The World's Your Stage: How Performing Artists Can Make a Living While Still Doing What They Love

Bethany Heinrich, a Juilliard theater grad, was moved by her mother’s cancer recovery to form Fabulous & Fighting, a not-forprofit that takes clothes donated by fashion houses and gives them to women whose cancer treatments are changing the size of their bodies. It turns out that having nice clothes helps a great deal with recovery by bolsterin

individually acquired business skills—like reading financial statements, creating business plans, and most important, cultivating an entrepreneurial attitude—can make all the difference in the world.

Being authentic

keep your eyes out for people who can help you make your magic happen, and whom you can support in return. Trust us, they’re out there, just waiting to be asked.

it does mean connecting whatever you’re doing, from fundraising to rehearsing, in some way to what you believe is worth your time and what you truly value. When people see that whatever you’re doing is deeply rooted in what you believe, they will be drawn to your cause.

sound recording, in its time, was seen by many as a major threat to the performing arts.

Sound recordings were indeed a “disruptive innovation,” to use a contemporary phrase. Some musicians in the aforementioned venues did lose their jobs. But without question, the net effect of sound recording was positive for musicians. As more people gained exposure to music through Victrolas and later their radio receivers, the overall demand for m

our guide to the business aspects of the performing arts today. The subject is complex and nuanced. You won’t find any formulas for surefire success here, because no such formulas exist. But we hope you will find a pool of wisdom and useful information that will make you stronger and greatly improve your chances of success.

Keep your eyes on your ultimate goal, and the small deviations won’t throw you off course.