to me, that is a huge time investment. You are doing a show every night and rehearsals. TV is "in and out". We had friends that did the local theater programs in NYC and that was hugely time consuming, you don't do anything else. So I think your assumption is wrong, it is actually the opposite. They have a lot of Broadway shows here and it is big for children to get on them. I will not allow that. Late nights, time investment.

But since I have to go to these meetings and I have time. I came up with these ideas and now we are developing 2 shows. I just happen to know people who connected with a top producer here and he liked my ideas. It is very much up my alley in terms of creating the documents. They are different but I worked on Wall Street and wrote documents for investments, especially an IPO. So I am working on them, since I am missing DD terribly at sleepaway camp. The producer is working on a TV movie through September and then we take what I have created and go to the next level. I kind of like this for my own career change.

I am not expecting her to make a movie with Ben Affleck or do a Disney sitcom. And I am repeating the message that most kid actors phase out and using examples. The end goal is school and options. And we do this as long as it is fun. I knew a father in NYC who had his kids do commercials and broadway. I asked me when I first suggested it to DD. He said do it as long as it is fun. He says his kids love doing it.

In my opinion and experience community theater is time consuming.

This whole board is about opportunities for our children because they are gifted. We want opportunities that challenge them, excite them, out of the normal educational options.

Yet we fight the majority of ND kids that think our kids will do just fine with everyday options. Polarbear, you sound like that majority that we fight for options for our kids. Keep her in the everyday local theater group and let her be happy. Why not give her a bigger challenge and option?

I have to agree that community theater can also be incredibly time- consuming. Though the show we looked at was semi-professional (DD would have been paid, albeit not much), the rehearsal schedule was 2-5 daily, weekends all day, twice daily weekend and daily night performances, and she would have had to miss some school for matinees. This was only for a couple of months (maybe 6 weeks?), but still.

(I imagine there are other, much less intense theater opportunities out there--just sharing what we found. This was NOT children's theater. It was a play with some children's parts.)

DH and I both have friends in the business (both TV/commercial screen acting and also theater) and I have to agree that the theater commitment is WAY more time-consuming.

Unless you're talking about a "career" of film acting, or you are on a long-running series that has a grueling filming schedule, community theater is probably a lot more time-intensive than what Wren seems to be doing with her DD.

I'm glad that she's enjoying it so much, Wren!

Wren,

How exciting! I'm glad your DD is having fun with the acting and you are too. We took DS to an open cattle-casting call this summer, since we both were curious what it would be like. It was not for him, but he thought it was interesting anyway.

Your DD has been performing for several years already in dance. I think adding acting would be fun for her, and I know you are not the type to push her into this if she doesn't want to do it. Your DD has always been pretty driven all on her own.

Thanks everyone. Who knows how it turns out. I am just getting into this show development. I am finding that challenging and exciting.

I think that gifties do benefit from changing careers.