Theatre

Theater enthusiasts and Broadway critics will tell you there’s always a need for talented young actors and actresses, directors and playwrights. These individuals have no problem being the center of attention and performing for large audiences, or creating new characters and stories for our entertainment. In addition to leaning about acting, directing and script writing, students who major in theater study theory, drama, literature, history, criticism, set, lighting design and costume. Performance and production opportunities are abundant in just about every theater department so that students can gain hands-on experience. Required classes usually relate to basic production techniques, stage technology, acting, theater design, theater history and script analysis.

Successful actors, directors and playwrights must have a passion for their work. In fact, the most successful in the field hardly view what they do as work; many are fulfilling dreams they have strived toward since early childhood. They possess the drive needed to survive in an unstable field where the next job is never guaranteed. Self-motivation, perfectionism and persistence are perhaps their three most important traits. Luckily for theater majors, more jobs will be created in the coming years because of the expansion of satellite, cable and interactive media. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the field is expected to grow by 11 percent through 2018. The pay isn’t glamorous for most actors – the average hourly media wage is $16.59 – but the best earn among the most of any profession. Producers and directors earn more stable incomes: their average yearly median salary is $64,430.