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Hot take: If you're relying only on acting income to survive in 2025… you're either incredibly lucky, or dangerously stressed. In this raw and unfiltered episode, Maggie breaks down the real financial blueprint behind her life as a working actor — including exactly how much she makes, what she pays in rent, how she saves for her wedding, and why a full-time job hasn’t killed her theatre dreams (in fact, it’s helped her thrive). What she earns What she spends How she saves And how she’s still performing Whether you're fresh out of school, deep in the hustle, or just tired of pretending you’ve got it all figured out.......... this episode is your permission slip to build stability your way. Have a topic suggestion you'd like to have discussed on the pod? Email [email protected]. Visit actoraesthetic.com for more actor tools and resources. Follow host Maggie Bera on social media Instagram: @actoraesthetic / @maggiebera Facebook: www.facebook.com/ActorAesthetic/ Email: [email protected]

Feeling disconnected from your rep book? In this episode, Maggie Bera shares how to rebuild your audition binder with songs that reflect your personality, casting energy, and vocal strengths. She breaks down why most sopranos struggle to find current, callback-worthy material—and how to fix it. Plus, Maggie shares the origin story behind one of Actor Aesthetic’s most popular downloads, now completely revamped for 2025: 100+ Contemporary Audition Songs for Sopranos. 🎵 Grab the updated list here → actoraesthetic.com/shop 🎭 Perfect for college auditions, callbacks, and rep book refreshes.   Have a topic suggestion you'd like to have discussed on the pod? Email [email protected]. Visit actoraesthetic.com for more actor tools and resources. Follow host Maggie Bera on social media Instagram: @actoraesthetic / @maggiebera Facebook: www.facebook.com/ActorAesthetic/ Email: [email protected]

After nearly a year away from the mic, I’m back... with a story I never thought I’d be telling. On May 13, I had cervical disc replacement surgery at C6-C7. In this episode, I’m opening up about what led me to that decision, how the recovery process has really felt, and what it’s been like returning to the stage, the audition room, and my full-time job after surgery. If you’ve ever pushed through pain or felt like your body was holding you back, this one’s for you. We’re talking: The car accident that started it all Years of treatment that never fixed the problem What it’s like to go from a 9 to 5 to full stop Getting back onstage just two weeks after surgery My first in-person audition post-op (spoiler: I forgot part of my cut lol) What I’ve learned about rest, recovery, and building a new normal If this episode resonates, share it. Post it to your IG story, tag @ActorAesthetic, and send it to someone who needs to hear they’re not alone. Have a topic suggestion you'd like to have discussed on the pod? Email [email protected]. Visit actoraesthetic.com for more actor tools and resources. Follow host Maggie Bera on social media Instagram: @actoraesthetic / @maggiebera Facebook: www.facebook.com/ActorAesthetic/ Email: [email protected]

Thinking about moving back to NYC to pursue your career in theatre? Now that the pandemic has subsided, here's what you need to know. Also discussed on this weeks podcast is side jobs for actors (remote and hybrid), balancing your part time and full time gigs with acting, working towards financial stability outside of the arts, EPA's and ECCs, and how to deal with sickness during auditions, rehearsals and performances. Have a topic suggestion you'd like to have discussed on the pod? Email [email protected]. Visit actoraesthetic.com for more info. Follow host Maggie Bera on social media Instagram: @actoraesthetic / @maggiebera Facebook: www.facebook.com/ActorAesthetic/ Email: [email protected]

The spookiest week of the year... and it's not Halloween (even though TJMAXX put out all their Halloween decorations already... can't we have one more month of summer?!) Going into a tech week of her own, host and actor Maggie Bera breaks down exactly what to expect walking into tech week for a musical. Buy the Fontus lozenges here.  Have a topic suggestion you'd like to have discussed on the pod? Email [email protected]. Visit actoraesthetic.com for more info. Follow host Maggie Bera on social media Instagram: @actoraesthetic / @maggiebera Facebook: www.facebook.com/ActorAesthetic/ Email: [email protected]

If you're not performing professionally on Broadway, on tour, or on a cruise ship, where might one find work? Regional theatre! In this episode, actress and host Maggie Bera breaks down booking regional theatre jobs, packing and travel tips, Non-Equity vs Equity contracts, Equity Chorus contracts vs Equity Principal contracts, out-of-town actors vs. local actors, housing for regional contracts, auditioning in NYC, and MORE! Have a topic suggestion you'd like to have discussed on the pod? Email [email protected]. Visit actoraesthetic.com for more info. Follow host Maggie Bera on social media Instagram: @actoraesthetic / @maggiebera Facebook: www.facebook.com/ActorAesthetic/ Email: [email protected]

From working your side job in the holding room, to playing the waiting game, to Equity audition rules (and unspoken rules), to running around NYC signing up before the audition closes, this episode literally has it all. 40 minutes of JAM-PACKED info you'll want to hear before your next audition. Have a topic suggestion you'd like to have discussed on the pod? Email [email protected]. Visit actoraesthetic.com for more info. Follow host Maggie Bera on social media Instagram: @actoraesthetic / @maggiebera Facebook: www.facebook.com/ActorAesthetic/ Email: [email protected]

You're scrolling through YouTube and you see yet another Broadway star performing a song at a fancy cabaret... chances are, they're singing at 54 Below!!! But did you know you don't necessarily need to be an established performer with an insane resume to perform there? Tune in to learn how you can get involved in your next show. Have a topic suggestion you'd like to have discussed on the pod? Email [email protected]. Visit actoraesthetic.com for more info. Follow host Maggie Bera on social media Instagram: @actoraesthetic / @maggiebera Facebook: www.facebook.com/ActorAesthetic/ Email: [email protected]

When exactly should I join Equity? How will I know when the time is right for me? Is it worth it? Answering the NUMBER ONE question we get here to better help you understand how the union works... and what makes the most sense for YOU! Have a topic suggestion you'd like to have discussed on the pod? Email [email protected]. Visit actoraesthetic.com for more info. Follow host Maggie Bera on social media Instagram: @actoraesthetic / @maggiebera Facebook: www.facebook.com/ActorAesthetic/ Email: [email protected]

Have an audition coming up? Hadestown? Mean Girls? Six? Guess what... chances are you WON'T be singing a musical theatre song.  These days, professional musicals are very heavily calling  pop songs for their initial auditions. Why? Many of them are BASED in pop music! Hence... casting directors are now asking you to bring in a song off the radio. Have no fear! Tune in to hear how to find your next pop song, and what to do when you're lacking a little inspiration. Shop pop song suggestions at actoraesthetic.com/shop. Have a topic suggestion you'd like to have discussed on the pod? Email [email protected]. Visit actoraesthetic.com for more info. Follow host Maggie Bera on social media Instagram: @actoraesthetic / @maggiebera Facebook: www.facebook.com/ActorAesthetic/ Email: [email protected]

Getting to do something you love every day? YES. Getting PAID to do something you love every day? HECK YES. Going months not knowing when your next acting job will be? Needing to work another job to sustain yourself in the meantime? Facing daily rejection? The what-ifs? Only defining your self-worth by how "successful" you think you are in the industry? Ehhhhhhh..... There are a trillion pros + cons to pursuing your passion of theatre as a career. Here are just a few.  Have a topic suggestion you'd like to have discussed on the pod? Email [email protected]. Visit actoraesthetic.com for more info. Follow host Maggie Bera on social media Instagram: @actoraesthetic / @maggiebera Facebook: www.facebook.com/ActorAesthetic/ Email: [email protected]

Ask your friends who moved to NYC which neighborhood they live in. Harlem? Hamilton Heights? Washington Heights? Or do they live out in Queens? Brooklyn? Maybe they live across the water in New Jersey... Hoboken? Weehawken? Jersey City? As a 2 year Hoboken resident, host Maggie Bera gives you her tips for moving to Manhattan, and why you may just want to consider Jersey (YEAH YOU HEARD THAT RIGHT!) Have a topic suggestion you'd like to have discussed on the pod? Email [email protected]. Visit actoraesthetic.com for more info. Follow host Maggie Bera on social media Instagram: @actoraesthetic / @maggiebera Facebook: www.facebook.com/ActorAesthetic/ Email: [email protected]

WORK SMARTER, NOT HARDER! In this episode, host Maggie Bera has the absolute honor of chatting with actress Spencer Martinez. You may know her from her platform, LimeLight - a community that has revisioned the industry by taking care of the masses. Spencer Martinez, a South Jersey native with a love for Musical Theatre, earned her BA at FDU, becoming the first in her family to graduate. After backpacking through Europe, she kicked off her career with an Off-Broadway production in NYC. Adapting during COVID, she founded the LimeLight platform, providing accessibility and education to the industry. Recently booking UGC for various companies and the NYC based "Moving UP" workshop, she not only strives for her own comeback but consistently gives back to the industry that fuels her passion. From a log cabin to Manhattan, Spencer's journey epitomizes resilience, creativity, and a commitment to community in the ever-evolving world of musical theatre. Tune in to hear Maggie and Spencer chat about: - the Unofficial List - NYC Equity Auctions - EPAs (Equity Principal Auditions) vs ECCs (Equity Chorus Calls) - Resources for non-union actors in NYC - Balancing work, auditions, and rest Have a topic suggestion you'd like to have discussed on the pod? Email [email protected]. Visit actoraesthetic.com for more info. Follow host Maggie Bera on social media Instagram: @actoraesthetic / @maggiebera Facebook: www.facebook.com/ActorAesthetic/ Email: [email protected]

HOW DO YOU DO IT ALL, MAGGIE? In this episode, host Maggie Bera recaps what could possibly be (or at least feels like) the longest week of her life. Lol. And if you're an actor in the city right now, you're probably going thru something very similar. Running back and forth between auditions, working a 9 to 5 in marketing and social media, learning a new skill (or at least trying), memorizing a lot of material at once, remembering to EAT, audition journaling, and pacing yourself. We're talking about it all. Have a topic suggestion you'd like to have discussed on the pod? Email [email protected]. Visit actoraesthetic.com for more info. Follow host Maggie Bera on social media Instagram: @actoraesthetic / @maggiebera Facebook: www.facebook.com/ActorAesthetic/ Email: [email protected]

Bella Coppola is California raised, Texas educated, and New York based. She earned her BFA in Musical Theatre from Texas State University. She recently finished up playing Jane Seymour in Six on Broadway! She is currently in the pre-broadway workshop for SMASH. Coppola’s music is out on all main music platforms. Check out her popular singles “Forbidden Fruit,” “Vodka Lemonade,” and “I Regret Nothing.” Have a topic suggestion you'd like to have discussed on the pod? Email [email protected]. Visit actoraesthetic.com for more info. Follow host Maggie Bera on social media Instagram: @actoraesthetic / @maggiebera Facebook: www.facebook.com/ActorAesthetic/ Email: [email protected]