Actor Aesthetic

why I got cervical disc replacement surgery (and what recovery has really been like)

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 maggie@actoraesthetic.com.

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: maggie@actoraesthetic.com

side jobs for actors, sickness, and how the theatre industry changed post-pandemic

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 maggie@actoraesthetic.com.

Visit actoraesthetic.com for more info.

Follow host Maggie Bera on social media

Instagram: @actoraesthetic / @maggiebera

Facebook: www.facebook.com/ActorAesthetic/

Email: maggie@actoraesthetic.com

a beginner's survival guide to TECH WEEK (ahhhhhh)

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 maggie@actoraesthetic.com.

Visit actoraesthetic.com for more info.

Follow host Maggie Bera on social media

Instagram: @actoraesthetic / @maggiebera

Facebook: www.facebook.com/ActorAesthetic/

Email: maggie@actoraesthetic.com

what to expect if (AND WHEN!) you book a regional theatre contract

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 maggie@actoraesthetic.com.

Visit actoraesthetic.com for more info.

Follow host Maggie Bera on social media

Instagram: @actoraesthetic / @maggiebera

Facebook: www.facebook.com/ActorAesthetic/

Email: maggie@actoraesthetic.com

I went to 5 Equity Auditions in NYC in one day... here's what I learned

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 maggie@actoraesthetic.com.

Visit actoraesthetic.com for more info.

Follow host Maggie Bera on social media

Instagram: @actoraesthetic / @maggiebera

Facebook: www.facebook.com/ActorAesthetic/

Email: maggie@actoraesthetic.com

performing at 54 Below in NYC... how to get involved in your next show

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 maggie@actoraesthetic.com.

Visit actoraesthetic.com for more info.

Follow host Maggie Bera on social media

Instagram: @actoraesthetic / @maggiebera

Facebook: www.facebook.com/ActorAesthetic/

Email: maggie@actoraesthetic.com

when should I join actors' equity? (here's your answer!!!)

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 maggie@actoraesthetic.com.

Visit actoraesthetic.com for more info.

Follow host Maggie Bera on social media

Instagram: @actoraesthetic / @maggiebera

Facebook: www.facebook.com/ActorAesthetic/

Email: maggie@actoraesthetic.com

what to do when you have to sing a POP SONG for a musical theatre audition

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 maggie@actoraesthetic.com.

Visit actoraesthetic.com for more info.

Follow host Maggie Bera on social media

Instagram: @actoraesthetic / @maggiebera

Facebook: www.facebook.com/ActorAesthetic/

Email: maggie@actoraesthetic.com

the pros + cons of pursuing your PASSION in theatre as a a career

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 maggie@actoraesthetic.com.

Visit actoraesthetic.com for more info.

Follow host Maggie Bera on social media

Instagram: @actoraesthetic / @maggiebera

Facebook: www.facebook.com/ActorAesthetic/

Email: maggie@actoraesthetic.com

moving to NYC to pursue musical theatre? here are your options (and why Hoboken is cute)

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 maggie@actoraesthetic.com.

Visit actoraesthetic.com for more info.

Follow host Maggie Bera on social media

Instagram: @actoraesthetic / @maggiebera

Facebook: www.facebook.com/ActorAesthetic/

Email: maggie@actoraesthetic.com