WBEZ theater reporter Mike Davis spoke with a dozen Chicago theater actors about how they’re getting by, and the bottom line, Davis said, is that the vast majority are struggling on the financial front.

He said that holds true whether they are unionized, Equity actors getting work at Chicago’s big name theaters, or if they’re non-Equity actors working in smaller storefront theaters.

“This is just not an easy industry to make a living in in general right now for Equity or non-Equity [actors],” Davis said. “They all talked about how hard it was and they acknowledged how hard it was, but they all love it. Like, they’re choosing this.”

In this episode of the Rundown podcast, Davis explained the differences between Equity and non-Equity, and shares the voices of Chicago actors, some who say non-Equity is life and others who say non-Equity is exploitation. He also explained the hacks they are using to pay for rent, and how Chicago actors think the scene here compares to cities like New York City and L.A.