ABSTRACT
Todd London learns that most of the actors whose lives he examined were being jostled away from the nonprofit theater, beckoned into an uncertain future of profit and celebrity. The goal of a regular if modest income, a companionate family relationship, and the capacity to grow as an artist was being lost in a culture of self-advancement. As for the writer himself, this chapter inadvertently reveals that if some theater people may sometimes disappoint the hopes and expectations for them, very occasionally someone comes along to restore the faith in the whole process. Todd is a rich example of that hope. He writes with a profound sense of compassion and humanity and a strong feeling for history. He is one of the great success stories of the not-for-profit resident theater, and deserves the gratitude and applause. His words help make plays the joyful experiences they always promise to be.
