In Defense of the BA in Theatre

(Photo: Missouri State University Theatre)

by Julia Moriarty, Phd , Guest Editorial

Julia Moriarty, Phd is an assistant professor of theatre and coordinator of our BA and BS Theatre degrees at Missouri State University.

As recruiting season comes to a close in this academic cycle, I find myself fighting against the misconception that a BFA in theatre is the only degree at all, let alone the only one worth having.  

Though the data is hard to pin down, there are at least 150 BFA Theatre programs in the United States, and many of those, like my own, offer more than one BFA specialty, meaning that the field is replete with options for this special form of targeted, pre-professional training that many with Broadway ambitions crave.

BFA programs offer rigorous practical training in their field of focus, close mentorship with faculty, and often are structured via the cohort system, meaning a small ensemble moves through their training together. Depending on the type of academic institution the BFA is housed in, students may also expand that training to incorporate theory, technical theatre, and literature studies, but these, if offered, are often introductory only. BFA performance degrees often culminate in a showcase of talent for casting directors and agents, giving students a leg up as they launch into the industry, but no promises are made, and contracts can be few. Welcome to the grind that is the theatre profession. 

BFA training, especially in the performance fields of acting, dance, and musical theatre, requires drive, ambition, hard work, focus, and talent to excel. Due to the nature of this training, there is rarely room to pursue additional interests without adding extra time to the degree path, and students emerge deeply focused on their field. But it is not a guarantee of success.

Recently, there has been a surge in think-pieces and critical commentaries on the nationwide expansion of BFA programs and the effect this has had on the industry, including (and often possibly inspired by) the much-engaged TikTok of CSU Fullerton associate professor Josh Grisetti, who questions the motivations behind such program-expansions and posits that this BFA boom is motivated by university profits, not a result of the desire to improve the quality of training offered. It is a cynical take, but not unsubstantiated (again, the data is hard to pin down, but there are estimates that over 10,000 actors audition for the 1000 or so equity contracts each year).

Competition is fierce, but there is not a clearcut advantage resulting from BFA training.

Playbill.com recently published an article highlighting eight of Broadway’s current darlings (Cole Escola, Eva Noblezada, and Maleah Joi Moon, among others) who do not have BFAs, and there have been numerous other such articles highlighting those who made their Broadway or Hollywood debuts without formal training at the BFA level. The reality of the profession is that casting directors prize talent, hard work, and amiability over degrees earned. Certainly, a BFA program can enhance professionalism and polish, but ultimately, it’s up to the actor to land the role, not the degree.

So, why bother getting a theatre degree at all? And why make that degree a BA? I’m so glad you asked. When you get a BA degree (or maybe a BS in theatre, or some other variant that is unique to the program you are looking at), you are immersing yourself in the totality of the theatre arts.

Often, these are termed the ‘generalist’ tracks, but I think that term tamps down the exciting learning these students undertake. In a BA, students will learn how to act, design, playwrite, stage manage, serve as a stagehand or technician, direct, or even serve in that most elusive of theatrical positions…the dramaturg! They’ll learn the skills to prepare to become a theatre administrator, teaching artist, deviser, and more.

A BA in theatre, as a comprehensive degree in the theatrical arts, prepares students to enter into the profession at any level with training and context that benefits the entire production process. The well-roundedness of these students emboldens them to rise to the occasion, meeting the needs of the production and ensemble, becoming problem-solvers and leaders in the process. Particularly for those who are newer to the theatrical arts, this wide breadth of training better prepares them to appreciate and participate in the theatre profession.

Another consideration for those who are newer to theatrical arts is that they may not yet be ready to commit to the focused and intensive training of a BFA program, be it performance or design-based. BA programs allow such individuals to gain a foundational understanding of the many options available to them within the wonderful world of the theatrical and adjacent arts, give these students space to find where their interests lie, and prepare them to continue to develop their skills in graduate training or as apprentices. The networking of these opportunities, combined with the undergraduate network, can serve a student just as strongly as a showcase opportunity.

There are also distinct advantages to a BA program over a BFA one, by their very natures. A BA allows students the flexibility to choose with whom they study, what they study, and when. BFA curricula are strictly controlled and sequenced to ensure their students meet the necessary building blocks in the correct order.

Often, there is only one professor to teach a specific course, and students are limited in their options to adjust their schedule for work or to follow additional academic interests. BFA students enter with a cohort and spend the majority of their studies with that same small group of students, which builds a strong ensemble within that group, but can make it hard to work with others who do not have the same experiences. BA students can tailor their schedules and seek out courses and professors, working with a wider network of fellow students and forming broader social circles. BA programs are often designed to incorporate additional majors and minors with more ease, keeping overall time to degree and general costs more reasonable. 

Missouri State University Theatre students develop their skills in a classroom setting. (Photo by Julia Moriarty)

Additionally, comprehensive training in the theatrical arts serves students incredibly well in fields outside of the theatre profession. With a BA in theatre, a student will learn public speaking, critical thinking, textual analysis, leadership, teamwork, problem-solving, working on a budget, marketing, writing, and communication skills: all skills valued by corporations in their employees.

Theatre students also learn practical skills in their training, such as sewing and altering, carpentry and construction, electrical wiring, and computer programming basics, which could introduce them to vocational careers. And a degree in theatre prepares students to be educated citizens, as they learn about the history of humanity through a performance studies lens, read dramatic works from many ages and cultures, study the religious and political influence on performance practices across cultures, study poetry and lyricism, and more.

Theatre students gain expansive skills and perspective in their studies that speak directly to life and success in the corporate world, and the level of sustained focus and hard work that becomes standard in the theatre system makes these individuals highly desirable outside of the theatre profession.

Be it a BFA or BA, a love of the theatre should be encouraged and cultivated in an academic setting, but the degree pursued should be selected based on the students’ needs and circumstances. The difference between the two should not be qualified as pre-professional versus not, but rather focused versus expansive. Many students build thriving careers after a BFA program, but so too do BA students. Long ago, an off-Broadway puppet musically quipped, “What do you do with a BA in English?” before Avenue Q becoming a musical-theatre juggernaut. (Interestingly, all three of its creators earned BAs, not BFAs.) Perhaps the question should be, “What CAN’T you do with a BA in theatre?”