 |
| Jackie deMontmollin TETA BOD President Elect |
· Upper Division Founder’s Scholarship
Alesa McGregor
· High School Senior Actor Founder's Scholarship Award: Sarah Howard
Alternate: Cecily Breaux
· College Acting Founder's Scholarship Award: Abbey Fitzjarrell
Alternate: Crystal Stampes
· High School Technical Theatre Founder's Scholarship Award: Kylie Jones
Alternate: Troy Carrico
· College Technical Theatre Founder's Scholarship Award: Chase Harrison
To all of the nominees: We, the Board of Directors, applaud your decision to continue your studies as a theatre artist. Every nominee represents the best that our state has to offer, and we are immeasurably proud of each and every one of you!
We are so grateful to the teachers and professors of the Institutional Member programs these students come from! These teachers and professors are encouraging the future of theatre!!!
I have an admission to make: when sitting down to write this article I remembered a conversation I had recently with a friend who is the education director for a theatre. She told me she presented at a career fair at a high school and she got in trouble from the principal so she didn’t think she’d be invited back. I asked, “What in the world did you do to get in trouble?” she replied, “I told the kids that if they could think of anything else besides theatre to do, they should do it.” Of course, I’ve heard a number of people say that line, so I wasn’t shocked. But I wish I had been.
On my commute home “that line” in the conversation kept replaying in my mind. It bothered me. I became disappointed in myself. Why didn’t I actively come to the defense of theatre? Why did I accept “that line” as cliché and move on to another subject?
Good for that principal I suddenly thought. I realized, “I want my kid to go to that principal’s school!” Then it dawned on me: none of us should ever say “that line”! I started composing my “defense of theatre” in my head, you know, the old, “the next time this happens I will say….”
I began to consider where this attitude comes from: is that archaic line left over from fears parent’s instilled at an early age, that we would become hungry and homeless if we pursue our passion? Or is it a societal attitude left over from a 20th Century model in which creativity & problem solving were back burner skills when employers were looking for cogs in the wheels instead of innovators? Either way, what is strange (and sad) is “that line” is often said by people who are happily working in the profession!
Well, times have changed and “that line” needs to take a back seat. It is our job to be the supporter, the encourager, the educator not only in, but also about our field. It is the kid’s job to be the innovators, the creators, and stimulus for the future!
I keep seeing articles on Facebook about the skills that people earned studying theatre that translates into their everyday work. I heard CEO’s from major corporations address the Senate Education Committee a few years back accompanied by Dan Pink testifying that they would hire an MFA before an MBA because of their abilities to innovate. Yet “that line” still rears its ugly head.
As I write this, I know in most cases I am preaching to the choir. Many of you already are just like that principal; you are speaking up at every opportunity in defense of theatre. Some of you are like me, supporting, but getting caught off guard sometimes. And, as is evidenced by my recent experience, some of us still believe “that line”. Let’s please reconsider!
Below are some statistics regarding the arts’ impact on our economy and jobs. This information is from Americans for the Arts Third Arts & Economic Prosperity report:
The $166.2 billion in total economic activity has a significant national impact, generating the following:
• 5.7 million full-time equivalent jobs
• $104.2 billion in household income
• $7.9 billion in local government tax revenues
• $9.1 billion in state government tax revenues
• $12.6 billion in federal income tax revenues
Retrieved from:
http://artsusa.org/information_services/research/services/economic_impact/007.asp
If you are still with me, thank you! Please encourage your kids be a part of a growing arts industry! And allow TETA to help you by sending your kids to be applicants for TETA’s scholarships every year.
Here is my plea to you in five steps:
First: Become an Institutional Member School so that your kids are eligible for TETA scholarships.
Here is the link with information:
http://www.tetatx.com/home/committees/caps
Second: Advocate for the arts…educate students and parents about making a living using their theatre skills. You are likely the one person in their life supporting their goals. Make sure they know that theatre is an industry, that they can make a living like we are doing, and that they can and should look beyond being an actor to countless careers in theatre. Don’t tell them to think of something else, instead educate them about all of the possibilities in the theatre and entertainment industry!
Third: Make sure you, your kids and their parents know about the scholarships TETA offers early in their time with you so that they can start goal setting to be the nominee from your school early. It is never too early to start thinking about college! (Listed below with more information at this link:
http://www.tetatx.com/conventions/theatrefest/student-auditions
Fourth: Encourage your student (s) to apply!!! Don’t just tell them; it doesn’t always work; you have to follow up. I have learned that one the hard way as none of my students applied this year, even though I sent out e-mail reminders, it wasn’t enough! I am now making it my personal mission to change that! (So if you’re reading this and you are in The Summer MA at UH look out! I’m coming prepared with applications when I see you in July!!!) How many of my students could benefit from an extra two thousand dollars? Every single one! How many of yours? Every single one!
The money isn’t the only benefit to earning these awards; there is tremendous prestige having this award on a resume! Also, many out-of-state programs will award a scholarship based on the fact that a student earned a TETA Founder’s Scholarship. The benefits are much more than what meets the eye!
Fifth: Give your students whatever support they need to complete the paperwork, get their transcripts and get the information in BEFORE the December 1 deadline. They are in the midst of musical rehearsals, physics exams, community service projects and all of the other millions of things this amazing generation devotes itself to. Remind them incessantly. Tell them you think it is important. This will cause it to be important to them. They take their cues from you!
There are FIVE scholarships available from TETA. This information is from the TETA Website:
TETA Founders' Scholarship Auditions: (These $2000 scholarships are only available to students from schools which are Institutional Members of the Texas Educational Theatre Association.)
· Acting: High School Level
· Design/Technical Theatre: High School Level
· Acting: College/University Level
· Design/Technical Theatre: College/University Level
High School Founder’s Eligibility Requirements: Each Institutional Member High School is eligible to submit one of its graduating high school seniors for audition consideration for the Founders' Scholarship for Acting and one for Design/Technical Theatre. The candidate must be intent on making theatre their major at a TETA Institutional Member college or university. Student must have a GPA of 3.0.
College Founders Eligibility Requirements: Each college/university, which is an Institutional Member (I.M.) of the Texas Educational Theatre Association, is eligible to submit up to three of its transferring students for audition consideration for the Founders' Scholarship for Acting: College/University Level. (If an I.M. school is submitting more than one candidate for the Founder's Scholarship in Acting, then the theatre director/chair must designate which of the candidates is the school's first, second and, if necessary, third choice for the Scholarship.) A candidate must be intent on making theatre his/her major at a TETA Institutional Member college or university, must have a 3.0 overall GPA and have completed 12 or more semester credit hours.
· The Lynn Murray Scholarship
In 2003 the T.E.T.A. Board of Directors decided that an incentive be created to encourage current TETA members in good standing to continue their education in pursuit of a degree or a certificate in Theatre Education at an institutional member school. The Lynn Murray Scholarship was created.
The scholarship can only be awarded to a TETA member in good standing, who is currently a full time employee of a school district, junior college, or university. The scholarship must be used to continue education in pursuit of a Theatre degree or a certificate at an institutional member school with verification to continue in the educational theatre field.
*No more than $1000.00 per semester (Spring, Summer or Fall) no more than two semesters per school year or two consecutive summers. Maximum award is $2000.00.
For application and instructions go to this link and scroll down to Scholarship applications. Find the PDF that says “Lynn Murray Ap” http://www.tetatx.com/forms