Oh sister, I have such Doubts!

College Majors Theater/Drama Majors
1

<p>Ok, so I saw "Doubt" a few days ago and the Oscars just wrapped up, so I'm still kind of dealing with movie aftershock, but I do have legitimate doubts.</p>

<p>So I've been wanting to study International Affairs for years now, I've traveled, done Model UN, all of that stuff, so I'm fairly interested in it. I applied early to Georgetown, my dream school, and I was lucky enough to get accepted, and I was pretty psyched.</p>

<p>Thing is, Drama has also played a sizable role in my life. I've been doing theatre ever since I was 4, I got the lead in my school's fall musical, and have won a few state forensics awards, and have done a few outside performaces . I enjoy acting sooooo much, I'm probably not Humphrey Bogart, but I've been told by quite a few people that I have a talent for it. So lately, I have been experiencing very large doubts over whether IR should be my true path. It kills me also that my grades and scores could've gotten me into somewhere like NYU Tisch.</p>

<p>I do enjoy Politics and IR, and to tell you the truth, I would probably enjoy going into that field, but I definitely enjoy acting a lot more, I only don't know whether I would be able to make a satisfying career out of it. </p>

<p>The key word is satisfied; I have no idea if my acting talents or my capacity for learning and improvement would get me very far. I understand that very few Drama majors end up actually making it to a full movie career (not necessarily stardom, but a good career). Furthermore, I haven't the slightest clue whether I, as a person, would feel fulfilled with the less-than-thrilling gigs that most actors spend years and often lifetimes doing. </p>

<p>So my question is, how did you decide Drama was your thing? Does anyone else have a sizable side-interest that nags them? How do you think I should go about finding out whether I truly want to act for a living?</p>

<p>Thanks, and sorry for the novel I wrote!</p>

2

<p>Hi Simpson98, I can only speak of a mom of a son with a raging fire in the belly for acting. My understanding is that a person should only pursue acting seriously, as a potential career, if he or she cannot possibly imagine doing anything else. What is required is loving it like crazy even if you have less-than-thrilling gigs and even if you can’t make a decent living at it.</p>

<p>Hopefully while you are at Georgetown (congratulations!) you will have opportunities to participate in dramatic productions, and even acquire some training, so that acting can continue be an enjoyable activity in your life, now and in the future…</p>

3

<p>Simpson98: Having visited Georgetown U with my own son 2 years ago, I know Georgetown now offers a comprehensive Theater major housed within a Department that has beautiful new facilities. The Theater major focuses on classical theater training and works in collaboration with regional theater companies in the DC area. You should check it out and consider yourself very lucky indeed to have inadvertently chosen a top-notch university that can feed both of your passions. Best of luck to you!</p>

4

<p>Here is the link to the Theater and Performance Studies program at Georgetown University: [Theater</a> and Performance Studies Program - Department of Performing Arts - Georgetown College](<a href=“http://performingarts.georgetown.edu/theater/]Theater”>Archive: Theater News | Department of Performing Arts | Georgetown University)</p>

<p>The Royden B. Davis SJ Perf’g Arts Center was newly-opened when we visited. It is an amazing facility.</p>

<p>I hope this information helps, and that you now feel better knowing you will have access to this great Theater & Performance Studies program while at Georgetown University. </p>

<p>Congratulations again on your acceptance!</p>

5

<p>Simpson - While this isn’t a complete picture, how would you answer these questions. How would you feel going to audition after audition being told you are too tall, too short, too fat, too thin, your nose is too crooked or your eyes are too close together or in the least offensive way just getting your hopes up time after time and then a polite “sorry…you aren’t what we are looking for”? How about living a life where statistically 90% of the field is unemployed and in order to be free during the days for auditions and cattle calls you have to figure out some profession where you can support yourself that has either night work or very flexible hours and probably isn’t the most lucrative and your lifestyle not the most comfortable? I think people that LOVE (all caps) theatre that much and have that much devotion and are willing to make that much sacrifice should go into it. </p>

<p>It sounds like at Georgetown you can have opportunities to continue to go out for productions and performances.</p>

6

<p>Simpson98, one path that some people take is getting a BA with a major in something other than acting, and then pursuing a Masters in Fine Arts in acting. This is actually a highly recommended path, because it produces a better educated and more mature and well rounded thespian. Some of the very best (and most successful) American actors have gone that route. Yale University is one of the schools that has a superb MFA in acting program.</p>

<p>However, there is the expense to consider, and also the fact that admission to MFA acting programs is even more competitive than admission to high level BFA programs. As you probably know, the majority of the high school seniors who audition successfully and are subsequently admitted to places like NYU/Tisch’s acting program and other top <em>undergrad</em> acting programs have attended performing arts high schools and/or rigorous summer programs…or, at the very least, they have had years of teens’ and children’s acting classes, have done work with excellent private acting coaches, etc, etc. Some have even done professional work. (I’m sure there are exceptions to this, but probably not a great many. It was not until I starting reading the posts in this forum, and saw the caliber of students at my son’s college auditions, that I became aware of the fierce dedication and high level of preparation that is typical of applicants to these schools.)</p>

<p>Best of luck to you. In a way, the kids who absolutely know what they want are the fortunate ones…even if they have a hard row to hoe. You are in a more difficult position. However, when you get to Georgetown and start classes and quite possibly meet other students who are struggling with the very same questions you are, I think things will start to come clear fairly quickly.</p>

7

<p>Hey Simpson,</p>

<p>While it’s probably far more important to look deep into your self and find what you really feel you need to do with your life, I am more than happy to give you my input. Just to give you an idea of who I am, I have been acting since I was young and I have participated in many professional theater productions, taken classes, etc. I was accepted to Tisch for Drama, but the hardest part for me was actually making the decision to really go into drama and pursue a career. Like you, I have a great many other passions that occupy my time, but theater is the greatest of all those. However, when it came down to it and I had to make a decision about what I wanted to do with my life, the only thing I could see myself doing is theater. So I’m going all out for that. However, I don’t plan on giving up on my other interests and passions.</p>

<p>I am of the opinion that the arts and, especially, the theater are comprehensive and can include a variety of different passions. Keep in mind that art has the power to change people’s lives and can bring about awareness that is much needed. If I were in your situation I would be creative and combine both passions for International Relations and Theater. In our modern time, the peoples of the world need to come together more so than ever before, and the arts are the means to that end. Combining your two great passions would open up many exciting opportunities that will come to be available in the coming years. No matter what you choose to do, best of luck to you.</p>

8

<p>BrownEyes – thanks for the info about Georgetown’s program. A few of questions: Does it require an audition for admission? Is it a BA program? What are the performance opportunities for students? Can Freshman audition for productions? What other schools did your son consider? What were your/his impressions of these schools. My son is a HS Junior and we are in the “discovery” phase (i.e. doing research and visiting schools and their theatre departments and productions). Thanks.</p>