5:32 pm - Thurs 3/16/06
To Strike, Or Not To Strike?

After a lot of procrastination, I finally got around to doing my taxes yesterday.

(I know--Tax time is still a month away. But being one of "The Nation's Poor", I'm always due a refund, so early in the new year, typically, it occurs to me, "Hey, I should do my taxes now so I can get my refund back early...". Then I proceed to procrastinate for the next couple months. But anyway...)

Between state and federal, I'm getting back about $800, which will be used for food, bill-paying, and other life-related expenses not covered by my job at the ArcLight.

(The issue, in a nutshell: When cable was in its infancy, it made sense for basic cable rates for actors to be miniscule compared to the networks, but now...well, not so much. Cable rates were last negotiated 16 years ago, and how much has cable grown in that time? But of course, explosive growth or no, producers don't want to give up the money-SHOCKING!-and thus, here I am, writing about an upcoming strike vote.)

Frankly, I'm torn...

On the one hand, why should producers be the only ones who can make a living from their work? The industry has grown exponentially since it began, and working actors should be enjoying the financial benefits of that growth just like everyone else. It's only fair (Especially since they're a big part of why that growth occurred). And I don't want to be writing in here someday about how I'm booking all this work, but still can't make a living.

On the other hand, I'm in a position right now where any job would be a good thing, and any money would be money I didn't have before. I don't want to have my opportunities reduced to a trickle for God-knows-how-long (And one effect of a strike like this, I imagine, would be more actors competing for fewer jobs, as working actors higher up on the food chain than Yours Truly suddenly start lining up to do commercials and network co-star roles).

And I find myself thinking of the commercial strike back in the 80s (Before my time out here); the result of that particular strike is that commercials are now about half-union...and half "non".

(In other words, that action didn't exactly work out--big time.)

What to do, what to do...?

(The first thing would be to call SAG tomorrow and find out when this "strike vote" is actually happening; a postcard I got in the mail and an email I recently received list two different times.)

After I agreed to do it on Tuesday night, I rode my bike home and felt just flat-out miserable about it. I don't even know why really, since it wasn't like I had any big plans (Beyond watching Lost and Veronica Mars. And happily, I found out today that Lost was another re-run, so I didn't lose out on that end).

I think part of it was about retail; working in the gift shop at the ArcLight is not hard, by any stretch of the imagination, don't get me wrong. But it's typically very slow, and very boring, and you end up by yourself with hours of time on your hands.

A lot of time for thinking. Which never seems to work out very well for me...

On Friday, I agreed to stay late for Leah, who was closing usher in Zone one, which meant an extra hour-and-change (I'd been scheduled as usher-greeter from 6:00-11:00).

So I think you could say I've made a good-faith effort to work in the past week.

But even so, I'm feeling guilty for turning down two offers to go in and work for people tonite (I got two calls from ArcLight people today, asking if I could work for them).

I didn't want to work seven days in a row. I just didn't.

Sue me.

(Ironically, one reason I didn't want to go in and work tonite is that I plan on going to the theater to try and see V for Vendetta; It officially opens tomorrow, but we're doing two shows before midnight, starting around 10:00 p.m.)

I was supposed to have a casting workshop tonite, but Brett called during the day yesterday to say that Dana G.--the casting director--had cancelled again (This is cancellation #3).

I was a little bummed but took it as an opportunity to call Teresa, and see if she wanted to see a movie.

After taking a second to remember who I was (Which was discouraging), she graciously declined, saying she was doing something--having dinner, I think it was--with a girlfriend.

Whether it was a real thing or a made-up excuse, who knows? It doesn't really matter. I'm considering the matter closed (If she'd said "No, but I'm free next Thursday", or something like that, that would have been one thing. But she didn't).

And speaking of "closed", I think I'd better wind things up here, and get myself to the theater...

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