So far, my first three children have chosen performance majors and they are all at different stages. S just wrapped up his showcase and will graduate and move to NY in a few weeks. We believe in him and believe he can make a go of this crazy business. However, with the exception of keeping him on our insurance for the time being and paying for his phone for one more year, he will be expected to earn his own keep. Honestly, I am not worried. He had several non-theater/safety interviews set up during his week in NY. We also spoke with several kids who are making their way as waiters/bartenders while they audition. He is a smart and resourceful kid; he will work hard and figure it out. He’s also not one to wait until things come his way - he will be aggressively seeking opportunities.
D1 is a sophomore in college. She has multiple other theater-related talents (she could assist on costume and makeup crews) so she will find herself working somehow. She is doing a show this summer (stipend - not summer stock) and working as a caterer. Her school isn’t helpful with summer placements and she had an extremely difficult year following a serious car accident it was all she could do to keep her head above water without worrying about summer stock auditions. However, she has already started to look at what type of theater-related work she could do next summer and will plan her fall/winter breaks more carefully. Again, a smart, resourceful and frugal girl - she will make her way.
D2 will commit on May 1 :-). She is well aware that she will need to work for her spending money - all of my kids need to do this after a certain age. She’s got summer work lined up and may also be doing a show for a stipend. I could see her picking up a minor depending on the school and it wouldn’t surprise me if she ended up in dramaturgy or playwriting at some point.
We are not always great at passing along all the “adulting” skills but did teach the kids how to cook, how to work, somewhat live on a budget (not very good at this one!), how to do laundry, pay bills etc. I have great faith in theatre kids and the ability to translate the skills they learn in the classroom into any number of jobs (they make great salespeople!).