Student Blog: Tuna Fish is Tasty but it Won't Sustain Me

I am a week away from the midway mark in the pursuit of a college musical theater degree. It’s halftime. Shouldn’t that mean I am several steps closer to self-assured plans for the future? 

As the clock ticks down to the end of my fourth semester, and I stress about the mountain of tasks, tests and assignments I have yet to complete, I feel as if I might be even more uncertain about what my future holds than when I was a wide-eyed freshman at orientation. 

Is the world really my oyster? Or is it more like a swirling vortex of uncertainty?

Along with doubt comes a need for a reset. I am intentionally searching for mine by adding an extension to my college experience in the form of a double major. As of last fall, I am pursuing both an MT degree and a degree in Mass Communications with an emphasis in Professional Media. It is a mouthful, but I think it is going to serve me well. 

Taking on the extra work of another major might have been a bit optimistic, and the decision is definitely related to the panic I feel about whether I will be stuck eating tuna fish sandwiches for the rest of my life if I rely solely on theater gigs as a means of income. The added workload, however, has impacted me as a performer in ways I was not expecting.  

Studying Mass Communications has extended a passion for storytelling beyond the stage. Instead of telling stories through performance alone, I am learning how stories can be shaped through vivid writing, precise video editing and creative photography. It is challenging. I have newfound respect for the complexity of trying to convey why someone should care about a story in a succinct, but complete, format. 

Since starting my double major, I have taken a photography class where I learned how to use light, background and leading lines to help effectively tell a story through the lens of a camera. I was inspired by the photography of Jenny Anderson, whose passion for theater and skills behind a camera catapulted her into the role of Broadway's most esteemed photographer. I have learned about the different forms of mass media such as print, broadcast and radio and what skills are required for jobs in these fields.  I have practiced writing press releases, news stories, and stories for online, TV and radio formats. 

Most importantly, I have learned how to better identify what makes a story important. I have learned that the essential question behind all stories, regardless of format, is a question of why. Specifically, why should people care?  

This question can be applied to theater just as much as it is asked in journalism. The most impactful musicals and plays leave audiences feeling emotionally invested in what they see on stage. They give people a reason to raise an eyebrow and lean forward in their seats. They take the audience on a curling, twisting wave of emotions–frustration, joy, urgency, despair, hopelessness and triumph, often all in one show. Whether giving voice to the marginalized, in shows such as RENT and Suffs, or shining a light on the cracks within our country’s professed ideals, in shows such as Ragtime and Liberation, theater has the power to educate and inspire. 

I am hopeful that the additional stress and time commitments in my life are going to help me become a better story-teller, in whatever direction my life turns. Whether I am performing an eleven o’clock number, writing a review for The New York Times (why not dream big?), or telling a bedtime story to kids, my goal is still the same: sharing a story that truly matters.