4 answers
Echo
Student
Lafayette, California
1
Question
Asked
905 views
Should I do theater or something more stable?
I am a Freshmen and I am starting to think about what I want to major in. I love to do musical theater and want to major in it, but I know that it is very competitive, so I am worried that I am not talented enough. Also, it's not the most stable career path, so should I do something more profitable and secure instead? #theater #musicaltheater #theatre #preformingarts #career-paths
4 answers
Brian Weissman
Test Data and QA
27
Answers
Clermont, Florida
Updated
Brian’s Answer
Echo,
This is the age old question and one I discussed with my own son not that long ago. He was torturing himself because he was afraid he would make the wrong decision. Should he study space science or be a musical theater major? What if he chose wrong? What if he wasn't happy with his choice. Let me tell you what I told him. You CAN'T choose wrong. There is no one right path through life for anyone. So, choose what feels right to you, but do it with all the information you need and be aware of what tradeoffs you are making. That's a lot of concepts in a small space, so I'll expand. :)
First, many people did not accomplish what they were remembered for until much later in their lives and only after changing careers. Brian May, guitarist of Queen is also a renowned rocket scientist. Harrison Ford was a carpenter for 15 years and was building sound stages for George Lucas before his big break. John Grisham was a lawyer. Julia child wasn't a well-known chef until after 50. You get the idea. So, get this notion out of your head that whatever you pick now is your life forever.
Now that we have that out of the way, we need to talk about tradeoffs. The big one is opportunity cost. You are at a stage in your life where anything is possible and the most means of assistance are open to ease you on your way. So if you choose A over B now and decide to change later, you can still do it, it will just be a little harder. To honestly assess the opportunity cost, you need to know what the other options are. You are just talking about "something more marketable". This tells me you don't have anything and are just giving in to fear and doubt voices. Maybe they are internal and maybe they are external. See if you can compile a list of other majors that you are actually excited about and what the end goals should be. What careers could you end up in? Will they make you happy? If the answer is no, then the cost is not worth the tradeoff. If you fail at acting, you can always go back to something "safe" or minor in Business or Communications to give yourself a safety net.
The next one is about money and lifestyle. Look at best and worst cases for being a professional artist. Could you live with not making it big, but being on the regional circuit? Being a drama teacher? Going into technical theater? Washing out completely and using the skills you've learned to do something like sales or marketing and making theater your hobby? They are all possible end states. If you can be happy at the lower ends of the professional actor financial spectrum, then it is still a viable path for you. If you are okay living in one of the less traveled areas, like being part of the house company for a big theater in Atlanta, you can still make a living. If you need the glam and glitz of Hollywood or Broadway to be happy, though, then you may want to reconsider.
The other big one is support. Do you have scholarships or financial backing right now for only one of the paths. Will you lose that backing if you come back to it later. In my son's case, he had hefty tech scholarships and would have had to take a gap year to pick a different school for the arts. He would have needed to apply for different scholarships and would have lost the ones he had. That cost was too high for him, so he majored in science and minored in music.
Once you've decided, believe in yourself and go after what you know in your heart will make you happy. Read books like "You are a Badass" to motivate yourself. Have faith in yourself and shed negative influences. Look for opportunities to network in your chose field, but also any opportunity to acquire new skills that will allow you to grow. And just prepare yourself mentally for a long road. Most people don't succeed overnight, but people who have a clear definition and vision of success and who persevere do eventually succeed.
Let me know if you have any questions!
Brian
Make an opportunity cost list for each path
Look at the possible careers and financial outcomes of each path
Analyze what support you would have/lose if you went down each path
Believe!
This is the age old question and one I discussed with my own son not that long ago. He was torturing himself because he was afraid he would make the wrong decision. Should he study space science or be a musical theater major? What if he chose wrong? What if he wasn't happy with his choice. Let me tell you what I told him. You CAN'T choose wrong. There is no one right path through life for anyone. So, choose what feels right to you, but do it with all the information you need and be aware of what tradeoffs you are making. That's a lot of concepts in a small space, so I'll expand. :)
First, many people did not accomplish what they were remembered for until much later in their lives and only after changing careers. Brian May, guitarist of Queen is also a renowned rocket scientist. Harrison Ford was a carpenter for 15 years and was building sound stages for George Lucas before his big break. John Grisham was a lawyer. Julia child wasn't a well-known chef until after 50. You get the idea. So, get this notion out of your head that whatever you pick now is your life forever.
Now that we have that out of the way, we need to talk about tradeoffs. The big one is opportunity cost. You are at a stage in your life where anything is possible and the most means of assistance are open to ease you on your way. So if you choose A over B now and decide to change later, you can still do it, it will just be a little harder. To honestly assess the opportunity cost, you need to know what the other options are. You are just talking about "something more marketable". This tells me you don't have anything and are just giving in to fear and doubt voices. Maybe they are internal and maybe they are external. See if you can compile a list of other majors that you are actually excited about and what the end goals should be. What careers could you end up in? Will they make you happy? If the answer is no, then the cost is not worth the tradeoff. If you fail at acting, you can always go back to something "safe" or minor in Business or Communications to give yourself a safety net.
The next one is about money and lifestyle. Look at best and worst cases for being a professional artist. Could you live with not making it big, but being on the regional circuit? Being a drama teacher? Going into technical theater? Washing out completely and using the skills you've learned to do something like sales or marketing and making theater your hobby? They are all possible end states. If you can be happy at the lower ends of the professional actor financial spectrum, then it is still a viable path for you. If you are okay living in one of the less traveled areas, like being part of the house company for a big theater in Atlanta, you can still make a living. If you need the glam and glitz of Hollywood or Broadway to be happy, though, then you may want to reconsider.
The other big one is support. Do you have scholarships or financial backing right now for only one of the paths. Will you lose that backing if you come back to it later. In my son's case, he had hefty tech scholarships and would have had to take a gap year to pick a different school for the arts. He would have needed to apply for different scholarships and would have lost the ones he had. That cost was too high for him, so he majored in science and minored in music.
Once you've decided, believe in yourself and go after what you know in your heart will make you happy. Read books like "You are a Badass" to motivate yourself. Have faith in yourself and shed negative influences. Look for opportunities to network in your chose field, but also any opportunity to acquire new skills that will allow you to grow. And just prepare yourself mentally for a long road. Most people don't succeed overnight, but people who have a clear definition and vision of success and who persevere do eventually succeed.
Let me know if you have any questions!
Brian
Brian recommends the following next steps:
Atul Bhankharia
Sales
456
Answers
Mount Laurel, New Jersey
Updated
Atul’s Answer
There are many who have tried out the profession of theaters and have not made it.
It is like people aiming for a professional athlete job in NBA, NFL, and others where many have done well in College but hardly make it in these leagues.
I suggest keep Theater as your passion, but get a 4-year degree in business such as Marketing, if you have people skills, you will do well. This is not the only path you can take but it is one of them.
Know your strengths, is it writing (are you good in English), is it Math (try engineering), or any other subject that you are passionate about.
I tell my children "if you enjoy what you do, you will never ever work in your life".
Find your passion and go for it. But remember, find something that you can put food on the table. You do not want to rely on your parents in their golden years.
All the best.
It is like people aiming for a professional athlete job in NBA, NFL, and others where many have done well in College but hardly make it in these leagues.
I suggest keep Theater as your passion, but get a 4-year degree in business such as Marketing, if you have people skills, you will do well. This is not the only path you can take but it is one of them.
Know your strengths, is it writing (are you good in English), is it Math (try engineering), or any other subject that you are passionate about.
I tell my children "if you enjoy what you do, you will never ever work in your life".
Find your passion and go for it. But remember, find something that you can put food on the table. You do not want to rely on your parents in their golden years.
All the best.
Jon Wakeham
Contact Center Technology Services
4
Answers
Irving, Texas
Updated
Jon’s Answer
If you are thinking your four year degree will be all you go for, then yes I agree with Atul. Find something that is more marketable. However I know lots of theater majors who went into Grand Administration, Law, or went for their MBA. So think about what is realistic within the industry and what you want.
Daniel Aguilar
Solutions Specialist
1
Answer
Las Cruces, New Mexico
Updated
Daniel’s Answer
The theater industry is an incredibly hard industry to break into. There are many routes to break into it, but in order to work in the large scale events you need at least 10 years of experience and a proven track record. The pathway that I took is as follows, BA in theater, professional work in theater events and productions(non-union), Lighting designer for a small theater, more profession al work (union); started but did not finish MFA in theater; left industry; found work with a great company ( Verizon) where I work presently; MBA with a concentration in finance. I was a lighting designer for theater and opera and was fortunate to work on a few large stages with companies that had multimillion dollar budgets. I still design on the side and work on a production on my spare time from time to time. I would recommend finding a niche where you can continue to practice your craft. If your interested in musical theater, perhaps studying music education and then pursuing a masters in education is a route that can provide more stability and offer practical applications of the medium. Stem fields and particularly CS and math degree holders are being sought after and a growing need in healthcare is still prevalent. I have a friend who was an actor and then decided to go to law school and is now an entertainment lawyer. What I always recommend to anyone is to explore all your options and talk to as many people in that industry that you are pursuing because everyone has had different pathways they have taken to get where they got.
Delete Comment
Flag Comment