As a student in the College of Performing Arts, and as a performer in general, I’ve encountered an ever-increasing call to participate in all opportunities presented to me; no matter the cost. This is hustle culture at its finest, and not necessarily a bad thing on its own. After all, it can be incredibly hard to find work in the performing world, and even harder to make a living from that work.

Yet, I’m coming to a personal crossroads. I’m starting to realize that I don’t want to spend my precious time participating in things that do not fulfill me. It’s why I’m an artist in the first place. It’s why I write for the Whit. 

Still, hustle culture permeates the creative world. We are taught in theater especially, to never turn down a role. Better yet, “there are no small roles!” But, sometimes, there are small roles. And sometimes, the direction a show is being taken in is not a direction I want to go.

This past summer I was in a production of the musical Seussical. The show is famously divisive among performers, known for having a hard-to-follow plot and difficult, strange music. The plot itself centers around Horton the Elephant from Dr. Seuss’s Horton Hears a Who, and his quest to save their tiny planet from doom.

In this rendition of Seussical, our director made the decision to cast someone who was physically fit as Horton and put him in a fat suit for the performances.

There were multiple talented actors he could have cast as Horton, who were skilled singers who looked the part. Apparently, looking the part isn’t a concern when fat suits are still on the market. The majority of my castmates were outraged. I was outraged. Yet, we didn’t drop the show or even speak to the director about this issue. We still chose to participate, even in misery, because “a show is a show.” 

We’ve come to this conclusion as actors, because we’re told we should always take work, and never discuss our problems with one another, or with directors, because of the fear of reputation. What happens if you’re branded as contrary? Or hard to work with? What if you’re seen as flaky?

This is a story we think is endemic to theater, a world where who you know and how you’re known is how you’ll make your way, but it’s actually true to life and especially college.

Within the college world, there is the idea that you are obligated to suffer because the alternative is not having opportunities at all. You are supposed to go through hazing in order to find brotherhood or sisterhood. You need to take an unpaid internship in order to pad your resume and have opportunities once you graduate. You have to do a show/sing a song/play a gig that you fundamentally despise in order to make connections.

This is flawed logic. There are many opportunities out there that will be beneficial to you and your future, that are likely less predatory or miserable than the one you think you must take. The key is knowing where to find them, and taking the time to let things fall through.

This pickiness is okay, especially in the college world, where you are making connections for your future. And it’s okay for these things to take time. 

For a college student or recent graduate, up to a year of looking for traditional employment can feel like an eternity, but a year vetting employers and working to find the right fit is time that will pay dividends in the future.

If you’re looking for non-traditional work, freelancing or otherwise, it’s okay to turn down work you don’t like. You are honing a portfolio and a resume. Customers, directors, clients, etc., will see who you worked for (and who you didn’t), and what your product was (and what it wasn’t). This can speak volumes to your character and your dedication to your craft.

So, if you are about to accept a position somewhere, or a role in something, or create art on commission, or pick up an internship, and you get that pit in your stomach that something isn’t right, ask yourself: am I truly obligated to suffer?

For comments/questions about this story DM us on Instagram @thewhitatrowan or email opinion@gmail.com