The Real World
Well, it’s finally here, senior year of college! And boy, is it a busy one. I’m here to give you a sneak peek at what senior year looks like for an Acting BFA Major at Arcadia University, and how many of us are dealing with the prospect of entering the world as graduates.
Acting and Theatre majors are unique at Arcadia in how they approach their theses. Since I am an Acting major, my thesis must involve a performance of some kind. Personally, I am adapting my poetry book into a play, directing it, and starring in it. Thanks to the content of the show, it fits perfectly with my BFA Acting major and double minor of Creative Writing and Psychology (which was not necessary, but definitely is a dream project). Now mine is a bit ambitious for a thesis, but I have witnessed many stunning thesis performances ranging from dance shows to one-person shows. It is definitely a distinct experience, I know many other programs on campus don’t have, and it makes thesis season incredibly exciting.
I know that for anyone, there is definitely a lot of anxiety that comes with graduation, but I know the anxiety is especially high amongst those in my field. Most theatres or shows don’t audition for their shows until much closer to their rehearsal and run/shooting time, meaning as of right now, I don’t know what I’m doing right after graduating, since I can’t audition that far in advance, and neither can my peers. As we get closer to graduation, we will all get busier, not only with our theses but with the grueling process that is auditioning, and auditioning, and auditioning.
We are also told something I’m not sure many other majors are told: that we will most likely always work upwards of three jobs, for most of if not all of our lives, and that more often than not, at least one of those jobs will not be a creative one. That certainly strikes a kind of fear in the undergrads, but it’s truthful. Artists, especially today, are forced to split their time between their craft and survival. It’s something all of us are coming to terms with, but something we will all do, because at the end of the day, we chose this path because of how it fulfills our lives and our needs, and at least for myself and my future, I can’t say the same for a corporate job. I truly can’t imagine a path that enriches my life more.
