Jobs for the Major
How this major affects a job search
Anyone majoring in the arts, especially one as specific as puppetry, should brace themselves for the cold reality: it's really difficult to find a job in this field. You can rack up good grades and letters of recommendation all you like, but at the end of the day, only your raw talent (and who you know) will help you land that dream job at Sesame Street.
One of the great things about the skills you acquire in a puppetry major, however, is the know-how to mount your own production. So what if the pickings are slim after graduation? That's okay. Because with a little ingenuity and a lot of hard work, you can create a job for yourself. Produce and direct your own small-scale puppet show, pick up some amateur work, and slowly build a name for yourself in the industry.
If a puppetry major doesn't land you a job as a puppeteer, your background in theater fundamentals and BFA degree could pave the way for work as a teacher. Costume and set design experience can also lead to other jobs in theater, fashion, television, or film.
Common Career Fields
Acting/Voice Work. Most people majoring in puppetry receive a good deal of training as an actor. Puppeteers whose hearts are truly set on performing might find more work as a voice or stage actor than they would in puppetry. Puppeteers can look for jobs in children's television or theater, voiceovers, or even spend a couple summers at Disneyland as a mascot/princess.
Design. There are tons of options for a puppetry major in design, ranging from puppet-making to costume design to lighting. Here's where those painting, wood-carving, sewing, and shadow-puppeting skills really come into play. Whether you're constructing sets for a movie musical or designing the latest action figure for Marvel, a background in puppetry gives you a wide range of design tools to choose from.
Directing. It's no wonder why many students who study puppet arts go on to become directors. Puppetry encompasses nearly every facet of theater practice. This means that puppeteers are in a unique position to understand the needs of the entire production, including cast and crew. Their performance training helps them guide the actors, their design training helps them craft ideas for sets, and classes in writing can train them to reshape a script.
Education. The old saying goes, "Those who can't do, teach." While that might sound a little insulting, the truth is there just aren't a lot of job opportunities for puppeteers. Puppetry majors can transition into child development, such as pre-K and early elementary education. Yep, kids go wild for puppets. Puppetry majors can also teach drama, establish high school theater programs, or teach theater arts at the higher education level.
Management. From community theater to international tours, stage managers keep the production moving. Stage management combines knowledge of many theater practices with solid organization skills. Managers are not overseeing the overall creative direction of the play, but they're the play's most valuable communicator (here's where those Voice and Diction classes come in handy). They coordinate between the director, crew, actors, and production staff in order to keep the show running smoothly.
Puppeteer. This one's the dream job. This one's for the kid who did impressions of the Swedish Chef or Kermit the Frog. This one's for the performer who's comfortable manipulating string, rod, and shadow in order to make characters come to life. Puppeteers are the people who actually create the movements and voices of the lovable creatures you see on stage, on television, and in film.
Writing. Understanding the voice that kids are most comfortable with is important for puppetry majors. This makes puppetry majors excellent writers for children's books, poems, and plays. And don't forget: puppetry isn't just for kids. Several successful plays and musicals, including Broadway's Avenue Q, combine the sunny innocence of puppeteering with crude adult language and themes for some serious laughs.
Current unemployment of the major
7.1% (Drama and Theater Arts)Percentage of majors who get a higher degree after college
24% (Drama and Theater Arts)Stats obtained from this source.