Why A Theatre Degree is Not Useless | brokeGIRLrich
Conventional wisdom says to go to school, major in something reliable that will make you lots of money, find a boy, settle down and stay there forever. Recently a commenter of my blog left the following note for me:
I never understand why parents always seem willing to let kids invest in all these exotic majors – like French Literature, or Theater, or whatever. There is such a small job market for jobs related to these fields… For my youngest, I have made it abundantly clear that he can have all the hobbies and sidelines he wants, but as far as an official major, it must be something that is going to have a well-paying job at the end of it. I don’t think an 18 year old kid has a very realistic view of what the job market is like out there, so they are just going to have to listen to Mom until they can pay their own tuition.
It actually made my heart clench up a little inside and die. And then it made me thank God that he had the foresight to put the right kids with the right parents, because maybe this lady’s kid is a hot mess who shouldn’t be allowed to follow his dreams, but I can’t even imagine the kind of life I would’ve had with this (clearly well-meaning) lady as my mother.
First Tastes of Theater – College Productions I Stage Managed or Designed Something On
The thing that surprised me most about this comment is that she left it on a post where I did write one paragraph about my struggles finding a job right after college, where I double majored in Literature and Theater and then went on to get a graduate degree in Theology. Within the same blog post, I pointed out that my super rough job search lasted exactly 3 weeks. 90% of my friends who majored in business, law, education or any other number of majors that “have a well-paying job at the end of it” could not claim nearly the same success rate. And don’t get me wrong, I was definitely more than a little lucky, but it was absolutely a case of “luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.” I got my foot in the door somewhere and turned it into a five year job that was awesome. I spent five years getting paid to see the world and stage manage. It was incredible.
Don’t get me wrong. I like money. I write a personal finance blog. When I had student debt, I was going a little crazy to make sure it got paid off. Signing a lease freaked me out a little because it was a commitment to having to give away a hefty sum each month. I am financially aware. I am also drawn to frugality – in part because I believe every single person who has an interest in following a different sort of life path away from those “well-paying jobs” should be and in part because frugality often (though not always) promotes decisions that are also best for the environment. If I honestly thought I was going to starve to death, I never would’ve majored in a single one of those things, but those degrees can be used in a wider variety of ways than you’d imagine.
First Paying Gig – Stage Manager for Teeny, Tiny Touring Educational Theater Troupe
First off, when people hear theater degree, they assume you want to be an actor. Someone with an especially broad understanding of theater might think you might also want to be a director. If you are actually studying for a theater degree, here are the positions you might be considering: actor, director, lighting designer, sound designer, costume designer, set designer, stage manager, technical director, technician, rigger, projections designer, stitcher, draper, milliner, production manager, box office manager, house manager, dramaturge, professor, high school teacher, producer, arts administrator, playwright, choreographer, dancer, fight coordinator, stunt coordinator, pyrotechnician, properties designer, puppeteer… I’m sure I’m missing several.
So those are the dreams that you hold in your heart as you proceed in getting this “useless” degree. Then you graduate. With said “useless” degree. And no one will hire you in your dream position, or as an assistant or understudy to the dream position. Or as the assistant to the assistant (commonly known as P.A.s – their life is rough). Oh my gosh! Have you ruined your life?
No. Because your coursework was insane and varied and if you took most of the classes I did, you can explain how your coursework and theater experiences make you a great choice to be a: media specialist, public relations coordinator, graphic designer, salesperson, HR specialist (because if you can deal with leading ladies, seriously), community affairs officer, recruiter, tour guide, talent manager, writer, interior designer, event planner, conflict mediator, radio/TV announcer, talent scout and more.
And then life got better and I got to stage manage real productions.
When people hear you want to do something “fun” as your major, most seem to automatically assume you have crazy, star struck notions that you will be the next big thing (which is hilarious to me because no stage manager anywhere is the next big thing). Do you know how many people started asking me about Broadway when I changed my major to theater? Do you know how many people still ask me when I’m going to get a real job (you mean like the one I have?!?!)? I pay all my bills. I have medical benefits. I have a 401(k) and an IRA. I even get dental and vision coverage. And I fill in stage manager on the occupation line to re-enter America when I fly internationally. If I listened to all those people who doubted me, I wouldn’t be here. Honestly, I’d probably trapped teaching high school English, because until college I thought it was the only thing I’d be capable of doing. And I’d probably be miserable. Teachers bore the heck out of me when they won’t stop talking about all their teacher stories (sorry, teacher friends, I love you anyway, but I don’t really care about the kids in your classes at all).
Don’t get me wrong, I’d love to work on Broadway. I’ve even written that on my blog. But will I? Who knows? Do you ask all college professors if they want to work at Princeton? Is a software engineer unsuccessful if he’s not working at Microsoft or Apple? In the meantime, as far as I’m concerned, I’m as successful as any other employed, tax-paying American and I’m following my own path and working solidly toward my dream job. Are you?
Now I work here. Looks like a real job to me.
The lesson in this is to pick your major carefully. Pick it wisely. Properly research all the challenges it will present. But don’t just pick it only for money and don’t let other people tell you what you can and can’t do. If Mom and Dad threaten to cut you off (which is exactly what happened to me and why I double majored), point out to them that there’s more to life than being a teacher, a carpenter, a lawyer or whatever their dream for you is – because you’re the one who has to live that dream for the next 40 years, so it might as well be your own.
Enter to win a copy of Debt-Free U and just pay for college yourself, anyway. Contest ends January 31st.
This is a very delicate topic! I totally understand why the well-meaning mother posted what she posted, but then I also see your point of view.
It is about the odds… what are the odds a doctor or an engineer would be unemployed versus an aspiring artist? I guess that’s probably what the commentator was trying to get across.
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It’s true, I do see why the mother, or any mother for that matter, would be protective. The reason I wrote so confidently on how people think if you’re going to major in theater that you think you’re going to be a Broadway actress is because my parents had (and voiced very loudly) those fears. And then told me they would not pay for a theater degree.
Honestly, I never expected this post to turn into what it did. When I sat down to write it, I was intending to write up a guest post I promised to write at the end of the month and it turned into this rant. But I felt strongly about it and since I wanted to focus on the theme of college this month, I went with it.
So while I can empathize with a mother wanting the best for her kids, I’m also wary of parents making decisions for their kids, when their kids have to live the consequence of that decision. Even if 18 is young – 18 is really only as young as you let it be. If you’ve raised your child to make responsible decisions, they should be able to start making them by then – or paying the consequences of not making them.
Ugh. Starting to rant again. Let’s just end with thanks for stopping by!
I really like this post. I was a theater major for a while and even though I didn’t end up getting a degree in theater, I have a love for everything that goes into theatrical productions and a profound respect for those individuals who believe in themselves enough to major in their passion. Yes, it’s important to earn enough to pay your bills, but if you aren’t doing what you love then what is the point? Kudos to you for doing, and defending, what you love.
And I have a love for people who love the arts but decided not to pursue it as a career. You guys pay my salary ;o) Thanks!
Wow. I am really angry someone would put down your career/major choice. I ended up getting a degree in music education. I wanted to just be a music major and work in the industry or with a union. But I threw in education so I’d be more marketable and have a chance at a solid 9-5 job (under the pressure of my “well-meaning mother). … But guess what! There are no more music education jobs in my state! My friends who received performance or music business degrees all have jobs in the industry. All my education friends do not.
Having a fine arts or just arts degree is not throwing your life away or putting a lower value on your future. Having a degree in arts is recognizing your talent. Go get that Broadway position, girl. Prove them wrong.
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I can understand both sides because I wanted to be a theater major but decided to take a more business practical path. Everybody has different risk tolerances and I realized mine was pretty low. Seems like that mom’s is pretty low too although she’s putting her own beliefs onto her child. You sound very focused and motivated in your field. That’s half the battle of any career path. I love the pic of the theater where you work now. It’s beautiful! Congrats on joining the Yakezie Challenge btw!
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I agree with the risk tolerance being a huge factor in selecting certain career paths. And I think, in no small part, if you can be ok with everyone telling you you’re not going to succeed and just plowing ahead anyway, that’s a good sign. If it gets to you, then all the other trials that come with this life choice as probably not for you. And I would definitely say there are quite a few “safe” ways to stay involved in the arts. Become a high school drama teacher is probably the safest and still most closely connected; however, large theaters employ all sort of occupations from accountants to HR specialists to chefs.
You know what they say “do something you love and you’ll never work a day in your life”
I hope that woman’s kid grows up to have dreams and ambitions all their own. No one should be made to feel bad for doing what makes them happy.
I would want my 3 children to follow their dreams, but would want to help guide them. Most people are interested in many areas.
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I don’t think there’s anything wrong with guiding. I know my parents thought they were helping me when they told me they wouldn’t pay for a theater degree, and part of my proving I was serious about it was still double majoring with a degree they did approve of and finishing early.
I’ve never taken on more debt than I can pay in the next month OTHER THAN my school loans (but I’m still in school). I have no credit cards, shop very frugally, and prioritize my purchases. I’d love to read this book, though.
Way to go! And good luck in the giveaway.
I HATE when people are like, “Are you on Broadway?” and I say, “No”, and they’re like “That’s Ok”. I’m like, I KNOW it’s ok. I don’t go up to you and say, “Are you the CEO of your company?” “Oh, that’s ok”.
While I have been fairly successful as a professional actress, I do have to admit it’s incredibly difficult. I wish that in addition to my major I had a hard skill that I could always count on for work. For instance, the bf is a theatrical carpenter (dropped out of college, makes about six figures, for those hacking theatre), anyway, a lot of his coworkers are actors who work as carpenters as their survival job. Kind of awesome, if you have that skill set.
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Definitely. I actually wound up kind of lucky to go to a tiny college, where I was able to stage manage pretty much everything from sophomore year on – since no one else wanted to. However, to make the productions go up, everyone had to do everything, so I left pretty competent at set building, lighting and making props – and when times are lean those are exactly what I go do (even thought I freaking HATE carpentry – for some reason it often seems to pay the best and be the most available work. Probably cause almost everyone else hates it too). I also got my sub certificate! You should look into that if you’re living in NJ – you just need like 60 credits, fingerprints and to pay for the stupid “license” (about the equivalent of a day’s work subbing). It’s usually super flexible.
Great post! I come from a family that paid no attention to money, and suffered because of it. My husband has been quite the opposite, so I am truly grateful (most of the time) for that. 2 of our children are in college now (with 2 more to go), and both are majoring in “responsible” majors – criminology, and psychology. Our son went into the Marine Corps to finance his education with the GI Bill, and our daughter is working with loans, grants, and scholarships to do hers (so far.) Your book sounds like it could help her, and our other two children, greatly!
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I did stage crew in high school, and it never occurred to me to go into theater even though I loved it. It sounds like such an awesome job! And like you have had some great experiences along the way. If you have realistic expectations for yourself when you come out with your degree, I think it’s absolutely possible to pursue your passion. I did. I’ll probably never break the $100k/year mark, but I absolutely love what I do…I’m happy to go to work when I get out of bed everyday. And that’s worth not making an enormous salary. The whole no loans/debt thing has helped my attitude about it all, too.
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I agree, the biggest part of it is realistic aspirations. If I’d wanted to be rich, it would not have been a great life path. As I didn’t want to feel like I was dragging myself to work for 40 years, but still wanted to get by financially, it has worked out well.
I have a communications degree and and wound up writing a somewhat similar post awhile ago: nzmuse.com/2011/05/what-it-means-to-have-a-communications-degree/
That said, I don’t think ‘follow your passion’ is good umbrella advice. It depends on individual circumstances and priorities. I’m glad my passion wasn’t oil painting or javelin, since my prospects would be a lot worse and I like money. My partner is in the ‘doesn’t have a passion’ camp and so following the money (along with finding a job that somewhat aligns with his interests and skills and allows us to live the lifestyle we want) is the better path for him … I see no point whatsoever in wasting a lifetime chasing different paths in search of this mythical passion we’re all supposed to have (because while I have one, I know not all of us have one, least of all one that lends itself to a job or even career).
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That’s fair enough, if I hadn’t found something I was passionate about, I think a very practical approach then is to follow the money. And I don’t really think there’s much advice around that’s good blanket advice for everyone.
I see both sides to this but am very much willing to let my kids choose their own path and as a parent, I feel, if I have raised them well they will go on to find the career they enjoy and will be able to apply any skills they have to a variety of opportunities. One of my favourite sayins was included in your post – luck is where opportunity meets preparation.
To be honest, I dropped out of school in year 11. Yep, never finished. School is not the be all and end all, so my kids will be allowed to chose what they study IF they choose to go to though to university. And to enable them to have that choice I fought hard when I divorced. He disagreed but also did not want to contribute financially to their schooling. If he wasn’t going to help pay, I felt he shouldn’t have a say. As such, I got it in our divorce settlement and parenting plan that once our daughters reach high school ALL schooling decisions are mine and mine alone. Which in turns, they are my daughters.
I think passion, determination and personality play a larger part in job and life success than the actual degree you get. Knowing how to use the degree, like you have, makes any degree worthwhile.
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* that should say “in turn means they are my daughters.” They will have their choice of high school and university degree.
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I’m sure it’s sort of nerve wracking to let your kid go off and make their own decisions, but it sort of seems necessary to me in the long run too.
I can’t imagine schooling not be a necessity, but it’s different all over the world.
I can give you numerous examples of people all over the world who never finished year 12 yet are highly successful, many multimillionaires, even in my own family. I don’t think schooling is what makes you successful. Yes, some careers require degrees and obviously if you want one of those careers you need to go to school, but not all careers need them even the degree doesn’t guarantee your success. It’s more how you apply yourself, how determined, smart and adaptable you are as well as how you interact with others, seizing opportunities as they come.
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as a journalism major…i fully agree with this post! however, i am paying for school on my own dime. if my parents were paying, i think that i would be a little more considerate of their hopes for me.
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I don’t know, just because they’re offering you the money doesn’t seem to me like they should get to decide your entire career path. Or they should make that clear from the start so you have the option to reject it.
i agree, and my parents in particular wouldn’t put conditions like that on a college fund if i had one….but i think *I* would feel more obligated to consider their opinions if it was their money, you know?
great post! 🙂
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A college major is largely what you make of it. If you major in business or economics or any of those other degrees that will supposedly lead to success because you have major pressure on you and not because you’re interested, then I think you’re lowering your chances of success significantly. I majored in English Lit and because I have passion for writing and communicating, I was able to find a full time job and multiple lucrative side gigs using my skills from a degree that caused most people to make faces when I mentioned it. Luckily, my parents were always supportive, and I firmly believe the fact they supported me instead of shoving a vision down my throat is a huge contributor to any successes I’ve had. But the real key was that I didn’t just chase my passions; I worked hard at it. Success comes with effort. Similarly, my cousin has a Theatre degree and is an awesome stage manager at a well-known theatre. “Traditional” or “serious” degrees need not always be the answer. Usually it’s the person behind the degree.
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I got a degree in Acting and I’m happy I did it. I was able to teach drama in schools, after school and during the weekends. It enabled to set up my own business running a drama school, and it gave me a huge amount of confidence which I didn’t have before my training. I think as long as your happy with your career choice that’s all that matters.
Cool, I’m glad it all worked out well for you. And I definitely agree – I think if you manage to be happy with your career choice, then you’re a step ahead of many people.
I am currently trying to go back to school and finish my degree in Theatre. While I love it, I do… I wish my parents would have pushed me more into a field or trade that would benefit my family more. I am now married with two kids, one who is special needs. I wish I could say “Go for it. It pays off.” However, for most it won’t. It all depends on where you are in life. In more ways than one. If you are in a small town, and cannot afford to move to a bigger place where theatre is an option, this would not be an option. If you don’t have a good support system it will be significantly harder to find success in this field. It really makes me sad to even say this because my special needs soon would be great in Theatre!
I wish everyone out there the best. I just wish someone would have given me a dose of reality when I was in my dream job phase of life.
You may ask, if you find it to be a waste for you, why finish? Because I am about 25 credit hours away from my degree, and some degree is better than none.
I definitely think that once you’re married or have children, you’ve sort of chosen that as the highest priority in your life… in which case, I don’t think taking career gambles is worth it. I agree that something safe like accounting or teaching (and heck, in this economy, those aren’t that safe either) is the more responsible approach.
But when you consider met college students leave without any ties holding them down, I do think that anyone in that position should chase their dreams. But you have to be willing to leave everything for it – including your small town.
I am proud of my daughter who EARNED her B. A. in Theatre a year ago. Many parents dote over their kid when there’s obviously not a lot of talent there, but my daughter’s high school drama teacher actually asked me privately if I would allow her to study theatre. I knew she had talent on stage, but I had no idea how much she would grow into a mature young lady during her 4 years at college. High school gave her some acting experience. While in college, her singing voice improved dramatically, she learned other skills and had jobs at school as theatre house manager, light and sound, stage crew for road shows making appearances at school, and costuming. She took summer jobs at a children’s theatre camp and community theatre. Since school she does costuming, started her own alterations business, and even now has a crafts business. And most of all, she loves what she does with a passion. No one can tell me her college experience was a waste of time and money.
I love all these success stories that have popped up today (and I wish you’d known my dad when I told him I wanted to be a theater major ;o)!!
I have a BA in Drama & Theater, and an MFA in Acting. My husband has a BA in Theater & an MFA in Lighting design. My oldest son is a Music Performance major, and my younger son is heading for an EMF degree. So, we have heard many, many, well meaning people ask, “but what are you going to do”?
Well, my husband & I have both worked in our fields pretty much since we got our degrees. Yes, we often work more than one job (so do many other folks that I know), but we were never hungary or homeless. Many, many of our friends have Arts Degrees, and guess what, they are all doing ok. Among our friends and former students there are several film makers, film, television, and Broadway actors, directors, designers, musicians, electrical crew, stagehands, costumes and make-up crews, not to mention Broadway stage managers. Then there are those of us doing those same things in theaters & film all over the world. There are also lots of people who used their Theater degree as a stepping stone to something else – entrepreneurs, public relations, journalism, all sorts of jobs in business, restaurants (not just serving, but managing and owning!), education and educational outreach, several have gone on into the health care field, and social work. I have several theater friends who have gone on to become lawyers and a few ministers.
We pay rents and mortgages, own cars, pay our bills. We go on vacations, get married, have kids, and send them to college, just like lots of other people.
Hear, hear!! I LOVE this.
I love this post. I have a BA in Drama and a BA in English. My parents also wanted me to major in something practical and a double major was a “requirement,” although they really had no say whatsoever since they didn’t pay a dime for it. I also knew exactly what I intended to do with it, which was to teach high school drama. So now, in my 9th year teaching high school theatre, which degree am I using? Exactly. I knew there were no guarantees going in, but there are no guarantees in life. Better to plan for and go after a job I don’t mind getting out of bed for. I will happily encourage my own children to choose something they enjoy, but have a realistic expectation of what they may want to do at the end of that. I think the best thing graduating high school students can do as they pick majors is to leave open doors for themselves.
I love this post so much and I am so happy I stumbled upon it. I just graduated- fresh new graduate as of May 2014 with a degree in Theatre. My parents encouraged my so much to create my own path and not once did they pressure me to major in something more practical. I am blessed by them and the experience I had in college. I do however feel the pressure from the people who ask this recent grad… “What do you so with a theatre degree?” I freak out every time someone ask and I get scared I chose the wrong path. Post like this make me happy because I can do ANYTHING I want and I have met the best people and I really like the person I have become thanks to my degree. It is really unclear what I will be doing with myself in a few years and I do not have a job all lined up because I am a recent grad, but I am so happy and I am figuring out my journey. Thank you, thank you for sharing!
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Oh my gosh, Sierra, I LOVE your comment. I honestly don’t think I’ve ever read a comment that made me feel so happy I wrote something. Thank you so much! And good luck figuring out your path. I’m sure it’ll be brilliant, however you opt to use your degree!
Congrats! Enjoy your journey!
Interesting and informative! Thought you’d enjoy this satire article I found circulating on Facebook haha It seems in-line with what you have to say 🙂 It seems satirical, but I think it has a ton of truths.
http://placeholdernews.com/?p=13
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It is so great that you followed your dreams and studied something that was meaningful to you. Thank you so much for sharing you experiences! So awesome!
The woman who made the statement against theatre majors seems to me like a narrow minded person who is only against art majors because she feels as though she could have never succeeded in one of those fields herself…you don’t discourage children, you encourage them!
Hello! Thank you so so so much for writing this post!
I’m a senior in high school who is trying to pursue the Theatre Arts major for stage management and I’ve been getting so much trouble from my parents and even grandparents about choosing the wrong major. I found such a love for theatre that made my heart swell everytime i was on or off stage. I can say that I’m terrified of what’s to come once i get out of high school and enter college, but this post really helped me calm down and look forward to my future in the theatre business. And like you stated on your post, this major can also branch out to other careers besides theatre itself. I’ve shown this to my parents so they can be a bit more flexible with my choice in major, but I’ll definitely be doubling majors, maybe in the Spanish Language or somewhere around that field.
But once again, thank you for writing this post and making me feel more at ease with my choice 🙂