Here's an article that discusses student loans and job and life choices for our generation. They don't mention the arts but I know my loans are much higher than the kids mentioned (MUCH HIGHER) and NYC is much more expensive than most of the country. I'm in a lot of debt people and I will be paying it off for the next 30 years unless something extraodinary happens. Isn't it amazing what we will do for our art?
Student loans - a life sentence Forget about getting married and buying a home. This generation is thinking about next month's payment.
"Call it a reverse dowry: college debt diverts careers and delays or impedes graduates' plans to get married, buy a home or even to start a family. The effects can last years."
The cumulative effect of such student debt on graduates is unclear, although few would argue that its impact will be positive for the graduates, the economy or society.
"We've never done this to a generation of young people before," said Dr. Heather Boushey, Senior Economist at the progressive Center for Economic and Policy Research. "We've never put a generation in their 20s in debt they can't get out of before they started their work life."
"The normal approach in any healthy society is to help young married couples get started in life through marital gifts, dowries, and the like," Allan Carlson of the socially-conservative Howard Center for Family, Religion, and Society said.
"We now burden many young adults with student debt, sometimes massive in nature; the price being paid includes marriages delayed or foregone and fewer children. This is foolish public policy."
Yes, here's the deal, right: loans are justified by the premise that with your (oooh-la-la) COLLEGE DEGREEEEE you'll be able to secure gainful employment. Well ha mister and missus financial aid, DON'T let people MAJOR in THEATRE then! Or, if you do, there should be some sort of system where you don't owe anything unless and until you SECURE some freakin' gainful employment--IN THE FIELD WHICH WE MAJORED IN! Then maybe University Provost's would get off their...leather chairs, and help us all in our post-university search for such a thing...
ReplyDeleteyes CERTAinlia, it is a problem in our field. this is the reason why i think it's harder to be an artist than it used to be. It used to be you were a starving artist. now we're all saddled with debt as well. and the supercompetetive job I'd love to have working in something resembling my field only pays 20,000 which wouldn't even cover my rent. So i have this other job way up town and it sort of takes over my life even though I am only there 9 to 5.
ReplyDeleteThis is really the conundrum for those of us who are drowning in debt. Theoretically, my dream is to one day quit my day job and get one of those dream jobs in not-for-profit theater--for substantially less than I make as an admin assistant! The wife and I are trying to think about getting a mortgage and doing all sorts of stuff like that and wrapping my mind around the concept that, if I "succeed", I will be EVEN POORER than I am NOW is a bit maddening.
ReplyDeleteIt's insane. And I'm in the same place. Just celebrated administrative assistant day last week. Time to start thinking about TV or Film--as long as I can still find the time to write plays.
ReplyDeleteI actually envy you writers and also actors a bit. Dabbling in film and TV seems a bit more doable for you all, as some of the basic skills are the same, with some variations. Thinking about directing for TV - which is something I wouldn't be averse to, as there are some decent shows these days - would seem to require the attainment of an entirely different set of skills. Maybe it's an easier adjustment than I think, but on the surface it seems much more "different" than a writer or actor doing screen stuff.
ReplyDeleteI too was feted on "Administrative Professionals Day" and it was mildly weird.
PS: So glad you've got this production going on. Scott is great and introduced me to my wife, for which I am eternally grateful.
Well, it's not really easy (for me) to transition from playwriting to writing for screens. I've written one screenplay and co-written another and both were incredibly difficult in a way that plays aren't for me. The skill sets are different but i am figuring it out and I feel the next one will be good, though I don't know that it will be easy.
ReplyDeleteScott and the actors are doing an incredible job. I have two other shows in july I'm in preproduction for. I have too many balls up in the air but I'm thrilled and terrified and stressed all at the same time. I hope you can come see one.