Gold Diggers and Networking

I've been watching TCM this evening, first 42nd Street and now Gold Diggers of 1933. They are both great romps starring Ruby Keeler and Dick Powell, and featuring Ginger Rogers pre Fred Astaire. Choreography? Why, it's by the great Busby Berkley. Right now Ginger is singing "We're In The Money" in pig Latin, and I am not lying.

God, I adore these musicals. They are sneakily risque, from the costumes to the lines. My favorite line from 42nd Street is "She's only said 'No' once and that was because she didn't hear the question."

And now, in Gold Diggers of 1933, Barney's puttin' on a new show!

Well, old movies aren't the most exciting thing in my life these days. In about a month I'm going to be advising theater major undergraduates on just exactly why a performing arts degree can be valuable to them in their lives after college.

Heh.

The event is ACCESS2ALUMNI at the University of Maryland, my alma mater. It's an internship fair; one of the features is a networking session featuring alumni talking about how they've used their degrees.

Or, in my case, how I haven't used my degree.

I was straight up about my stunning lack of stardom and success in the performing arts milieu, and the woman who was recruiting me was all over that. They already have alumni who have had success in the performing arts, and they wanted someone in a successful career who could speak to how the drama degree helped in that success.

I agreed, because I do think my degree has helped me in my career. For one thing, it helped me become a damn good speaker. I have friends who would rather eat glass than speak in public, but I'm not one of them. It's just another acting job to me!

It's probably good for these kids to hear this, especially the ones haven't quite realized that the odds of stardom are against them.

But just you watch. Every single undergrad acting student who sits at my table will be picking up an Oscar in the next few years. So much for alternate uses for your drama degree!