The Underrated Value of a Theatre Degree in a World Where Theatres Lose Value
Rahm Emanuel was Chicago’s mayor until 2019, Chief of Staff to President Obama and Congressman. Emanuel was a politican, but you might be surprised to hear that he majored in the Humanities, specializing in dance. Anyone who is familiar with the American performing arts landscape knows that Chicago has one of the most lively theatre scenes in the US and is one of America’s richest and most diverse cities in a cultural sense. Therefore, there is no doubt that he acknowledged, valued and drove forth Chicago’s cultural institutions as part of his role.*
If you look at his college degree from a value-generating point of view, you would identify him as unsuccessful because he decided not to become a dancer. This is the logic by which society values study programs. This, however, is a flawed logic. In this article, I argue that he put his degree to use indeed, as does every other alum of the Humanities. No matter where they decide to work, the value that they can bring to the table is underrated.
My father was unsuccessful in trying to talk me out of studying theatre as a minor in university. As someone born in the 60s, he often referred to the work in a theatre as “brotlose Kunst” (=art that doesn’t put food on your table). While going to school, the theatre of my hometown was my world. It’s where I learned to express myself, to be confident and creative, to focus, to take care of my body and where I made myself heard. It’s where I learned to trust others in a team, or sometimes had to take one for the team. It’s where I learned about social equality, acceptance, where I found a group of friends for life and where I was sad when I had to leave in the evenings. My father could not dissuade me from exploring this world more closely as part of my studies. Have I chosen a career in it? No. Do I regret my studies? No. On the contrary, it has proven to be very valuable so far. As someone who is regularly confronted with this question (and sometimes gets talked into regret), I want to list the following valuable points, which theatre alums bring to any professional field.
1. You are detail- oriented because analytical thinking is key.
It’s almost torture how theatre professors are never satisfied with the answers they receive because no matter how deep you think, you’re not deep enough. Everything is analyzed down to the last detail, considered as an individual part, put into context, broken down again, put back into context, and so on. You learn to systematically analyze a performance through theatre semiotics as an application-oriented theory. A theatrical performance is understood as a system that generates meaning. What is the meaning behind each performance and how is it generated? The central question throughout the entire study is: How is everything connected? The questions leading up to it are: Where are we? Where do we want to be? How do we get there? What is needed for that? A performance is an interplay, which we do not only find on stage but everywhere, especially in business and politics. For example, imagine yourself as an observer in an assessment center. The applicants in front of you are thrown into a situation, they are confronted with unexpected reactions and questions. They’re trying to convince you and the message they want to bring across is “I’m your best choice”. Compared to an improv, theatre scholars know this situation all too well.
2. You are creative and resourceful.
It goes without saying that a degree in theatre is not possible without creativity. It requires a lot of thinking outside the box and an active imaginative power. It must be emphasized here that this creativity is often connected to time pressure. On a practical level, for example, you have to make quick decisions when something doesn’t work as planned, for instance something/someone is no longer available.
You may notice that some stages have the whole world standing on them, others have only the actor’s or actresses’ body. Both situations can evoke the same feelings, thoughts and reactions in the audience. Budget cut? Not a foreign and stress provoking word for someone who has studied theatre. On the contrary, it creates challenges which can lead to positive changes. Even with little to no resources, great things can be achieved. This is a prime example of where you are able to keep a cool head in a marketing department.
3. You are goal- oriented.
What do computer games, protests, party conventions, Beyoncé’s new video, shareholder meetings and a funeral have in common? They are all different types of staging and before they happen or reach the public, you strategically plan how best to stage it to generate the right mood. If you study theatre theoretically, you are very likely to look at each of the situations listed. For example, I analyzed the scenography of a cemetery, while my friend looked at the strategic scenography of Ikeas. I also wrote a paper on the staging of the yellow vests in France. When Burger King comes up with a rather interesting marketing strategy or when Weetabix drops a new highly controversial campaign, they have a goal. It works like the controlling cycle. You have a problem, a goal, and you look for measurable metrics. You identify the stakeholders and you think about a strategy for how to achieve the metric. What are our possibilities? The fact is, theatre studies is not just about the stage and auditorium in a narrow sense. This stage and auditorium can be anywhere in the world, whether physical or virtual. One wants to convey a message. For example, we want to win this election campaign. With a degree in theatre, you’re conditioned to never lose sight of the goal.
4. You are a team player.
A theatre without team spirit and mutual reliance is unthinkable. Individual fighters simply have no place in a theatre. As a consequence, you have to come to terms with taking and giving criticism without taking it personally. Everyone on the team envisions the final product as its best version and this requires constant exchange, discussions and compromises. The product is a common achievement and therefore there is no place for someone who likes to take credit and be celebrated individually. Instead, you are always aware of everyone who contributes to it with their work. You are appreciative of your collegues. On an administrative level, someone takes care of the finances, marketing, personnel, compliance etc. and on a practical level, we are back to Nr.1, where I talked about a play being an interplay.
Self-presentation abilities, an unprecedented work ethic, team work skills, and a creative intellect are only a few of the qualities that are often overlooked at by hiring managers in the business world when they scan CVs and see candidates with a background in the Performing Arts. Yes, it’s a rather “exotic” path but not a poor one and I strongly advocate a new way of talking about the value and power of it.
*Please note that I am aware of the controversies surrounding Rahm Emanuel and his misconduct in the 2015 Chicago protests. Nevertheless, I consider his career and background here as an example of the subject of my article unrelated to this debate.
