Gai's amazing post a couple of weeks ago where she shared her elevator speech got me thinking back to all of the parent conversations I had where they were grateful that I was occupying their child's extra time, but didn't see any actual career paths in theatre. I would remind them, kindly, that theatre is a business, like any other business and that there are always paths for accountants, grant writers, management, development, et al. There is no reason a student can't pursue a "normal" career and still be engaged in the arts full time.
It could get somewhat frustrating that my parents and my administration didn't always see the value in theatre education. So, in a beginning drama class I would include a unit on Careers in the Theatre and guide my students to explore options beyond actor and technician. So, my sage advice today is to remember that when you are teaching your students, they are going home and telling their parents about class, so in a way you are educating the parents, the admin and the community at large about the value of a theatre education through what you are teaching in the classroom each day.
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Jeana Whitaker
Retired Theatre Teacher
EdTA Alumni
www.jeanawhitaker.com------------------------------