Theater in College

[CTY]

Posted: 1/6/05 at 1:31pm

Hey y'all,

I'm a new member here. I'm a 16 y/o HS junior, and with college coming fast - I find myself unsure of what to do.

I've always heard that it's so "stupid" to major in theater in college, and what a "waste" of 4 years it is, only good if you want to be a waiter...ya know, the usual stuff

but the more and more i've been thinking about it, the more i'm beginning to realize that i don't know if there's anything else i could find as much passion for as theater. i was thinking maybe political science to either go into a law career or into gov't., but the truth is, even though i became very political during the election and think it is important to be involved, the legal aspects of US gov't and constitution and everything really bores me. i also used to think i wanted to be a journalist, i mean, i like writing...but idk if i could take a lifetime of it.

to be perfectly honest, i just don't think i would be happy outside of theater. the more i check websites like this, the more i want to be a part of the broadway community. besides for an actual major in theater, are there other ways to get involved? i have heard of theater arts and all of that, but i'm not sure exactly what it entails.

any input would be great - thanks so much :)

[brdwaybaby17]

Posted: 1/6/05 at 1:41pm

My plan is to get a double major... probably in theater and english. So, if it comes down to it, I can be a teacher (blech). That is, if I have no other choice. I would suggest getting a double major... having a backup plan... doesn't mean you have to use it.

[pab]

Posted: 1/6/05 at 1:44pm

I have always said to students, don't go into theatre is it's something that you would LIKE to do. Go into it if it's something that you NEED to do. You should understand the difference.

[TonyBWay]

Posted: 1/6/05 at 1:58pm

There is a lot of things that are said about majoring in college. Here is my response:
#1. the people who down it either went to a terrible school
#2. haven't gone at all and are just speaking from their lacking knowledge.
#3. you don't have to major in theatre to be an actor. At the present moment there are plenty of working on Broadway and elsewhere who have never majored in theatre.
#4. if your a female, I hate to say it, but its a reality...you're a dime a dozen! It is so incredibly competitive for females no matter how good you are!
#5. even if you don't study in college, and still want to pursue it...you're going to spend the same amount of time, maybe even money in dance classes, voice lessons, acting studios; etc. you never stop taking classes! trust me!

That is the reality of it all, digest it, and hope it helps some! I know what its like being 16 and having to decide what to do next. I will close by saying this. If you want to do it, do it, don't let people talk you out of it! Sure there are plenty of out of work actors, but there are just as many "other" people out of work as well. Good Luck to you!

[pab]

Posted: 1/6/05 at 2:06pm

Another thing to remember is that Broadway, while great, is not the be all and end all of theatre. Some of the best theatre that I’ve seen has not been on Broadway. It's definitely the place to strive for but there is a lot of great theatre that doesn't take place between 41st and 54th streets.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 1/6/05 at 2:14pm

My two cents:

If it's theatre that you love, study theatre. You will never know if you "could have made it" unless you try.

If you end up with another career, a degree will help you, no matter what it is in. You will NEVER regret getting a college degree.

Talk to your parents, especially if you are counting on them for financial support. It may take the next tw years to get them to come around to the idea of paying for a degree in theatre.

[Marlothom]

Posted: 1/6/05 at 2:15pm

What colleges do you have in mind.
I would suggest looking into Cincinnati Cons. of Music or Carnegie Mellon or NYU ( Tisch ), a lot of their alumni end up working...and it is worth NOT getting the double major and truly focusing in the conservatory, BUT ONLY IF THEY HAVE A SHOWCASE AT THE END, that is key.

If you are going to double major, I would suggest doing the English thing. However, keep in mind that you won't be in a conservatory environment and you might feel like you're not getting enough theatre.

A third alternative is to go to a school in New York, and major in something else, and take classes and audition on the side.

Lastly, take a year off, come to the city and experience the life for yourself, wait tables, wake up early to be told they're not seeing non-eq, live in Queens or Bklyn, etc etc. and then realize if you want to do this forver.

Good luck, I realized early on my NYC experience that it wasn't for me.

[whimsical]

Posted: 1/6/05 at 3:11pm

Everyone is saying great things, but if you don't want to perform but still want to be heavily involved in the theatre community, check out Arts Management as a major. I have a friend that's just a junior and she's already done some great internships up in NYC that I would kill for. Anyway, I would do a little research on that!

[erinrebecca]

Posted: 1/6/05 at 3:20pm

Marlothom, actually you can get a double major and still be in a conservatory environment. I'm doing that at Tisch, and I'm not unique. Many drama majors double major at NYU.

CTY, if you'd like to get some in depth information about drama and musical theatre programs and admissions, have a look at this thread at college confidential. It's invaluable.

http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/forumdisplay.php?f=501

[thetheatregirlinside]

Posted: 1/6/05 at 5:58pm

I go to a small town collge. And I major in theatre. And yeah I have heard the same thing about it's stupid to major in theatre. But it definitly makes up your mind whether theatre is for you. Some people do it, and could care less about it. But I find that the more I have learned about theatre the more I NEED it. I can't seem to live without it. And going to college I have learned so much. And I get to try out all the aspects of theatre, not just acting. Hope this helps.