<p>I have been doing a lot of thinking lately. I started out in a BFA program at a small school but had to transfer back to a community college due to financial reasons. Now I am almost done with the community college and deciding where to go. And I still find myself debating whether or not to go for the BFA degree or not...or whether to even go to school for theater or not. What happens if things do not work out the way I would love them to?</p>
<p>Anyway I wanted to know if anyone could share some stories, good or bad, about their experiences after school if they were not lucky enough to be one of the few who were able to make a living off of this crazy profession. How did BFA (or even BAs in theater) serve them? Were they able to get decent jobs and make a good living? What kinds of fields did they find jobs in? I know there is a drama major thread around here regarding what kind of skills those with a BFA possess, but do employers realize we do not spend all day "just acting?" I am really confused right now and I want to know what happened to those who ended up in other fields. Thanks!</p>
<p>krazi - I think the majority of us posting here, either are about to embark on the college audition journey or still have kids in BFA & BA programs. Only a handful of parents, that I am aware of anyway, have actually kids who have already graduated. Those kids are actively pounding the pavement, working the audition circuit, or have been cast in shows.</p>
<p>This may explain why your question is not getting a lot of action. I do know that my D, who will be a sophomore in the fall, is simply very passionate about pursuing this path. At the same time she realizes that she will eventually need to be able to pay the bills, and so she would consider finding a flexible enough job in a different field, that would allow her to continue to do what she loves to do. What that “flexible job” actually is, may differ from person to person, depending on an individual’s particular gifts or interests. Some people may enjoy teaching (dance, acting, voice), others will wait tables, and others may come up with something different altogether :D.</p>
<p>krazi – I think if you have doubts, theater is probably not the right major for you. It is a very difficult profession, and there are no employment guarantees for anyone – even for those incredibly talented performers who have Broadway credits on their resume. You should pursue theater only if you really cannot imagine doing anything else with your life.</p>
<p>As far as what happens to those who end up in other fields – many end up as teachers, because that profession can allow you to participate in theater on a more secure level. However, I know others who have become lawyers, doctors, advertising executives, designers, artists, writers – a degree in acting certainly won’t prevent you from pursuing other professions.</p>
<p>krazi- One of my husband’s colleagues was a soap star for many years. He made good money and it was fun. But he never was huge so that the money was crazy big. After a time,he decided it was time to do something else with his life. But when he went to go apply for an MBA, he found that his BFA didn’t do him much good. He ended up almost having to start his entire undergrad studies all over again. He did. He got it done. And then he got his MBA and now is an exec making good money in a successful second career. But his advice was very helpful to us when my D was making the choice between BA and BFA.</p>
<p>Its not that we don’t think she will be successful. But should she decide to go back to school for something different (J.D. or MFA or whatever) it seemed in the end that a BA was a better bet… more classes outside her major, more well rounded. </p>
<p>If you are on the fence, perhaps you should consider this. Studying theatre/MT/Acting is not a bad thing. There are a litany of careers where this skill set comes in handy – Lawyer, writer, teacher, corporate executive, broadcaster, fund raiser, to name a few – all jobs where public speaking and communication are essential. Just make sure that the underlying degree can be transferable/useable.</p>
<p>I never heard that a BFA hurts your chances of getting into any school for your MFA! I know plenty of BFA actors that got into MFA programs so please explain what you are talking about?</p>
<p>The poster said MBA not MFA. Perhaps the curriculum they took in the BFA undergrad major was too focused for that and did not have transferrable credits for an MBA major so they had to start over again with the prerequistes for that major. I am not sure, but I think that is what the poster is saying.</p>
<p>I have posted this before but I can tell you that my husband has had in his courtroom as DAs several BFA students who later went on to law school. One had a BFA in theatre from Michigan, another had a BFA from UArts, and another had a BFA in dance from I don’t remember where.</p>
<p>Yes. It was an MBA. He is now an executive for a company. A very different career than his acting career. He was a BFA in a very conservatory oriented program with little things like math (some programs have no math) so when it came time for him to go for the MBA (masters of business administration) he just didn’t have everything he needed. </p>
<p>Obviously a BFA is a great prereq for an MFA. </p>
<p>and as for juris doctorate, I would imagine a BFA would be a fine prereq. I have a JD and I don’t recall there being any rules about that. Just the LSAT.</p>
<p>A UMich MT grad from 2004 just received his MBA from Stanford (a top MBA program). He danced on Broadway for a year but left for many reasons, including an injury. Because he had a lot of strong coursework at UMich, he applied to top MBA schools and was accepted at more than one; I don’t think he had to do any prerequisite course work first (but I believe he take have to take the GRE’s, so he likely studied for those and achieved a great score).</p>
<p>Many MBA programs have changed through the years and few have specific undergrad course requirements now. What’s important is that the applicant has a degree with a good gpa, and usually some work experience, excellent letters of recommendation, and a high score on the GMAT (which is the one most top programs require, not the GRE).</p>
<p>The process/requirement is the same for law school, except with the LSAT. The undergrad degree specific program isn’t that important, as long as you have the other components in a strong application. What IS important, though, is that the number of BFA students who go on to do either an MBA or a JD is miniscule, in the big picture of the thousands and thousands of BFA grads out there.</p>
<p>Why do you think that it’s a logical job move, chrissyblu? My H has been a lawyer for 30+ years and we know hundreds of lawyers, and I don’t think I’ve ever met one who had an undergrad theatre degree, either BA or BFA. One of my Ds just finished 1L and none in her class had that background. She was curious because she has a sister who is a professional actor. We also know a lot of actors and our family, back to the days of my grandparents, has been closely involved with the professional theatre community, and I can think of only a couple who have gone on to law school, but neither of those had an undergrad in theatre. One was an English major and one in Political Science.</p>
<p>I’m sure it could be, and has been, done, but it isn’t common.</p>
<p>My guess is that the person who suggested that people with BFAs in acting would logically go on to become lawyers is probably thinking in terms of trial lawyers needing to be, in some sense, performers. That’s just a guess, though!</p>
<p>I acted all the way through school and my parents would not permit me to pursue the degree. But my acting training has served me my entire career. You have to “act” when you are an attorney. Sometimes you are bluffing the other side. Other times, it is in the courtroom. But every day… you act. There is nothing worse than a boring lawyer who cannot speak with the right intonation or emotion. But if you have training as an actor, you can captivate a jury or even a judge… and that is half the battle. You have to “connect” in a courtroom just like you do a stage. Trust me… it really helps. So, if there are kids here whose parents are like mine and say in this economy “don’t you dare pursue that career” or who try it and it doesn’t work because Broadway is busted and theatres are closing shop… go into the law. Most actors I know are outstanding writers. They are well read. They know how to speak. Those are three most essential qualities for a good lawyer.</p>
<p>I know quite a few lawyers who are frustrated actors; some do non-professional theater in their spare time. I think the two careers are very similar, and drama training can be very helpful for a trial attorney.</p>
<p>I suppose that a litigator’s job may have some similarities to an actor’s but the similarities are slim, and the fact remains that most lawyers are not litigators, nor do most lawyers appear in court. The careers, for most lawyers, are not similar at all.</p>
<p>krazi4sugar, as I said, of the hundreds of lawyers and actors that I know, I don’t know of any who have gone on to law school with a BFA. I would imagine that there are a few out there who have done so but it definitely is not a large number. Are you interested in going to law school?</p>