<p>I think that the majority of the people on this thread, both parents and kids, are hoping to be successful, not as worried about being a “star.” I think that is the true definition of our theatre kids, they just want to act/sing/dance/create/write/direct…etc.</p>
<p>Yes that is my hope for my D…I love all of your input. I am going to be using these suggestions for sure!</p>
<p>My D is going into her senior year of her BFA program, she doesn’t really have a plan B. She has a theatre related job that she loves, and she’s looking into voice over work. I know she’s worried about making ends meet after graduation, but I think things will work out fine. </p>
<p>We got really sick of all of the dumb questions when she was a senior in high school. People would always ask “so how long has she had the acting bug?” like it was a disease or something. My husband came up with the best reply: “All her life. How long has your kid had the science/business/law/etc. bug?”</p>
<p>wow, what great posts. glad I have a place to come to when we or I should say I get discouraged on the acting dream. I’ve always supported at least giving plan A a shot and see what happens and it’s wonderful to find so many parents on the same age. Regarding Plan B, mine is thinking of getting some broadcasting experience and possibly majoring in broadcast journalism and minoring in theatre. if they decide to major in theatre rather than broadcasting, they will probably take classes or find work(even if it;'s volunteer) in learning how to work behind the scene in either film or television. I also think, as other parents have noted, all our kids will leave school with a strong educational background and they will all be great at public speaking, they will know how to read people, and they will leave school with the ability to think ,speak, read, wrie, and present themselves well. Those skills will lend themselves to success in a number of fields. Even if takes my kid longer to find a plan B job, he’ll find one eventually and excel at whatever he sets his mind too. He’ll cross the bridge of what kind of work he wants to do while looking for acting work as he gets closer to graduating college. I agree temp work is a viable option and I"m hoping his abilities in operating film and TV equipment may help him get his foot in the door in studios or TV stations. It certainly can’t hurt. We sure want plan A to work but I am glad he is grounded to know it’s a hard field and being versatile is important.</p>
<p>I know a number of people with degrees in the performing arts who have gone on to do other things. I don’t think it was really a Plan A/Plan B type situation. More of a gradual shift over time as their interests and priorities changed.</p>
<p>For example, my brother has a degree in tech theater. For his senior project he redesigned the sound system at his college theater. He spent lots of hours doing the physical work of wiring everything. This lead to a part time job wiring the phone system in the dorms, which lead to a full time job with a company that makes high tech networking hardware, he writes and delivers trainings for them and loves what he does. </p>
<p>The principal at my school has a degree in vocal performance. In college she loved to perform, but found that she also loved coaching and teaching young musicians at her summer job. She ended up decided that teaching was her calling, now she’s principal. </p>
<p>For both of them it wasn’t that they tried the arts, failed and did something else, they tried the arts, loved them, and through them discovered other things they loved as well, which lead to rewarding careers.</p>
<p>I mostly lurk here because my kid is a rising high school freshman, and obviously has plenty of time to change his mind before college, but regardless of how long he sticks with theater (tech, in his case) I think that the skills he learns, and the knowledge he gains about himself will put him in good stead to find a career he loves, rather than settling for something because it’s “safe”.</p>
<p>^Well said, CuriousJane!</p>
<p>My D, a senior MT/History major who is finding herself headed away from performance, just posted this on her facebook. I think it applies as much to actors and musicians, as well as dancers.</p>
<p>[Am</a> I A Dancer Who Gave Up? | Shawn Renee Lent](<a href=“http://shawnlent.com/?p=1478]Am”>Am I A Dancer Who Gave Up? - Shawn Lent)</p>
<p>megpmom, thanks for sharing that blog post. Wow. Exactly. </p>
<p>I often feel that artistic individuals need to trust the moment they are living in. Do it to the fullest. In this way, worrying about the future is anathema to living in the creative, vivid now.</p>
<p>Yet, deciding on further education, BA vs BFA, where? how much? means trying to look farther down the road. OK, so be it. Yet, our young artists will certainly grow and expand over the next few years. They should feel encouraged to stretch in any direction that seems right, even and especially if they find other interests and passions that show them a new path for their future.</p>
<p>Beautiful piece. Thanks megpmom!</p>
<p>Wow, thank you for posting that. Best wishes to your D - I am completely confident she knows how to have a fulfilling, “successful” life. What else can you ask for?</p>
<p>Look what I found 
[College</a> grads in theater and arts landing jobs ahead of tech grads](<a href=“http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/personalfinance/2013/07/30/tech-job-unemployment/2595669/]College”>Arts majors jump ahead of tech grads in landing jobs)</p>
<p>My situation is a little more complex. Being an international student, I can only stay in the U.S. for a year after graduation (that is, if I get a theater-related job). So I pretty much have to “make it” in a year, so I can apply for a work visa/green card. Considering that is impossible, my “Plan B” (or my survival option) would be either come back to my home country and teach theater or, if possible, stay in the U.S. and teach Portuguese to Americans. I would never consider teaching as a real option if I was thinking on giving up theater, but I will pretty much do anything that enables me to have a flexible schedule so I can audition as much as I can.</p>
<p>I can’t see myself having a job that is not related to the arts.</p>
<p>First off, Bravo to madbean. And I’m with Will Smith on the Plan B thing …
Amen. Follow your bliss and you’ll end up in a good place whether it’s where you set out for or not.
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<p>I am going to have my D read these replies so she has some good comebacks when asked what her Plan B is (because she is asked all the time). She is having to constantly defend her choices and is getting frustrated. She is following her bliss for sure and it"s a pleasure to watch.</p>
<p>At the BU Acceptance weekend, a dad asked the head of the SOT if they were supportive of his kid double majoring in “something more economically sound” (or something like that). The SOT director got a little bristled at that and asked why he felt that way. Why would the kid have to split his efforts? I’m sure even the SOT director is tired of defending theatre! LOL!</p>
<p>I still question the people here on cc who are splitting their efforts this way. There have already been two of these so far today . . .</p>
<p>I have to comment on megpmom’s link. BEAUTIFUL!! A co-worker asked me if D had a plan B. I said that I don’t advocate or believe in the plan B. She will follow her dream, her plan A, with all that she has. If that doesn’t quite work exactly as she envisioned, she’ll just get another plan A. Co-worker’s response? Crickets! LOL</p>
<p>While D’s “Plan A” is to be on stage as an actress and/or dancer (also sings), she has prepared herself for many, many aspects of the theatre business - technical theatre, costuming, stage managing, etc. She is even taking courses in advanced combat to become a certified stage captain and is beginning some work in aerial dance. Her ultimate goal is to run/own a theatre company. While her first passion is acting, she has never lost sight of the practical side of earning a living. She already pays her own expenses while still in school, working one PT job off-Broadway (technical side) and one other PT that has varied from retail to working at a gym. I’m not concerned at this point about a “Plan B.”</p>
<p>Here’s an amusing and insightful blog post on the subject of ambition and expectations:</p>
<p>[wait</a> but why: Why Generation Y Yuppies Are Unhappy](<a href=“http://www.waitbutwhy.com/2013/09/why-generation-y-yuppies-are-unhappy.html]wait”>http://www.waitbutwhy.com/2013/09/why-generation-y-yuppies-are-unhappy.html)</p>
<p>I love the ending of this piece:
</p>
<p>I couldn’t be more proud of my two performing arts kids (my son is a music major in his freshman year; my daughter headed for a theater degree). I don’t feel any need to justify their choices or my support for them…</p>
<p>But when one gets into those discussions, it’s always nice to be able to pull these kinds of points out of one’s back pocket:</p>
<p>[9</a> Ways a Theatre Degree Trumps a Business Degree | Change Agent](<a href=“http://changeagent.■■■■■■■■■■■■■/2013/09/13/9-ways-a-theatre-degree-trumps-a-business-degree/]9”>9 Ways a Theatre Degree Trumps a Business Degree | Change Agent)</p>