By Rikki Lee Travolta
The concept of tipping is not all that unusual. However, when it is appropriate and when it is expected have both changed over the years.
The practice of tipping began in medieval times in Tudor England when the well-off would bestow extra money on their servants in recognition for having performed superbly well. By the 17th century, the practice of tipping had grown to include to the workers at coffee houses.
Tipping moved from England to the U.S. in the 1850s. It was seen at the time as an effort by some to seem more aristocratic – like their well-to-do peers across the lake. However, some saw the practice as a means to establish a social status that paints the working class as somehow inferior by replacing guaranteed pay with arbitrary tips. As a result, many states actually passed anti-tipping laws.
Today, tipping is most often associated with those who wait tables or tend bar for a living. In the U.S., a tip of 15-20% is considered customary for good service at a sit-down eatery. I for one always aspire to be a good tipper as these people rely on this as their wages to live on.
While the Hollywood elite may make millions per movie, the average actor isn’t so lucky. In fact, many actors work for the equivalent of financial scraps. They are driven by a desire to create, more so than a desire to earn.
According to The Guardian, only 2% of actors make a living at their craft. Similarly, a study by Nature Communications shows that about 90% of actors are unemployed at any one time throughout the year.
Furthermore, as noted by entertainment photographer David Genik, there can be a benefit for actors accepting unpaid or low-wage work from time to time if the opportunity can provide a means for career advancement – such as learning a new element of the craft or making an important connection.
StageMilk reiterates the belief, stating there are many reasons for actors to accept unpaid, or low-wage work. But, there is still the need to pay the rent. There is still the need to earn a living.
So, what options are there for those struggling to balance their desire to perform and their desire to meet their bills?
One possible source of income for actors still waiting for their big break is in gratuities – or tips.
Starving artists have throughout history performed for tips. We’ve all seen the street musicians singing their hearts out hoping for a few dollars to be tossed in their tip bucket. Even the great Robin Williams used to perform for tips as a mime in the park in San Francisco prior to getting his big break.
Performers at Renaissance Faires are among those who make their money through tips. According to one such contributor on Quora, depending on the popularity of the act and, presumably, the quality of the performance, Ren Faire performers can make sizable amounts through tips.
The term tip is actually slang for gratuity, which is defined as something given voluntarily or “beyond obligation”. In other words, it is a gift of money over and above the payment due for service.
When you go to the theatre, in most cases there is a bar or concession sales of some kind for pre-show and intermission consumption. Even though their work may entail little more than handing a cold soda to a patron, bartenders at these events routinely receive tips for their efforts. And, this is accepted. Few patrons complain about the implied need to tip their servers.
So, why would patrons balk at the thought of offering a similar gratuity to actors in exchange for their efforts on stage to enlighten and entertain? Honestly, no one should balk at such a chance to honor those baring their souls under the hot stage lights. Especially, when those few dollars might cumulatively mean the difference between an artist continuing in their career or being forced to put their dreams and ambitions on the shelf.
Plain and simple, actors who are sacrificing in order to entertain should be duly rewarded for their efforts. If we can justify tipping a bartender a dollar or two for a $6 can of soda at intermission, then we should be equally amenable to offering a gratuity to the evening’s entertainers.
As technology has evolved, the means to offer tips for performers has also expanded. It is becoming more and more common to see QR codes at theatrical events allowing patrons to donate tips directly from their bank accounts via their smartphones.
This should be applauded and embraced. Theaters not currently offering this way for audiences to directly reward performers should consider adding it to their operation.
Even when your acting jobs are paid, unless you are at a certain level in your career often those paychecks aren’t monumental. The truth is very few actors are able to support themselves solely on their creative efforts.
The good news is that the Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates that work for actors is starting to significantly rebound after the disastrous effects of COVID on the country. The availability of viable paid acting positions is expected to rise by 32% by 2030. This is above the 8% anticipated general employment growth rate.
But nobody should be fooled into thinking that acting is a cash cow industry for most performers. Very few actors make a living at it, and fewer still achieve any kind of vast wealth. So, if the opportunity is presented to offer a gratuity in cash or via Venmo or PayPal to the talent at an event, I hope the norm becomes to do so – to give and give generously.
The magic that actors give an audience when they are on stage can literally change lives. Why not give patrons the opportunity to give a little magic back to the performers?
The Internet is awash with articles promising tips for actors, meaning advice. Let’s make the next piece of advice one for audiences – if you are provided with the means to offer the performers a gratuity, take it. The tip is, to be a good tipper.
Images by Pixabay, Karolina Grabowska, James Frid, Cottonbro Studio, and Engin Akyurt
