Broadway Theater Workers Find 'Side Gigs' While Industry Remains Closed

 

New York City's theater industry remains¹ closed because of COVID-19, but many theater workers are finding ways to earn money.

Some Broadway performers now offer dance or musical training online. Other workers design jewelry² or make toys. Still others sell skincare products.

These occupations may not command pay equal to that of their old theater jobs. But Broadway's many now-unemployed³ workers say any earnings⁴ are helpful.

The costume maker⁵

Amy Micallef is among them. Normally, she makes costumes, the clothing worn by actors in plays. She has worked on major Broadway productions including Hamilton and Frozen.

Currently, her skills are being put to another use: toy making.

But Micallef's creations are designed more for adult use than child play. Her soft, round toys are made to look like the new coronavirus. Each one sells for $23 at the online store Etsy.

Micallef invites buyers to use the little corona⁶ balls when they feel angry, worried, or troubled.

"Sometimes you need to throw something against the wall, you need to step on something. Do you want to run that thing over with your car? Honey, be my guest," she said.

The choreographer⁷

Ali Solomon might like having a toy corona ball herself. Until recently, she worked as a choreographer, a person who creates dances.

Solomon's career in musicals was going strong when the coronavirus health crisis hit hard in mid-March. Like many in the industry, she was working on several productions at once, including Trevor: The Musical and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. But suddenly all the projects came to a halt.

"You're at the top of your game after working for so many years and now to go find a job in another industry, where do you start?" she said, adding, "You're lucky if you'll make minimum wage."

Right now, Solomon is working as a salesperson⁸ for skin care business Rodan and Fields. She also teaches dance in-person and online.

"I'm starting to add little bits of income," she said. "None of it will compare to what I was making before. But it's something and luckily I've been able to save."

Solomon added that she fears those savings⁹ will shrink fast because of the high cost of living in New York City.

The actor

"Actors' normal side gigs are catering¹¹ and even those jobs don't exist," said Jeanna de Waal, the lead actor in the upcoming musical, Diana.

De Waal has gone from acting¹² to operating an online business she created in 2017 with her sister, Dani. At first, the company, called Broadway Weekends, offered in-person theater camps for adults. After the shutdown, she moved the training camps online. She began adding people she knew from the theater business as teachers.

"All my friends were unemployed. So, it was very easy to ask around," she said.

Broadway Weekends now offers up to 30 classes a week on the Zoom¹³ internet conferencing site.

De Waal says Broadway Weekends now has more than 7,000 students registered. She is working to establish a non-profit version and an educational division for school children.

The producer

Broadway producers have donated millions of dollars into emergency aid collections for theater workers. But one producer is using her money to pay dancers to lead her online exercise and dance training program.

Jenna Segal has produced shows including Hadestown and What the Constitution Means to Me. After the New York theaters closed, she launched Get In Shape Grrl! on Facebook. The project has since expanded and now has about 15,000 members. The cost of membership? Zero dollars.

"I just thought to myself, ‘Wouldn't it be fun to bring Broadway to people who are sad because the season was just about to open? Let's do something where they can participate and we can keep dancers employed,'" said Segal.

A union leader's worries...

Adam Krauthamer is president of the Associated Musicians of Greater New York, the largest local union of professional musicians in the world.

Kauthamer says the entire arts world is facing the biggest threat to its existence ever. He added that many of his union's 7,000 members may not return to Broadway theaters and other performance spaces. He worries that the sound of New York may soon be very different without help.

"If the right politicians and philanthropists and people who help the arts ... do not act to put together a program that will save culture and the arts in New York City, it's going to change as we know it forever."

The situation is sure to worsen following the end last month of the U.S. government's $600-a-week pandemic unemployment aid program. New York theaters do not plan to reopen until at least January.

...but the costumer expresses hope

Yet Amy Micallef, the costumer-turned-toy maker, trusts in a brighter future.

She says she knows two very important things that many others may not believe.

"This will end. It will. I promise it will," she said. "And second, there is good on the other side."

I'm Caty Weaver¹⁴.

Words in This Story

toy – n. a plaything, usually for children

guest – n. a person who is invited to a place or an event

minimum – adj. least or lowest possible in amount or degree

income – n. money that is earned from work, investments, business, etc.

gig – n. a job for a musician, an actor, etc.

cater¹⁰ – v. to provide food and drinks at a party, meeting, etc., especially as a job

participate – v. to be involved with others in doing something : to take part in an activity or event with others

philanthropist – n. a wealthy person who gives money and time to help make life better for other people

1 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

2 jewelry   

n.（jewllery）（总称）珠宝

参考例句：

• The burglars walked off with all my jewelry.夜盗偷走了我的全部珠宝。
• Jewelry and lace are mostly feminine belongings.珠宝和花边多数是女性用品。

3 unemployed   

adj.失业的，没有工作的；未动用的，闲置的

参考例句：

• There are now over four million unemployed workers in this country.这个国家现有四百万失业人员。
• The unemployed hunger for jobs.失业者渴望得到工作。

4 earnings   

n.工资收人；利润，利益，所得

参考例句：

• That old man lives on the earnings of his daughter.那个老人靠他女儿的收入维持生活。
• Last year there was a 20% decrease in his earnings.去年他的收入减少了20%。

5 maker   

n.制造者，制造商

参考例句：

• He is a trouble maker，You must be distant with him.他是个捣蛋鬼，你不要跟他在一起。
• A cabinet maker must be a master craftsman.家具木工必须是技艺高超的手艺人。

6 corona   

n.日冕

参考例句：

• The corona gains and loses energy continuously.日冕总是不断地获得能量和损失能量。
• The corona is a brilliant,pearly white,filmy light,about as bright as the full moon.光环带是一种灿烂的珠白色朦胧光，几乎像满月一样明亮。

7 choreographer   

n.编舞者

参考例句：

• She is a leading professional belly dancer, choreographer, and teacher. 她既是杰出的专业肚皮舞演员，也是舞蹈设计者和老师。 来自辞典例句
• It'stands aside, my choreographer of grace, and blesses each finger and toe. 它站在一旁，我优雅的舞蹈指导，并祝福每个指尖与脚尖。 来自互联网

8 salesperson   

n.售货员，营业员，店员

参考例句：

• A salesperson works in a shop.售货员在商店工作。
• Vanessa is a salesperson in a woman's wear department.凡妮莎是女装部的售货员。

9 savings   

n.存款，储蓄

参考例句：

• I can't afford the vacation,for it would eat up my savings.我度不起假，那样会把我的积蓄用光的。
• By this time he had used up all his savings.到这时，他的存款已全部用完。

10 cater   

vi.(for/to)满足，迎合；(for)提供饮食及服务

参考例句：

• I expect he will be able to cater for your particular needs.我预计他能满足你的特殊需要。
• Most schools cater for children of different abilities.大多数学校能够满足具有不同天资的儿童的需要。

11 catering   

n. 给养

参考例句：

• Most of our work now involves catering for weddings. 我们现在的工作多半是承办婚宴。
• Who did the catering for your son's wedding? 你儿子的婚宴是由谁承办的？

12 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

13 zoom   

n.急速上升；v.突然扩大，急速上升

参考例句：

• The airplane's zoom carried it above the clouds.飞机的陡直上升使它飞到云层之上。
• I live near an airport and the zoom of passing planes can be heard night and day.我住在一个飞机场附近，昼夜都能听到飞机飞过的嗡嗡声。

14 weaver   

n.织布工；编织者

参考例句：

• She was a fast weaver and the cloth was very good.她织布织得很快，而且布的质量很好。
• The eager weaver did not notice my confusion.热心的纺织工人没有注意到我的狼狈相。