Next Year

Alas, I recieved an email today from the assistant stage manager thanking me for auditioning, and letting me know that I was unfortunately not invited to callbacks.
Am I bummed? Yes I am, but not overly so. I still feel good about my audition. The company draws on the best actors in the valley, and on occasion, the country.
Which leads me to one of the amazing things I found out while doing plays here in the valley. The amazing thing was getting to associate with and learn from such amazingly talented people, and that there are so many people who are so incredibly successful in show business (tv and movies), but don't have near the talent of so many people I've gotten to know through the plays we've done together.
My friend Sandy Elias (a director, mentor, and sometime fellow actor) told me that the question he most hates getting from students (he's also a professor at one of the local community colleges) is: "Do I have what it takes to make it in show business?" To paraphrase what he said: There are a gazillion factors which determine success in show business other than talent.
Anyway, they may still call me back. One never knows if they'll need an extra captain, guard, or spear holder. Same money whichever.