What I Did For Love: Pursuing the Performing Arts in a Post-recession Economy
Open Access
Author:
Tunney, Kelly Glenn
Area of Honors:
Journalism
Degree:
Bachelor of Arts
Document Type:
Thesis
Thesis Supervisors:
Curtis William Chandler, Thesis Supervisor Steve Manuel, Thesis Honors Advisor
Keywords:
Theater performing arts musical theater
Abstract:
“What I Did For Love” is a multimedia documentary about the feasibility of a performing arts degree in difficult economic times created by the recession beginning in 2008. The issue is explored through the experiences of a 27-year-old chorus dancer from New York City, New York; a 58-year-old community theater thespian from Brownsville, Pennsylvania; a musical theater department director from Penn State University; and various college students and recent graduates at the Wagon Wheel Theatre in Warsaw, Indiana. These subjects tell how they justified the expense of a performing arts degree, while video of their lives illustrates their passion for theater. This written companion provides an analysis of the topic, a description of the media involved in telling the story, and the component texts that together comprise the final product, a multimedia web page that can be found at: http://commedia.psu.edu/news/story/performers-pursue-their-dreams-of-a-career-in-the-arts-despite-down-economy.
