Last week, I declared my major in Theatre. (I know, I’m junior, it’s about time). It was a happy moment for me. Theatre is something I’m incredibly passionate about, and I was glad to officially commit my academic life to it.
And then, everybody was super encouraging about it, and I lived happily ever after.
Just kidding.
There seems to a stigma, I’ve noticed, around studying something in the arts or humanities - (which I’ve always found confusing considering I go to a liberal arts school). There exists this unspoken hierarchy of majors which views math and science as subjects for the “smart kids” and everything else for the “artistic kids.” As if those qualities are mutually exclusive. As if being smart and being artistic are separate.
Frankly, people are really mean about it sometimes. I don’t think it really occurs to them what they’re saying. Over the summer, someone’s actual response when I told him I was a theatre major was, “Oh, so you want to be a professional waitress?” I smiled and said, “No actually. I’m going to be really successful.” Not everybody is as blatantly rude as this individual, but I do find myself dreading what people are going to say when I tell them what I’m studying.
When I tell people I’m a theatre major, these are a few of the most popular responses:
1. What are you going to do with that?
I’m going to be really successful. And happy. Thank you for asking.
Also, you would be surprised by the number of different occupations a person can hold with a degree in Theatre. I could write a separate article about the amount of opportunities available. Point being, the world is my oyster.
2. So...what's your back-up plan?
Back-up plans are for people who don’t intend to succeed in their original plan.
But really, Theatre is the only major that ever made sense to me. What other major allows me to be several different people on a daily basis? What other area of study would let me step inside the minds of people I will never meet to live lives I will never live? What other discipline could allow me to explore every messy aspect of my humanity with my best friends, only to step back into "reality" hours later?
3. Do you want to be on Broadway?
Of course! Don’t you?
That being said, I probably never will be. And that’s OK. Seriously, that’s fine. Broadway is big and bright and beautiful - there’s a reason people love it. I’m more interested in work which is intimate and meaningful. I want to tell stories about everyday people who behave in extraordinary ways. I would rather work for a small, not for profit theatre most likely. Anything is possible, and that’s exciting to me.
All this to say, stop shaming people for their majors. Think about what you say before you negate something which clearly means the world to the person standing in front of you. Nothing you are studying is “stupid” or “useless” if you are chasing it with your full heart because you have an innate need to pursue it. If we want a passionate generation in the workforce, we must create an environment which encourages young adults to pursue their passions. Besides, we have careers to make a living- to create a life for ourselves. If we are pursuing a path which is unfulfilling to us, is our life worth perpetuating? Mine is, because I’m a theatre major, and what I do is important.
