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Working in small-scale theater is completely different from what most people imagine. I don't do it professionally, but I know some kids who do theater around here and what they tell me is that it's way more physical and demanding than it seems. There's no big budgets, no spare extras, no quality equipment, you're often rehearsing in a warehouse or a community hall with absolutely terrible acoustics. You've got to be ready to do everything: be an actor, help set up the scenery, sometimes even carry a scene on your feet because someone didn't show up. You make little to nothing, depending on the project.
Now, people usually say it's all sacrifice and no reward, but I think that's kind of oversimplifying it. It's true that most of these productions won't launch anyone's career, but there's something different there. You literally know every person involved, there's a lot of room to experiment and make mistakes without the weight of a big show on top of you, and often you form a genuine connection with the group. The financial return is basically zero, but if you like performing and being involved in a creative project, you get a few interesting months out of it. The thing is whether you're doing it because you want to develop the profession or just because you like the thing itself.
I don't have direct experience with theater, but I can tell you what I hear from people I know who work in it. Working in small productions is basically the opposite of what you see in movies about famous actors. You make little to no money most of the time, and you're working purely out of passion for the thing. Rehearsals are often at night after your normal job (like, a lot of theater actors have another job during the day, completely unrelated), the spaces where they rehearse are makeshift spaces, garages, basements, rooms rented for next to nothing. The good part is you have creative freedom you wouldn't have anywhere else. The director and cast end up being like a family because you spend a ton of time together and deal with pressure and frustrations in common.
As for contracts and practical stuff, keep your eyes open because a lot of people don't have everything clearly spelled out in writing. I've seen people with messy situations because nobody made it clear how many shows there were or how much they'd get paid. Check carefully what they're promising you before you commit several months of your time. Small productions are amazing for learning technique and building a portfolio, but it costs a lot in terms of time and patience. If you really want to do this, start with local productions near where you live - saves you the travel and you can better figure out if it's actually for you.
Small-scale theater production is financially too challenging for most people to live off alone, so usually you end up having a side job and doing plays on weekends or in the evenings. What nobody's mentioning here is that you can get stuck in a cycle where you're doing small roles in small productions, getting little visibility, and it's hard as hell to move up to something bigger because the directors of larger productions aren't seeing your work. The emotional payoff is real (that adrenaline rush on stage is addictive), but it's important to be pretty realistic about how much time you're willing to invest in minimal earnings while you're building your resume.
Since you're thinking about small-scale theater production, the best tip I can give you is to create a "survival kit" among actors - basically a group that helps each other out with transport, lending costumes, contacts for cheaper technicians, that kind of thing. A lot of people don't talk about it but it's like 80% of the reality of doing theater on a small scale - it's way more about networking and mutual help than pure talent. The upside is you get brutal experience and meet amazing people, but prepare yourself to make basically nothing at the start and to be sewing a prop while you're waiting for your turn to go on stage.
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