Michael Shofi

Title: 9:00 to 5:00?... Don’t know her.

Specific Purpose: To inform about the positives and negatives of summer stock theater

Thesis Statement: Summer stock can be a great way to spend your summer if you are careful and

only accept offers with a lot of consideration.

I. Introduction

(a) Personal Experience. What does a “normal” summer look like to most

people? Beaches, swimming, JOBS, vacation… what about sitting in a dark

theater? What if you could have all of the luxury of a summer on the beach,

but also make money working in the air-conditioned dark theater suspending

your disbelief for 2-4 hours a day?

(b) How many people would know what I mean if I told you I spent the last two

summers performing in summer stock companies? Summer stock theater is a

season of theater (musicals and plays) that are performed during the summer

often with a company of actors that are there throughout the season.

Performing in multiple roles, occasionally helping with offstage matters, the

actors and actresses often put on a season “in rep” where multiple shows are

put on at once and there are no “breaks.”

(c) Often there are opportunities for actors at summer stock to enjoy their summer

just as if they are on vacation! Perhaps you enjoy swimming or hiking…

many places can accommodate in ways above and beyond what you would

imagine.
 (d) This past summer I had my second summer stock experience working at a

resort in Maine called Quisisana (which means “here one heals” in Italian). I

had 1 day off a week, and I worked half days making salads in the kitchen,

and performed in 3 shows on different nights of the week for the guests.

When I had time off, I could use all of the amenities the resort had-

waterskiing, fishing, paddle boarding, and I went hiking a ton!

(e) The main aspects of summer stock I’m going to focus on are…

 Actors’ salaries and benefits at various summer stocks.

 Other jobs at the theaters and how much work they put in.

 Equity houses vs. non-eq and lack of protection. The negatives of

summer stock and how unrepresented, young actors can be taken

advantage of.

Transition: Many of us have a very augmented view of what the life of an actor is. Money,

fame, praise… but for the most part, that is untrue. Now I’m going to talk about $$$!

II. Summer stock gigs can range in payment from the actor themselves PAYING the

company to participate to nearly $500 a week and perhaps more!

(a) It mostly depends on where you are working. On the website of a reputable

theater company, the Timber Lake Playhouse, they say that working for a non-

union house can pay anything from $0 to $350 and up depending on the

house. Out of personal experience last summer where I was being paid $450 a

week I can confirm that salaries can exceed what you expect… as well as

PERKS.
 (b) Perks are incredibly important to factor into any job. There is housing, food,

travel, luxury activities, etc. All of this can be taken care of at one gig, while

you can be totally left to your devices on another. Quisi vs. NCC

Transition: I have a good amount of personal experience as an actor in the summer stock world,

but there are many other employees at these theaters from stage managers to lighting designers to

choreographers, etc.

III. While I have seen a ton of the hard work the employees offstage do, it always ends up

being much more than I could even imagine.

(a) In an official statistics report from Williamstown Theatre Festival provided

by the great Devin McMahon, in their 2019 season there was “more than 364

hours of tech,” “1,313 lighting cues called” and “1,482 lights focused.”

(b) The rate of pay varies on where you are and what your specific position is, but
here is a look at what the theater Millbrook Playhouse offers. “The salary for
these positions ranges from $100 – 250 per week depending on the
position and experience level. Millbrook provides shared housing, gym
access, and 6 dinners/week to its staff.”
Transition: While a summer of theater and fun can seem exciting to young actors, stage

managers, etc. they should be incredibly careful when accepting job offers (especially at non-

union houses).

IV. Being held over-time, unfulfilled promises of bonuses, lack of accommodation. This

is all possible at a summer stock gig, and if you don’t belong to a union or perform at

a union house, there is nobody to really report it to.

(a) Discuss NCC (personal experience) Pay limited, housing accommodated, but

mold in the rooms effecting vocal health, no kitchen or food provided, no

transportation provided.
 (b) Backing out of a contract is perhaps worse than suffering through bad

conditions. It’s smart to put in a“ harmless clause put in there to protect the

ACTOR, meaning it should say that the Producer will hold the Actor harmless

for any lawsuits brought against the actor as a result of the production.”

Transition: It is always smart to be wary whenever accepting a contract regardless of the job, but

in an industry where YOU YOURSELF is often the product, it is very important to protect

yourself.

III. Conclusion: I hope you have all learned a little bit about the many factors that go into

summer stock theatre: salaries, various jobs on site, and protection!

Interesting Ending: and I hope you can learn from my personal experiences too! From my first

crappy experience (photo) to my most recent magical experience (photo).

Bibliography:

https://www.fbaplayhouse.org/summer-job

Williamstown Theatre Festival Statistics

https://www.theproducersperspective.com/my_weblog/2011/02/summer-stock-administrative-

and-technical-positions-millbrook-playhouse.html

https://www.nycastings.com/ask-the-lawyer-contract-advice-for-non-union-actors-by-attorney-

actor-robert-sciglimpaglia-2/