# Non Theatre Related Degrees, for Theatre



## bull (Mar 20, 2010)

Yay for complicated titles. Anyways, as of right now, I will be doing early graduation and finishing with my high school two years early. I'll be taking those last two years at a college in the state of Georgia. This basically means that by the time everybody else in my grade graduates HS, I'll be graduating with an Associates degree. My question is what two year degrees would be logical for me to get a job. I've looked at Electronics Engineering, Welding, etc. etc. Anybody have any tips/suggestions. I have to make this choice pretty fast.


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## Hoffer (Mar 20, 2010)

bull said:


> Yay for complicated titles. Anyways, as of right now, I will be doing early graduation and finishing with my high school two years early. I'll be taking those last two years at a college in the state of Georgia. This basically means that by the time everybody else in my grade graduates HS, I'll be graduating with an Associates degree. My question is what two year degrees would be logical for me to get a job. I've looked at Electronics Engineering, Welding, etc. etc. Anybody have any tips/suggestions. I have to make this choice pretty fast.


D.West,

The AA or AS degree along with some ETCP certification might be useful for getting jobs. ETCP website is ETCP - The Entertainment Technician Certification Program

The issue I have with AA and AS degrees is they are meant to provide the general education courses most 4 year colleges and universities require along with SOME but not intensive choice courses. AA and AS degrees use only lower division courses and those are usually introductory courses.

Four-year colleges and universities usually accept the AA or AS degree as all or a large part of their general education requirements, but serious courses in any major are largely unaffected, and you may find yourself needing to take additional courses to make up a deficit as prerequisites for upper level courses. 

It sounds like you want to work right away, so check out the certifications and make a decision after some research.


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## dbthetd (Mar 20, 2010)

This won't be what you want to hear, but if you are planning to then go to school for undergrad theatre after I would advise you to spend these two years doing something else. Something in Art, Music, History, Language, Science - broaden your foundation. Someone that did that in school while pursuing theatre away from school, community or local professional theatre, would look like an excellent candidate.


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## bull (Mar 20, 2010)

I'm looking at the AA to get a better job afterwards and get some work experience, then go back for my BFA and MFA. But yea, I want to get working ASAP.


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## Footer (Mar 20, 2010)

Few questions....

After you get you associates, do you then want to go get a BFA and spend only 2 years in school or do all 4?

What do you want to do in 10 years?

Besides being 16 or 17, any reason you do not want undergrad now?

If you still want to go to undergrad for 4 years, I would say skip the associates all together and start working. If I were you I would go work for Six Flags this summer. After that, submit your resume' to EDG and start working for them. They will hire 17 year olds. One of the guys I worked with when I was down there started with them when he was 16 and was out touring with them by 18. After two years and some cash in your pocket, go to school and learn the right or wrong way to do what you have already learned. 

If you (or your parents....) are dead set on the associates thing, look at a program in either computer networking, computer programming, history, or art. If you want to be a technician, go get a Cisco Certification and learn computer programming. If you want to be a designer, go take history and art classes. I got my cisco cert in a program in High School and it has been invaluable. As more and more automation/lighting/audio uses ethernet based networks that training will pay off.


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## ruinexplorer (Mar 20, 2010)

I highly recommend taking electronics, electricity, or computer networking. Many shops will want to hire someone with skills to maintain the equipment as well as doing events. Make yourself marketable with these skills. 

However, like others have said, it really depends on what career path you are choosing. Obviously if you want to be a scenic designer, then the above classes won't make a difference. On the other hand, if you plan on working in lighting, audio, or automations, they will.


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## bull (Mar 20, 2010)

Ok, I should explain the reasoning behind the AA. I would not be getting an AA except the program that I am doing, in order to graduate, only allows 2 years, I can however go to a four year college and switch from MOWR to HOPE funding after 2 years, it's just more difficult. Also, there are NO good theatre programs in state. Honestly. We have seriously no good theatre schools in Ga what-so-ever. And Undergrad Out of State tuition at UNCSA, where I want to go is $49,000 roughly. So, that is not happening.


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## Footer (Mar 20, 2010)

bull said:


> Ok, I should explain the reasoning behind the AA. I would not be getting an AA except the program that I am doing, in order to graduate, only allows 2 years, I can however go to a four year college and switch from MOWR to HOPE funding after 2 years, it's just more difficult.



As far as the "Move On When Ready" program you are forced to get your Associates to get your HS diploma (as I understood it). I did not have any of my students do that program so I did not really look into it. 

SCAD? Before you shy away from North Carolina apply to the school and interview. You might get hefty financial aid. Going to college is like buying a home or car, never pay sticker price. 

After you get out, you might want to go to UGA and get your BA in theatre. With the hope scholarship you can come out not owing a dime. If you can push your way through in 2 or 3 years you might put yourself in a good place. In that time you could go get your MFA and have that my age 23. That might not be a bad path to go. 


> Georgia Hope Scholarship
> The scholarship pays full tuition, a $150 per semester (100 per quarter) textbook allowance, and most mandatory student fees for the recipient to attend any public college in the University System of Georgia, up until the semester in which the student attempts his or her 127th credit hour for semesters, or 190th for quarters in the Technical College System of Georgia (where it is called the HOPE Grant). For HOPE recipients who attend private colleges in Georgia, an equivalent amount is applied towards tuition for, currently $3,500 per year.



Yes, UGA is not the best theatre program in the world but if money is an issue, its the place to go. Use the hope scholarship. Its an amazing program if you use it correctly.


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## bull (Mar 20, 2010)

I will look at SCAD, seriously haven't heard anything about their theatrical design programs, I know that otherwise they are a great school though. I might be able to get financial aid there. Also, which scholarship are you quoting?


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## gafftaper (Mar 21, 2010)

First of all you haven't said exactly what sort of job you are seeking. In general I always advise people to not make that choice until they've had at least two years in a college theater program. For most people its very unwise to decide that because you liked to run the light board in high school you want to be a lighting designer. No disrespect to your high school, but that's usually like saying I like riding the bus so I want to design transit systems. The two are completely different worlds on entirely different levels. You might decide you hate it and really want to be a carpenter or a sound engineer. Get a good general AA degree that will transfer anywhere and take all the theater you can no mater how pitiful the program. Get involved in EVERY aspect of production and try everything. Then move on to theatrical BA program. If you decide you like design work you might want to do a BA in some sort of art instead and minor in theater then come back to theater for the MFA. If you want to get more into the operational side then some side study in computer networking would be very useful. 

Where you get your degree is not NEARLY as important as where you work along the way. As has been suggested, get a job as Six Flags, call every local theater shop in town and ask if they need someone to coil cable for minimum wage, go volunteer at the local community theater. GET experience. It doesn't matter if you get paid... meet people. Learn. Do it. 

I know a guy who has a B.A. in theater. He got a job as a summer stock carpenter at one of the largest theaters in the region, they liked him and hired him full time. He worked his way up to T.D. Now he's left that to be T.D. for a major new production which is moving from England to the U.S. The type of degree and where it is from meant nothing. What mattered was he impressed a lot of people with a goofy little summer stock job. 

Now I'm a teacher so don't misunderstand me, get as much education as you can realistically afford from the best school you can afford. BUT WORK ANYWHERE AND EVERYWHERE along the way and don't stress if you can't afford the big out of state program. Who you know and who you impress is just as important as where you go to school and what your degree is. Unlike other fields, getting a big degree from a well respected school is no guarantee that you will ever get a job. If you have no fancy degree but you impressed a friend of mine across town with some summer stock work... you have a VERY good chance of getting the job over someone with a MFA from Yale. This gets even more powerful after you've had your big break and established yourself. 15 years from now you can tear up your degree because no one will care. Who you worked for and what you did is all that will matter.

I know this is counter intuitive to what you parents and guidance counselor are telling you, but it's true. You need training and you need to know what you are doing... and college is the best place to get that... but the paper in the frame on your wall will rapidly becomes less important than who you know and who you impress.


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## bull (Mar 21, 2010)

I completely thought I had posted what I wanted to be. Now, before I say this, understand, I am not just the board op. at my school. I am the Lighting Designer for Heritage High School, Freelance Lighting Designer/ME for Rockdale County Public Schools, and I am the Technical Director for every county/school function, and all others that occur at my school. I am also the technical director for the middle school. The county also calls me whenever they need a freelance TD/LD/ME at another school function. I also SM many events/concerts in the area, the biggest one having an audience of 4,000. I currently want to be a Stage Manager/Technical Director. I would love to do lighting design as well occasionally. At times I will probably end up being a ME. But as it stands, I want to be either a TD or an SM. Also gaff, I completely understand where you are coming from and that is actually the exact reason that I am doing this "early graduation" program, because I want the "formal" education, to an extent, but right now, I want more time to work and get the experience that I actually want/need to eventually support myself. I actually was going to work at Six Flags this summer, I have a friend that was working for them as a Makeup Artist during Halloween and she was making about $16 an hour.


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## Footer (Mar 21, 2010)

bull said:


> I completely thought I had posted what I wanted to be. Now, before I say this, understand, I am not just the board op. at my school. I am the Lighting Designer for Heritage High School, Freelance Lighting Designer/ME for Rockdale County Public Schools, and I am the Technical Director for every county/school function, and all others that occur at my school. I am also the technical director for the middle school. The county also calls me whenever they need a freelance TD/LD/ME at another school function. I also SM many events/concerts in the area, the biggest one having an audience of 4,000. I currently want to be a Stage Manager/Technical Director. I would love to do lighting design as well occasionally.



Anything involving the words High School in any way, shape, or form is the first thing that drops off your resume'. Anything involving college or university is the second. Real world experience can not be understated. It was my summerstock experience that landed me my first full time job. The guy that hired me was happy I had a BFA but had never heard of the University I went to. 

Could you define a bit more what an SM does and what a TD does and what you like about each? The TD and SM in the HS world is a world apart from what a TD and SM do in the theatre world and the music/production world.


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## derekleffew (Mar 21, 2010)

Footer said:


> ... The TD and SM in the HS world is a world apart from what a TD and SM do in the real world.


And might I add, that rarely if ever, does one person do both, professionally.

The only instance I can think of is the "Head Technician" for a road house (receiving house) where the inflation of job titles went:
*Stage Manager* (never called a show)
*Technical Director* (never built anything)
*Production Manager* (DID manage production costs, equipment, and scheduled crews).


Hoffer said:


> ... The AA or AS degree along with some ETCP certification might be useful for getting jobs. ... It sounds like you want to work right away, so check out the certifications and make a decision after some research.


The minimal requirement to take the ETCP exam is, roughly, five years full-time professional experience (Eligibility requirements - Electrical). It is not intended for students.


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## bull (Mar 21, 2010)

Ok, So here's what I do inside and outside of school,

Concerts:
SM- Honestly there is not a title that I know of for the things I do for concerts. The ones in my area typically contain quite a few bands, most recently a benefit with 9 bands. For these I typically function as a PSM, because a normal "theatre" SM is just not needed. I call the show, manage/direct the technicians, and oversee the loading/unloading processes of each band. 
LD- I function as an LD always does, I design the lights for the overall show, and individualize the lights for each band.

County-
I function as the "go-to" guy for all county events. They hire me (yes, for pay) to come out and manage events. Often they hire me as the LD for these same events. Can't really describe these, really follows the same as concerts. I am also hired out as the LD/ME for two middle schools. Which surprisingly have better lights than the HS. One of which is the only in the county with intelligent moving lighting. Oh, and I am the only person in the county experienced on intelligent lighting. Through experience working with local clubs and convention halls.

School-

SM- At school I oversee all of the rehearsals, basically I do everything that is in my teacher's job description. She does almost nothing in her job description. It sounds like i'm exaggerating, but trust me, I'm not. I manage all of the money that goes in and out of our program, and keep up with the accounts. I approve all of the designs for the publicity. I manage everything that comes in, forms, paperwork, bios, etc. from the actors. I am the contact to all of our sponsors. I make and take all of the phone calls. I sit through every single rehearsal and fill out rehearsal reports. I oversee everything that occurs during said rehearsals, on stage and off. I call every single person that is over 2 minutes late to a rehearsal, however most of them text me if they are going to even be a minute late. Do I need to explain more? If there is something that you feel like I might be doing and I didn't list, ask me, I probably do.

LD- Well, I design everything, place the orders for the equipment that we don't have but need for designs. I upkeep all of the equipment, place orders for lamps. Inventory EVERYTHING. I train everybody that wants to have anything to do with even touching a light. I am also the board op, for everything that occurs in the theatre, during and after school. I also design everything that occurs during and after school. I make all of the plots. Etc. Etc. Etc.


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## SHARYNF (Mar 25, 2010)

It really does not matter what you get your AA degree in, most 4 year programs are only going to accept the Core courses and take the other classes as electives. 

The Experience you have is great, but from all this experience you should have developed contacts from networking for people who want to offer you a real job in the Biz. Who you know really comes first, what you know comes second, and where you went to school and what degree you got comes a far far distant third. Remember Schools and Guidance counselor are more orientated to showing you a path from the educational side of things. If you want to teach then that is another thing entirely

If you talk to the folks that have "made it" so to speak most of them if they are honest will tell you it was a contact that opened a door that put them in the right place at the right time that made all the difference. 

The other thing with experience is that it is less how you are able to describe it and more how a mutual contact that your potential employer knows that describes your work that is more important.

Sharyn


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