Student Blog: Theater as a Non-Major

My TikTok for you page is that of a typical theater kid: clips from Broadway proshots and student performances, videos of performances on GMA that get the word out about new musicals, the tech week videos that everyone can relate to, and videos of actors making their way in the turbulent world of professional theater, whether it be Broadway, regional, or national tours. Among these videos (and, of course, many clips of the Eras Tour) are videos from musical theater majors and BFA candidates: from days in the lives of musical theater majors to college students plugging their shows for the world to see, there’s no end to the content of what life is like as someone who dedicates their life to performing. 

However, I find myself in a different situation. To be clear: I love theater. It brings me joy, it lets me sing and dance and act (improving all of those skills in the process), and it’s brought me some of my closest friends. But I’m not a BFA student: I’m majoring in history at an Ivy League institution that happens to boast a small but mighty student theater community and an academic department dedicated to Theatre Arts. And that's completely fine with me. 

Although I love theater, a BFA or a degree in musical theater wasn’t the path I wanted to go down. I was afraid I would burn out: I’ve heard horror stories about BFA programs and how they’ve crushed the hope and light that someone holds for theater in their brains. I didn’t want to burn out and be tired of doing something I love so dearly and still be forced to do it in order to get a degree. 

I wanted theater to be an escape. A way for me to remove myself from the academic rigor of classes each day and any other stressful aspects of my college experience. A way for me to escape into another world for a few hours a day, taking on a character and focusing on something that I know I can do and I know I can enjoy, whether that’s a music rehearsal, blocking session, or choreography. 

None of this is to say that BFA programs are bad! In fact, there was a time when I considered if a musical theater degree was something that I wanted to pursue. But for my own mental health and future outlook, that wasn’t the right place for me. However, it’s the right path for many theater kids, and I seriously look up to those who do it. 

There are so many talented students out there—both BFA candidates and those who “just” do it as an extracurricular—and I love knowing that I’m among the population that cares so deeply about this art that they’re willing to dedicate a huge chunk of their time to rehearsals and performances. 

Treating theater as an escape as opposed to a requirement has served me well so far. It’s led me to a place where rehearsals are often the highlight of my day and I know that I can always leave any stress I’m facing at the door and be welcomed into a supportive environment where there’s room for rants and conversations in between run-throughs and directors’ notes. 

I recently made the decision to minor in Theatre Arts at Penn, in addition to the journalism minor I was previously planning on doing. I had already planned to use many of my elective credits on theater courses, so I figured I might as well incorporate the minor if I could make it work with my schedule. In my mind, I get the best of both worlds: I will continue to do theater as an extracurricular while still getting the chance to have a taste of what majoring in theater might have been like. This way, I hope to never experience burnout because of the activity I love so much, because I’m a firm believer that things you enjoy should (ideally) not bring you stress 24/7. 

I’m very happy with the path I’ve chosen. Things will get busy soon: I have auditions coming up this weekend (stay tuned next month for a recap of how that works at Penn!). Even though my Google Calendar will slowly become fuller over the coming weeks, I know that I can rely on my theater community to be an escape from whatever stresses I may be facing each day.