One of the major deciding factors when choosing a college right for you is what you want to major in and what the school offers in that department. Some theatre kids have a dream of continuing their training in the theatrical arts in college, whether it is performance, production, administration, etc. Some have parents and families who fully support them to follow their dreams, which is fantastic. Others, however, have parents who won’t allow them to be a theatre major for one reason or another – I was one of those. So, what do you do?
I intended to have a college major in mathematics education in college, since I wasn’t allowed to major in drama; however, I made sure I kept the theatre bug alive during my college experience. The first way I did so was by making sure I choose a college with a thriving theatre department. It allowed me to participate in organizations open to the entire university, such as student-run clubs in drama, musical theatre, improvisation, and USITT (United States Institute for Theatre Technology). The biannual productions allowed me to audition without department conflicts. Additionally, I made a great amount of friends by being surrounded by students with the same interests; I loved attending the various shows on-campus and watching their work come to life. Students often receive free admission to campus events, so I took full advantage of that opportunity and convinced friends to do the same (in college, you learn to take advantage of anything and everything that’s free).
One of the ways I was still able to study in the drama department was by declaring a minor. With doing so, I only had about a third of the requirements compared to a major, but was still able to participate in department courses. I was able to connect with the faculty and benefit from having the department contacts. As my major changed to liberal arts, one of my three required concentrations was drama. The credit requirements were the same as the minor, so I further continued my studies. Some of my university requirements crossed over with my drama requirements, which was a way to get mandatory courses out of the way while making it work to my interest. For example, an introductory acting course was able to work for both my minor/concentration and as a creative participation university requirement.
Since my campus was only a train away from New York City, I took advantage of weekend opportunities to student rush and see Broadway shows. Friends who attend college near cities across the country do the same for regional and touring productions. Being a part of the social media movement kept me up-to-date with all the various news and events happening in the theatre world. Even though you may not be allowed to study theatre in school, theatre kids have an array of options to keep the bug alive during their time at college.