*

In our new advice column, "Hey, Johnny!" (as in: stage door Johnny), an anonymous Broadway veteran answers the burning questions that might just be keeping your theatre-loving soul up at night.

Read last week's column here.

Have a question for Johnny? Ask Johnny a Question! or tweet to us @Playbill using the hashtag #HeyJohnny.

Here's Johnny's latest round of reader replies.

Hey, Johnny!

I have been out of college from a very highly-regarded BFA Musical Theatre college for four and a half years.

It has been a struggle. I'm a hustler. I have spent thousands and thousands of dollars of my own money since graduating on all the various theatrical expenses, and it doesn't feel like I've made much money at all.

I'm really starting to wonder if it's worth the battle. For every positive experience I've had on stage, there have been hundreds and hundreds of negative experiences, from disorganized rehearsals that run late to last-minute phone calls from my agent about auditions in a few hours to auditions saying you get to do two monologues and you actually show up and only get to do one. You name it. I hate being at the mercy of others, yet I know this is part of the job description of being a full-time actor.

Continued...