Parents want to encourage actress daughter

Dear Amy: . Our youngest daughter began competitive dance at four, started acting and singing at 14 and graduated from college with a degree in musical theater. Her goal is to be on Broadway.

Because this field is so competitive, we are trying to keep her focused and positive. She is very talented and outworks everyone. She is also very sensitive. It is hard on her when she doesn’t get hired after an audition.

My wife and I totally support her decision to work in this field, but how should we help her deal with her success and failures throughout her career? should look for temp or restaurant jobs that will accommodate her acting classes and auditions. Working will keep her grounded and busy — and connected to other young actors and artists.

She will need to learn to manage and modulate her reactions to rejection.

For further wisdom, especially for your daughter, I have shared your question with Quinn Cummings, former actress and current author of the wonderful memoir: “Notes from the Underwire: Adventures from My Awkward and Lovely Life,” (2009, Hyperion).

She responds: “The life of the artist is hard. The life of the actor is harder still. You love to paint, you can always paint, whether anyone wants your work. Acting requires an audience.

“The only way to prevail over this kind of life — which can easily exhaust and destroy shining, sensitive souls — is to find ways to create that kind of joy on your own.

“Create a character, write minute-long scenes, and put them on Instagram. Get a group of likeminded people together, decide to act out old episodes of your favorite sitcom in the back room of a bar.

“Think up something demented and joyful, and bring it to the world for no other reason than it makes you happy. That way, if the casting director is hateful, or no one even looks up during your audition, you can walk out thinking not about the pain, but about the hilarious character you are going to create from this. Bad events can make for great comedy. And, for what it’s worth, if you’re creating material for yourself, you are more likely to give yourself great material and look really appealing while creating it. It’s working out pretty well for Rachel Bloom and Lin-Manuel Miranda.”