Theater Careers Outlook
Theater will continue to offer employment opportunities to skilled artists. However, it is important to remember that there are very few stars. There are always three or four failures for every one hit. People who aspire to careers in the performing arts should recognize that although the possibilities of success exist and excite the imagination, the possibilities of disappointment are all too real.
The employment picture is clouded by fierce competition and an abundance of applicants. Typically, theater professionals make ends meet by branching out. They find a job here, a job there, in television, film, radio, or the industrial arena. During the summer they may hope to connect with a stock company at a resort or with musical or dramatic road companies.
Acting unions report that about 80 percent of registered actors make an insufficient income from acting, and at least 30 percent of registered actors make no money from acting at all in any given year. Many people well trained in music, drama, or dance find work as teachers in arts schools or as private instructors in order to make a living. For those who do succeed, a career path often includes a variety of jobs.
The expansion of cable and satellite television, the growth of the market for direct to DVD or video movies, and the demand for syndicated television shows, should create employment opportunities outside the theater for actors, directors, producers, costume and set designers, and other support positions. Growth for all of these groups, though, is expected to be about as fast as the national average through 2014. In theater itself, the outlook is mixed, as cultural budgets are slashed and many theaters, particularly in the nonprofit sector, are unable to survive. Theater Communications Group indicated healthy signs for non-profit theater groups in the United States. About one quarter of non-profit theaters responded to a survey, reporting a combined audience of more than 32 million, suggesting that the total audience is much higher. Attendance at stage productions is expected to grow. Touring productions of Broadway plays and other large shows are providing new opportunities for actors and directors, and there is a rising foreign demand for American productions.
In times of economic recession, less money will be spent on leisure activities and growth of careers in theater will suffer accordingly. Employment may be adversely affected by fluctuations in government funding of the arts. The arts face continued competition not only within their own areas but also from new sources of leisure and entertainment, such as video and computer games. However, many people still want the warmth and human connection that only live theater provides.
For More Information:
- Accounting Careers
- International Alliance of Theatrical Stage
- National Association of Schools of Theater
- Theater Communications Group
Related Fields:
- Dance Career Field
- Film Career Field
- Literary Arts Career Field
- Music Career Field
- Television Career Field
Related Careers:
- Actors
- Circus Performers
- Clowns
- Comedians
- Costume Designers
- Dancers and Choreographers
- Lighting Technicians
- Magicians
- Makeup Artists
- Music Conductors and Directors
- Musicians
- Screenwriters
- Stage Production Workers
- Stunt Performers
- Writers