Go with Theatre or stick with a safer route?

Question

Ok so I absolutely love the theatre/acting/drama and it is the only thing I can really imagine doing and being passionate about. I am of course fully aware how risky an industry it is and also there is going to be a lot of rejection. I am currently choosing my A levels, and touch wood hoping for quite good GCSE results and so a lot of people are warning me against "theatre studies" because it could jeopardise the quality of my uni applications. I could possibly do uni and get myself this back up and then try drama education? Of course I know this has the downside of being that bit older before you get anywhere. I have to admit I have no idea if I am good enough- I can't sing to save my life and am no Ginger Rogers but I do love to become a character and bring things alive on stage- my only quirk is I can do some accents. I also love to write- but this is probably just as risky and fickle a thing to try but I hate giving up. Sorry if this all sounds in a pickle I'm just stuck-any advice

Answer 1

Hey! I feel your pain lol! The old question do I take a chance or play it safe! It is the same for me acting and the arts are the only thing I can really imagine doing...that's why I made the choices I did and although you might say I'm biased I say if it feels right for you do not question yourself - just do it and take the chance!

I just did the Australian equivalent called the Higher School Certificate. Thing is have you been doing drama as a subject at school for the last year or two??? Because I started drama in my third year and therefore by the time the equiv to your A levels came around I had been doing it for three years! If you haven't and have possibly little to no experience then perhaps you might want to think twice about it - however it is all about the choices you want to make. You have to think about what's more important to you and/or what you don't mind eventuating. For instance I played a risky game because I took the least amount of subjects you can to be able to qualify for university. I did two arts subjects music and drama and majored in individual performance which was a strain, as well as that I also picked to do extension english 1 and 2 - the second involving a major work which was a story! Haha so you could say I tested myself in nearly every aspect except dance! These subjects required a lot of work and for some more than others - skill! At the time I didn't give a rats about uni and didn't want to go. However by the time the results came around I'd gotten in the top 15% of the state which was EXTREMELY lucky heh heh. By this time I still hadn't applied for uni....BUT In late January I freaked out and applied for an arts degree I was late and had to pay a penalty but I got in and ended up deferring. My point is that you should decide which is more important because there are always other ways into uni - or at least there are here! lol! If the only thing holding you back is drama potentially holding back your marks - you just simply have to decide whether or not it is worth it! If you take a chance sometimes good things and happen and sometimes bad things happen but if you don't take a chance nothing happens! Personally I'm not quite convinced of "playing it safe" I feel that you should just go for it...why not? I mean if it's your passion, if it's what you want to do with your life or not you'll know what to do in the end!

Or you could just join a local theatre and do acting classes outside of school if you really want to get marks for uni and don't want to risk it!

Answer 2

GAK I spent 15 min on an answer that never posted????

    In any case the essence of my answer was that many of us involved in the craft have to engage in other pursuits, at least initially. That might relate to a budding starlet waith tables in a diner? etc. etc.

   It might relate to a Business major in College also involved in a theater ensemble?

  The notion of SAFE is subjective and relative in any endeavor, and assuming many of us can take up more than one challenge, and choose at some point, what path is "better" might still have risk attached.

  A quote "OF MINE" I offer.

  To deny ones passions, is to risk losing them."

S. W.

Just my 2 "scents" (not misspelled)

Answer 3

There are other jobs in the Theatre other than acting!  Look into all your different options.

I knew trying to make it big in the Acting industry was going to be far fetched.  I choose another option and that was teaching Theatre.  I find that as a Theatre Teacher I am allowed to use that as my outlet for acting.  My students love it when I perform for them.  If I had spare time I would audition for Community Theatre stuff but unfortunately I don't.

Answer 4

By all means follow your dreams BUT have a college degree to fall back on in case there ever comes a day when you're hurt and can't act anymore, or you need another means of income.

It's great to be young and believe you can do anything, but remember that won't always be the case.

Answer 5

Do what I did - pick Theatre Studies, then put it with English and another 'traditional' subject - be it history, french, german etc.  Avoid mixing it with maths or science though, as there's rarely any crossover between the two.

When you get to uni, consider doing a joint degree of Theatre/English as there's a fair bit of crossover.  I only discovered halfway through my 2nd year at uni that to have half a degree in English would've been more valuable than a full degree in Theatre (contemporary performance that I hated), and would've opened more doors into careers.

It's good to see you're aware of the risks - it's fiercely competitive.  At the end of the day, we've all got to pay the bills, and there are a lot of out-of-work actresses struggling to make ends meet.  I work for an internet retailer in the day, but I do amateur theatre in the evenings if i'm in a production.  There's a lovely contrast which means I get so much more enjoyment from my theatre work.

Answer 6

The fact that you have to ask... stick with a safer route!!

One should not get into theatre because its something they can imagine themselves doing.... one should get into theatre ONLY if its something they can't imagine themselves NOT doing.

There's nothing wrong with persuing a 'safe' career and doing theatre on the side as a hobby.

But if its something you're going to focus on, then it needs to be because it is something you're passionate about and don't just want to do but almost NEED to do.

Answer 7

theatre

Answer 8

I'm in a similar situation. I just took my GCSEs and I have chosen to do Drama at college. It will be tough, but I believe if you want something enough, you will achieve. You will get it :) If you are as passionate as you say, you will work as hard as you possibly can to achieve. Good luck, go for it!