A degree of talent: studying for a life in the theatre

Flicking through American Theatre magazine, one’s eye is assaulted with a glossy panoply of advertisements for various theatre degrees. One could mistake them for Vogue fashion spreads: here’s a gorgeous woman in a skimpy dress standing over a man in military uniform in stunning blue purple light, heralding degrees in “Acting, Directing, Stage Management, Design, and Playwriting.” Flip a few more pages to see a couple in an embrace, lips almost grazing as in a Calvin Klein ad, with bold text flaunting an MFA in Design or Acting. These ads cry: “Come create with us,” “Creativity lives here,” “Think wide open,” “Play your part! Make the magic happen,” “Find yourself.”