BFA Acting Chances?
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Anonymous
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My DD is only a sophomore so I’m thinking way ahead and honestly sort of idly curious. She loves theatre and dreams of going to college for acting. I’m very sure that she’ll move past this stage and will not be a BFA theatre major!
I do wonder, though, if anyone’s DC are going to college for such a “long shot (not to be dismissive or anything)”? I don’t need any info to discourage her from taking that path, but I’m wondering who actually majors in those fields? And where? Thanks! |
Anonymous
| My BFF got her BFA in theater. She acted for maybe 15 years and is now a very happy SAHM. She’s shy so I don’t get why she did it, but apparently she loved it. |
Anonymous
| trust funders |
Anonymous
I think the best advice would be to study acting but to also get a wide range of other theater, TV and film production (or marketing) skills. Earning a living by acting IS possible (I’ve met at least five people who’ve done it), but it’s hard and takes some luck. Earning a good living by doing makeup, set design, sound, etc. is much easier. The main obstacle is that someone trying to break in might need some help paying the bills for a year or two. But, on the flip side, people aiming for production or postproduction jobs don’t need to pay for grad school. If they can get good schools on their own, or in undergraduate school, that’s fine. If someone truly loves performing, for its own sake, not the idea of production jobs, another possibility might be to treat a majoring in theater as a pre-law major. |
Anonymous
| I also have a theater kid (not planning on majoring though) so definitely know quite a few kids who dream of continuing on in theater as a career path. To my knowledge most don't. I did have a funny conversation with a mom friend recently about her son though, he had gone to college planning some sort of social science degree and unbeknownst to her changed his major to musical theater and she kind of lost her mind. It wasn't a particularly strong program or anything just something his college offered. He is now at community college I believe training to be an electrician. |
Anonymous
| Currently in the college process for dc, who is applying for a BFA. Noticed that some schools, are adding a business component to the degree, to give the kids a more well rounded degree and make them more marketable. Something to look for. |
Anonymous
| One of my best and brightest and very successful former colleagues has a BFA in theater. |
Anonymous
| Of course people do this, they are very competitive programs, but there are also less competitive ones. Many people make money in the entertainment world and it's a fun and interesting degree. That said, it's not an easy path for sure. |
Anonymous
| Yale has a great theater program |
Anonymous
| I knew an HR exec that majored in theatre as an undergrad. After trying to make it for a few years, got her MBA from a top 20 school (in-state tuition), then into the business world. |
Anonymous
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I'd make sure she knows what life is like for an average theatre actor. My sister works in theatre (not acting) and she's always paycheck to paycheck. Despite working 80 hour weeks in NYC (often doing work outside her field to supplement her income), she is perpetually broke and worried about paying the next month's rent. She has managed to get consistent work and eek out a living and stay out of debt, but it's not easy. There are stable jobs, but not a ton. And even once you're somewhat stable, then it really is time to look for the next opportunity. It's not for someone who wants a 401(k) or a house or stability of any sort.
After a decade of mostly loving it and sometimes hating it, she's going to Yale for an MFA with the hope of getting an academic gig eventually. She was pretty satisfied with her life until she turned 26 and had to drop off her parent's health insurance. Even if you're getting good work that you like, it's less fun to be in your 30s with no financial stability and no health insurance when your friends are settling down and starting families. Of course, the other option is to sell out and get a non-theatre job. Many of her friends have done this, but she really likes her profession. |
Anonymous
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1) She needs to define what being a successful actor means. It is ABSOLUTELY possible to have a robust acting career (esp in DC!) while working a 9-5. Constantly acting, good reviews, supporting yourself acting, and winning a Tony are all very different and equally valid metrics of success.
2) For acting it’s better to be a big fish in a small pond than a small fish in a big pond. Focus on the double major undergrad - theater + other - then MFA acting grad school. Way better networking, especially if there’s a year of wor in between and she picks the market she wants to live/work in and applies to grad accordingly. |
Anonymous
this, you need a nice, fat cushion to make that career work. signed someone who didn't have one but worked 5 years in that industry. |
Anonymous
You. Are. An. Idiot. rehearsals are daytime, filming is daytime. Jesus, get off the godamn thread lady. |
Anonymous
A lot of this, yes. |