theatrical greed

So over the course of this past week, I've encountered a few people who didn't want to work a show because there wasn't a stipend involved or they were going to work a different show because it paid more. This really does perplex me as I worked for more than five years in the theatre not receiving a stipend at all. It's also surprising and disheartening that this is happening when several other cities around the state (one of which is much larger than my current one) have been pretty lax on paying individuals involved with the show. Don't get me wrong, I understand people need money for all sorts of things, but I've always used money from other sources and am always gracious for any compensation that I do receive. BTW...I'm not trying to make myself sound better than anyone else, I think I just come from a different background than other people. Stipends should be looked at as a gratuitous act not as a necessity for working a show. It's sad when people start saying no thanks when they can't get the money they desire. Greed is an ugly trait for anyone to possess.