Earlier today i got an email from "OceanTroupe" aka the ocean players asking me if i would like to audition for their traveling ensemble. I checked them out and what they do generally is go from NY to DC and various other states and perform all kinds of things ranging from shakespeare to improv comedy acts. I read a little bit more and saw that they are charging a $25 annual fee to be a member, and that threw me off a little bit. Has anyone heard of this company? is the membership fee legit?

Aren't you supposed to get paid to act instead of paying someone?

Do they pay travel expenses?

They travel, The actors do not. They come to a town and get actors from there. It kind of rubs me the wrong way. I got excited at first because i was propositioned but i don't know what to think. There isn't anything about them on the internet other than the link they gave me in email form.

Wait wait... I think I'm reading something wrong here. They asked you to audition for a "traveling ensemble" in which the actors don't travel? If that is in fact the case... very fishy.

I have to agree that it seems fishy and not quite right. What did you find on them through google?

I did not find a single thing on them at all on any site whatsoever. They do travel and pick actors from the towns they are in. It was very like "Work with us we'll make you famous type of deal" very weird. The more i think about it the more i think i am just not going to respond to my email.

quote:

It was very like "Work with us we'll make you famous type of deal"

RED FLAG.

Someone else asked me to check this group out recently because I know a person in the troupe, so I did. Matthew, I don't think you have all the correct information. They are legit, they pay their actors for every performance, they do travel sometimes (the actors) and they do pay travel expenses. They also make it very clear on their site that they never promise to 'make anyone famous'. Most ongoing troupes charge dues, and their cost of $25 is pretty cheap compared to a number of LA troupes which charge over a hundred a month to belong. I suggest you ask them some questions and get the correct information, because what they told me is pretty different from what you're saying.

Don't take offense. I didn't know anything about them. I couldn't find anything about them on the internet. I wanted to see if people knew anything about them before i make contact with them. The longer it went on that no one knew anything made me more skeptical. They say over and over again that you'll be in front of so and so and never said a word about reimbursements for travel expenses. I'm simply new and paranoid.

just to end this discussion. I talked to the people in Oceantroupe and another member from this site. The group IS legit and they do pay their actors for their performances as well as their travelling expenses. I'm meeting them tomorrow to read shakespeare with them.

I'm glad you looked into this yourself before making a decision. Many, many legitimate groups/agents/managers, etc. choose not to have an online presence and can't necessarily be 'googled'.

yeah, chalk it up to being new and speaking too soon. I got an audition with them tomorrow. We'll see what happens.

Hey Matthew, No offense taken, no problem. It's always good to ask questions and check things out. Good luck!

I did the audition, and it rocked! Hard! It was great. Definitely a legit organization. All in all i had alot of fun today.