So Many Acting B.A.'s, So Few Paying Gigs

soozievt
Wed, 07 Dec 2005 20:22:51 +0000

An education is way more than a ticket to a job. Lots of people have degrees in something and that is not their exact job at a later point in their career or even at the start of their career. An education equips you to be a learned person who can apply various skills to many things.

A person can be talented or skilled in something, like musical theater (sub many other arts), but it doesn’t mean that is the ONLY thing they are capable of doing. Many kids I know who go into this field, happen to also be excellent academic students. While theater is the first thing that comes to mind when someone thinks of my D, it is not the ONLY thing. She’s done some things to do with political activism. She is a leader. She enjoys history. She happens to be a gifted writer. Just today, her writing teacher at college told her she was one of her strongest students and that her writing is impressive. While it was affirming to have her first college teacher give such feedback and given she went to college early and from an unknown rural public high school, I didn’t really need to hear that to know it because I know she could easily go into a career that involved writing but has chosen musical theater as her ambition at this time and her heart and soul are in that. But she loves to also write shows (and other things). If she does not make it on stage, she has other abilities and talents. She doesn’t NEED a fall back option. She is not one dimensional. If need be, and she doesn’t make it on stage, there is a lot she CAN do and would ENJOY doing.

I cannot fathom discouraging a kid who is driven to pursue this type of field. I would not want to. It is who she is. Nobody who knows her ever questions that she went to college for this because it is part of her IDENTITY. I can’t imagine not wanting her to be who she is and pursue it to its fullest extent if she has that drive. She’s known what she has wanted to do since nursery school. How do you stop that? Why would you want to? That’s my personal view but not geared to someone else. I do believe, however, that behind many successful performers in this field, are people who supported them on the way up and were not naysayers. I recall Kristen Chenowith’s acceptance speech of her Tony Award and her thanking teachers along the way and mom and dad for all those ballet lessons they took her to.

I could see possibly redirecting a kid who has an interest in this area but is unsure, has not pursued it to his/her fullest extent, lacks motivation or work ethic or very little talent and it is just a passing idea or interest. But for those kids who are sure without a doubt that they can’t picture doing anything else and could not give it up, I can’t see not being behind them 100%. I don’t care WHAT major my kids do in college. I only care that they have drive and initiative to pursue an education to work toward their goals whatever those goals are. I can’t imagine discouraging particular fields and the kid is left later in life asking what if’s. It’s their life. I had no idea what my children would grow up to want to do but whatever they are doing, we are behind it and actually think what they are doing is neat.

Also, as those on the MT Forum know, there is a decision to be had as to whether to pursue a BA or a BFA degree. For the mom who posted about her D changing her intended major from theater, that’s absolutely fine. She is likely in a BA program and that was the RIGHT path for her it seems. A BA program is appropriate to those who are not ready to make a long time commitment to theater and allow for a change of major. A BFA program is not for everyone. It takes a commitment before applying to a field, and is a rigorous intensive professional degree program and should only be entered by those who ONLY want to do focus on theater and are sure they want to pursue this intensive training in a professional degree program. A BFA program is for someone who cannot imagine doing anything else but to become a professional actor. It also takes a certain kind of work ethic. It is not like normal college. The hours are much much longer. The prospects are uncertain when they get out. They will deal with rejection over and over again. There is a lot of selectivity involved and the “competition” is prevalent as there are many other very talented people, even if in a congenial program. It’s not for everyone.

But for those whose inner core is theater, you can’t rip that out of them. For us, as parents, there is not “pain” as mentioned in other posts that our child chose this. We knew she would.It is WHO she is. We never discussed what major do you want in college. She knew it. We knew it. Everyone knew it. There was no surprise or discussion. It was a continuation of a path she’d been on for quite some time. We think it’s great that she is pursuing her passion and working hard and achieving in it. Who knows what the future may hold? But we’re confident that her education is worth the time, money, and effort and that whether or not she makes it on Broadway or on other stages, she will be a success in life, no matter what she does. If it is not on stage, that’s fine by us. But if it is not on stage, I’d rather the reason be that it did not happen for her but not because she did not try. It may not be a life of riches in terms of income or job opportunities but hopefully it will be a life full of inner riches that fuel her passion.

It is hard sometimes, for those who don’t have a kid in this sort of field to question things like job prospects and choices made. But this was not a choice in high school to pick a college major. It is a choice to continue on with who she already is.

A college education is way more than the major and what job you get when you get out. And a person is much more than their college major. Many can do more than one thing.