Theatre Arts

Tag: Theatre Arts

What To Do During This Summer for Music, Art & Film Students

Step 1: Find out your goal

Music

For musicians, you may already have a summer program opportunity or internship for the summer. If so, make it your goal to learn as much as possible during these opportunities. If you don’t have one of these opportunities lined up, that is okay! You can spend your summer preparing for graduate school auditions, summer pre-screens, academic auditions, or more. 

Art

For those interested in the art field, you may have internships lined up for the summer as well. It may be your goal to get as much experience possible at these opportunities. If you don’t you can always work on projects to bulk up your portfolio or prepare for your academic art exhibits and projects. You can also prepare materials to apply for graduate programs or future jobs/internships. 

Film

For film students, if you don’t have an opportunity lined up for the summer like an internship, you can spend your summer bulking up your portfolio as well. You can also prepare materials for the next academic year, graduate school applications, or just future job opportunities. 

Step 2: Figure out the steps to achieve that goal

Music

For those who are music majors, you can check out a previous helpful guide we have created here. 

Art

You can actually do quite a bit to achieve multiple goals during the summer as an art major. You can work on weekly pieces to bulk up your portfolio, or even create your own “artist residency”. To create your own residency you can try taking online classes that interest you, or if you are feeling daring you can even move to a different city for the summer and work at a makerspace to learn from other artists. Whatever route you plan on taking, make sure that your steps to achieve your goal are clear!

Film

For those interested in film, working on projects over the summer is the perfect thing to do in your spare time. It can be hard during the academic year to find enough time to work on your big projects, so take the extra time to create something you have always wanted to create! You can also spend the time perfecting your portfolio to send to future opportunities. You can even reach out to local news stations or film companies to see if they have any temporary openings.

Step 3: Execute! 

For all areas of the Visual & Performing Arts Community, stick to your plan! If you end up falling behind that is totally okay, just be sure you have a chance to recharge and get back in there. Always keep in mind that even the tiniest amount of progress can make a huge impact on your career and your goals. 

Step 4: Keep track of your progress

Music

For musicians, keeping track of progress is either incredibly easy for your or incredibly hard. If you are trying to practice more this summer, try keeping a video diary of your practice sessions and lessons. If that doesn’t work, try a physical practice diary to check in with how you and your instrument are feeling each day or week. If you are at an internship or program you can also use the diary method.

Art

Thankfully for artists, it can be relatively easy to see the progress you are making throughout the summer. If you are building your portfolio up, you can compare your past pieces to your present ones or see if you want to improve any past ones you have done. If you are taking a class, you can gauge how attentive you are to the material or even ask the professor how you are doing. 

Film

For those interested in film you can also see your progress relatively easily if you are building your portfolio. You can compare your past pieces with your newest ones to see how you have improved. If you are finding it easier to write your application materials the more you spend time with them, that is also progress! 

Step 5: Enjoy the benefits!

Once you have completed all of your steps, you can now go and get that audition, job, or internship a lot easier! Fill out those online forms, schedule those interviews and get those plane tickets to go and land those opportunites. If your goal didn’t include applying for anything, you now have the tools you need to become the best version of yourself and your artform! Hopefully, throughout the process you learned a lot more about yourself as an individual and what your interests are in order to inform yourself on what to do in the future.

#VPA Interview with Associate Professor of Theatre Arts and Theatre Chair, Kathy Privatt

Q: What does the path to a career in theatre look like for a student currently at Lawrence?A: If they are in the major they take core courses that go across the discipline. They will have performance course work, design course work, and literature and history course work. We think of it like a 3 legged stool, since all performance takes from those main aspects. After these main courses, you have a choice to explore these areas further or you can choose an area of specialization such as design tech., directing, or literature history. You are also required to be involved in some aspect of 6 performances. Finally, you end with a Senior Experience that is individual to each student.
Q: What other majors or minors are often paired with theatre in order to reach different careers in the industry?A: Art History and Studio Art is often paired with Theatre to lead to a career in design. Those interested in dramaturgy or playwriting often pair it with an English or Creative Writing major. Performers often pair Theatre with Psychology or Sociology since you have to think about human behavior while you’re on stage. Many also do the double-degree program within the Conservatory if they are interested in Musical-Theatre, pairing with the Vocal Performance major.
Q:Can you estimate what the job placement percentage is for Lawrence students pursuing a career in the industry? A: The trajectory for making a living in theatre is often a lot slower than other areas. This could be the case for a few years post-graduation. However, many students end up going into grad schools later on depending on the school. Many grad schools prefer theatre majors to have some experience working in the industry before applying, which also makes the trajectory for immediate placement after graduation slower.
Q:What have students done after graduation that have gone through the theatre program? A: Professional actors. Some started teaching at the college level. We have people that immediately started work in scene shops, costume shops, and doing design work. Stage management. We also have some teaching secondary education, which is exciting for us since we want to build new theatre-makers and keep things going.
Q:What are the different careers within the field of theatre? A: There are the big ones: actor, director, and designer which could be set, costumes, lighting, make-up, or sound. You could be a stage manager or run-crew and light-boards. Dramaturgy and lots of people are teaching artists that are at regional theatres. Theatre management, which is management of the performing venue itself.
Q:What would you say is the hardest field to find careers in for theatre? Which ones are in high demand?A: Right now in the U.S. acting and playwriting is the hardest career to make a living off of. Many actors and playwriters have to have a second form of income. Some of the easiest are the production roles such as set construction and stage management.
Q:What influenced your decision to become a professor. What do you love about it? A: I genuinely get excited about what happens when you take scholarly inquiry and fuse it with creative choice. To share that with other people, and to collaborate with a company, which is how I think of the theatre department. I can’t imagine a more joyful place and way to be making theatre.
Q:Do you have any tips for current students pursuing a theatre career? A: Number one, think about internships, at least in the summertime. This is a way to explore what careers can be possible and which ones you are interested in. You will develop a network of people that know you and how you work. I would definitely say go to the Career Center from the moment you first can, so that you are doing things like practicing interview skills and writing resumes. Also, think about the skills you are learning in all of your course work and extracurricular activities, and what those skills might mean to your future employers. Connect with alumni relations so you have an idea of where you want to be.