As the year begins to draw to a close, everyone is looking for placement into classes next year. When asked – – so many, in fact too many actors are claiming that they want to pursue the BFA Theatre route when they go to college. Difficult? Yes. Unlikely? Yes. Possible? It depends.Whenever a student mentions the BFA in theatre to me I go through a bit of an inventory with the student. The basis of the inventory is to see how much of the high school theatre experience they captured. To me it makes no sense to pursue a BFA in Theatre if, in high school, you did not take advantage of each and EVERYthing that remotely smelled of theatre. Did you audition for every show? Did you audition for the musical even though you cannot sing and cannot dance? Did you barge yourself into every crew call – – even if you were not formally assigned? Did you ask directors throughout the year if you could just sit in their rehearsal and observe? Do you know every community theatre in the city by name and thier season’s schedule? Would you rather read a play then watch TV? Do you ask for plays when it comes to holiday giving? In short, have you absorbed EVERY POSSIBLE THING HIGH SCHOOL THEATRE OFFERS? Have you drunk the well until it is dry? And STILL you are thirsty? Then, and only then am I willing to sit and have the BFA talk with you. You do your part and I’ll do mine.
2 comments on “Walking that Talking”
I totally get it.
That was a tough realization I had experienced one time.
I had just started a job and after only about two months, I inquired about opportunities to advance.
The manager basically laid it out for me that growth comes from having done a fantastic job and learning every possible thing about what you’re doing to the point where you can’t help BUT advance.
It’s a tough lesson to learn and it’s humbling – but the truth is…how can we handle something more challenging if we don’t master what we have in front of us?
I agree with this post because the world of theatre is a tough one to succeed in. You have to be determined and driven to succeed because otherwise you won’t survive. I might not offer the same advice for another profession but one as competitive as the theatre, or the arts in general, is only for those who are one hundred per cent dedicated. And yes, it’s true that those who succeed tend to be those who have lived and breathed theatre their whole lives. You can’t really dip in and out of the theatre world.