BWW Blog: Back to School - Balancing Theatre and Everything Else

In highschool I was always a theatre kid. That is how others labeled me and that became a part of how I identified myself. And I am passionate about theatre; however, I am also a complex human with other interests like all of you!

It was very difficult for me while applying to college having to narrow down my interests to one "major." But at the end of the day I decided since theatre was my biggest passion and I want to work in theatre someday, that I would major in theatre. This was not an easy decision for me to make and it took me a long time to come to this decision because I have so many other subjects I want to explore and I am frightened of being pigeonholed into one subject.

If this sounds like you, I recommend doing what I did and selecting a school with a theatre program that leaves room for you to take other courses and explore your other passions. If you know that you want to do theatre and have no wavering thoughts whatsoever, then a conservatory might be right for you; however, if you want to have a balance between theatre and other subjects, you may want to find a solid BA program that allows you to still participate in theatre while also taking classes in many different areas.

Going to college can be so challenging because you feel like everyone around you is expecting you to pick your career path right away and you might have absolutely no clue what you want to do. My advice is to embrace your confusion and throw yourself fully into everything you do. If you love theatre, continue to do theatre, audition for everything you can on campus, talk to professors and advisors to learn more about the industry and do internships! But just because you love theatre does not mean you cannot find time to pursue other interests.

One thing that can be very difficult in college is you feel like you have to pick one thing rather than continue to learn about all the various things you are curious about. This does not have to be the case- as life long learners we can continue to expand our minds in all subject matters.

I know personally one thing I really missed my freshman year of college was music. Though I participated in musicals it wasn't the same as creating arrangements and rehearsing with my a cappella group in high school, so this year I am making it a priority to balance my love for theatre with my love for music so I can still feel like I am fulfilling my passions.

I know you may feel a lot of pressure to solely focus on one subject in college because you are scared that if you don't you will miss out on opportunities, but if you have multiple passions you shouldn't have to give them up just because of the pressure society puts on you! Follow your passion for theatre but also follow all of your other passions and you will feel fulfilled in college!