Yesterday's panel on Princeton in the Arts brought back young alumni who currently work full-time in the arts. This month marks the Lewis Center for the Arts’ fifth anniversary, and it’s undeniable that the University has a strong and growing relationship with theater, creative writing, dance and visual arts.

One panelist today, when prompted about “the fork in the road” that caused her to finally pick a career in the arts, said that she came to Princeton expecting theater to be a hobby that she’d eventually shelve to the side in favor of “something practical,” like accounting or business. She kept waiting to fall in love with something practical and never did, until she realized that nothing would make her happy other than a career in the arts.

I think a lot of students at Princeton are hyper-focused on choosing “something practical”. Creative interests like writing or theater are fostered by taking a class with Jeffrey Eugenides or auditioning for a Theatre Intime one-act. But, they’re arguable taken less seriously in many (though not all) cases. Even the most passionate dancer might come to Princeton and be the president of his dance company and successfully complete a certificate, only to go on to medical school and become a dermatologist. There’s nothing wrong with this, but there’s definitely an element of fear. A career in the arts is not stable, and too often, it conjures up the image of a starving freelance actor living in a cardboard box. Why come to Princeton to go on to the arts?

When this question was brought up, a panelist responded: “Because a full liberal arts education gives me something to write about.” While it may not make sense at a superficial level to come to Princeton to pursue a career in theater, the well-rounded education it allows for can enrich art in ways that a conservatory might not be able to.

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