Is this a stethoscope I see before me? Extratheatrical employment as enhancement to actor training

The life of an actor is an unpredictable one. For all the exhilarating highs - securing an agent, landing a role, a friendly house on opening night - there are countless lows, with fierce competition, limited opportunities, and frequent rejection a constant reality. New scholarship has emerged suggesting the cumulative effect of these lows is taking its toll on actors to a degree that can no longer be ignored, and that more must be done to prepare and support them throughout their careers. This article explores existing tensions surrounding the training and practice of actors, before considering the example of the Starlight Children's Foundation, an Australian not-for-profit organisation that employs and trains actors to perform in an unorthodox environment, with compelling results. In doing so, this article invites a re-examination of prevailing tensions and prejudices concerning the work of actors and argues for a consideration of the contribution that extratheatrical employment might make to future training models, in order to aid actors in achieving greater balance in their working lives.