<p>Howdy, everyone! So I graduated with a BA in history in 2011 and have since been working in the communications and public relations field. While I have certainly learned so much in that time, I have pretty much been looking to figure out what I want to do in life since then. I will never regret majoring in history, but my love for theatre has never waned. If anything, it's intensified over the years.</p>
<p>I participated in theatre competitions throughout high school and won several individual and ensemble awards. While in college, I just participated in some minor productions here and there. I'm talking Vagina Monologues minor, but that's pretty much all I had access to at my university.</p>
<p>After two years, I've realized that nothing compares to that thrill I get when I'm preparing for an audition, to that wonderfully sweet feeling of being at home when I'm on a stage, but most importantly, to knowing that as an actor I have the unique opportunity to be anything or anyone I want to be. It's nothing short of a magical experience that I just have not been able to feel elsewhere, especially not as a Communications & Public Relations Coordinator (quite the opposite, actually).</p>
<p>So what I'm really looking for here is some guidance. Is it crazy for me to pursue a BFA or MFA? Will it be worth it? I'm 25 so I figure I'm probably too old for this sort of thing, but I just can't give up on it so easily. I belong on a stage. I know it in my heart. Any advice would be tremendously appreciated. Thank y'all so much for your time.</p>
<p>It’s really inspiring to see that you have not given up on your dreams. Thank you for sharing this story.</p>
<p>I wonder if you are financially stable enough to skip the college degree route and instead just go for the gold by moving to a large theatre city and using your career in Public Relations as a stable day job to support acting classes at a studio and auditioning. If you feel you have waited long enough to pursue your love of theatre, I say stop waiting and just go for it! If you search “studios” here, comments on several reputable ones should pop up, and you can investigate the cost and logistics of taking classes there.</p>
<p>You are not at all too old for a BFA or an MFA, if either one is a path that appeals for you and would be workable. Especially for MFAs, it is very common for students to be older.</p>
<p>However, Acting MFAs are very selective and challenging to be admitted to. Many of the people auditioning for them have several years of acting experience on top of something like a BA in theatre.</p>
<p>If by any chance you are interested in auditioning for a BFA program, spend some time reading older posts in this forum. There is a world of advice available here.</p>
<p>Thank you, Aspiring6776. I think that sounds like a great idea. I’d love nothing more than to move to a large theatre city. I cant say I can move right away, but I’m sure I can move in five months or so. It really feels like I’m wasting time. I honestly hadn’t even considered that route! I’m definitely going to look into it.</p>
<p>NJTheatreMOM, I really appreciate your input. Maybe I can take Aspiring’s suggestion of moving to a big theatre city and work on my skills before applying to any kind of program.</p>
<p>I can’t thank y’all enough for your help. At least I know I’m not completely crazy. I just feel I’m missing out on something I need to be a part of. I’m going to spend some time looking over past posts in this forum to find some more direction. Thanks again!</p>
<p>Valleli I have a family friend who decided after being a psych nurse for 25 years to leave the profession and pursue her real dream of acting. She started (with no experience) in her local community theaters and then moved to LA. She has since won two Emmy’s and has had a very successful career in the arts. It’s only too late if you never try…her education came from taking every role offered no matter how small or insignificant. She never stopped working on her craft. Even though this is a college forum…sometimes a formal education in theater isn’t needed. You have so many options open to you. The possibilities are endless… JMHO</p>
<p>Wow, bisouu! That’s wonderful! That definitely gives me hope. One of my biggest fears about pursuing this is that natural talent may not count for much, but I can see that it weighs much more than I thought. Thank you so much for sharing.</p>
<p>If you have a bachelor’s degree already, I don’t think you can get a BFA, ie., I don’t think colleges accept students who already have an undergraduate degree. I might be wrong, though.</p>
<p>SDonCC, I believe it depends on the university. I’m sue it would be tough to find too many BFA programswilling to accept non-traditional students like me. It would definitely be a tough hurdle.</p>
<p>Thank you so much, Marbleheader! I think I’m starting to cook up a great plan with all of these great responses and the information I’ve found no various threads in this forum.</p>
<p>According to information I have seen in posts here, many BFA programs are happy to take non-traditional students. Your hurdle would be your audition, rather than your age. Your age might even give you a slight advantage.</p>
<p>My D’s BFA accepted a student in his 40s as a junior - I have no idea what he did as prerequisites, or if he had another degree, but it can happen.</p>
<p>There is a significant amount of time spent at many BFAs on non-theatre classes and gen eds. I’m thinking a training program that isn’t degree-oriented might give you pretty much all of the classes you would need at this point. </p>
<p>An MFA is a whole other subject. I would read threads on it and see if it appeals to you.</p>
<p>As SDonCC suggests, I would also suggest going to a respected stand alone conservatory instead of a full four-year college. There are many great one or two year conservatory programs that will give you what you want. Circle in the Square and Stella Adler are two that come to mind.</p>
<p>I do know of somebody who got a BA as a theater major at an excellent liberal arts college and is now working on a BFA in acting at Juilliard. I’m pretty sure she started at Juilliard within 2-3 years after graduating with her BA. You’ll have to do a lot of research, not to mention preparation, but it’s possible! Good luck, and please keep everyone informed here, as your situation is unusual–and interesting!</p>
<p>I’m seriously considering the idea of an acting conservatory instead. Thank you all.</p>
<p>A little backstory: I was the first person in my immediate family to get a college degree. My mom has always reminded us that education is of utmost importance. </p>
<p>Because my parents have worked in factories and mobile drilling rigs for the better part of their lives, they want my siblings and I to be competitive in the job market.</p>
<p>For my mom, a stable job with benefits is just perfect for someone my age. I guess that’s probably why the idea of a conservatory had not really occurred to me. It’s always been college, college, college for me. I can’t remember a time in my life when I didn’t plan on attending a university. </p>
<p>This’ll be tougher on my mom than anyone else because I’ll be leaving a steady job, but it’s got to be done. </p>
<p>Thank you all for your suggestions. I love what I’m reading on here.</p>