Taking a break from the Great Debate, this post from screenwriter / director John August caught my attention. It's relevant because it adds another dimension to our discussion about making a living as an actor, especially if earning that living involves 1) moving to LA or NY and 2) working as a day player in TV in addition to pursuing theatre.

In Los Angeles or New York, if you're trying to cast a day player in their 20s (say, a car wash attendant), it's easy. You've got thousands of people to choose from. Even if you need a specific characteristic -- say, Russian-speaking -- you're going to have great candidates. But what if you need an intimidating Chinese woman in her 60's? Or a really, really old man you can believe is from Nigeria?

Well, you hope they're out there. And increasingly, they're not. So what's going on? At the risk of getting Freakonomics, it appears there's a point at which it's not economically viable to remain a day player.