Do I use my degree in Theatre?

Today I learned that a theatre teacher from my college days at Brigham Young  University passed away.  I respected Ivan Crosland very much, but I knew him very little. Lets rewind....

As a freshman I was uncommitted to a major, to a life path, to most things, all in all I think a very healthy place to be. When I auditioned for shows it was with the understanding (in my heart) that it was for experience and I probably wouldn't get a part for a while. And so I auditioned for everything.

Main-stage plays, One act plays, scenes for directing classes, student films test screens, I auditioned for it all, and while it was unofficial and not very scientific, I started keeping track of how well I did.

• I found that if there were call backs, I usually got called back (I took this as a sign that I had some talent)
• If there were more than one set of call backs, I was often called back. (often is less than usually)
• If a cast list was posted I was mostly not on it. (1 student produced show that first year)

I would like to say that my odds improved each year but honestly The above facts remained true, even once I had been accepted into my Major, Acting (another brutal to the ego process that resulted in written critiques one could pore over and obsess on until the next session of auditions.)

Finally my Senior year, I only auditioned for 2 things, I was called back to both and cast in both. After graduation, I auditioned for a show in California and was cast as the lead in that show. 

I had learned the skills and tradecraft I needed to go along with my talent, but more than that, I was committed to Acting and I was succeeding, I was actually getting paid to do the thing I loved and worked so hard at.

And then I got married, and started having children, and had some more, and I stopped acting, I was no longer willing to leave my babies at night to go to unending rehearsals, or put family plans on hold until I knew the upcoming season. Instead I started learning how to be a mother to what ended up being 5 pretty fantastic people.

So I am now on a semi-permanent hiatus, and those days of acting and collaboration, seem pretty far away, and so getting back to the point, Do I use my degree in Theatre? 

Yes, Daily.

Because these are the things Dr. Ivan Crosland taught me in my beginning acting class my freshman year. (Pardon my memory, and understand that actually these are the things I learned, He may have been trying to teach something entirely different.)

• Don't let your personal box of boundaries prevent you from loving someone. We have a lot of these personal space restrictions in American culture but sometimes human touch is the only thing that comforts. 
• Say yes to opportunities that present themselves to you. 
• If trying something scares and thrills you, you should probably do it more.
• People who make you uncomfortable probably have something to teach you about yourself. (Side note, Ivan assigned me to work with a very intimidating girl in class, one who I just couldn't understand, and who became one of my very best friends in the whole universe.) 

Beyond that one class, my personal interaction with Dr. Crosland was limited, but his influence on so many others continued to show up in class after class, and show after show. and that is perhaps the best lesson from Ivan, 

When you give your all to the arts, when you share so much of yourself with others, when you teach what you know, you change the world.