Adam Weisman, former secretary and interim production manager of Ad Hoc Productions
The first memory I have at Emory University is an ice-breaker from my orientation experience. Seated in a circle, each person took turns listing the basics: pronouns, hometown, and intended field of study. A younger Adam Weisman, chipper and green as he was, was eager to share – he was going to be a theater studies major. The announcement was met with silence and concerned looks, eventually scattered laughter. Within the first thirty minutes, I was reminded that we live in a world that undervalues the arts. Even in the enlightened, scholarly halls of Emory University.
Much of my first-year experience involved announcing my intended major, and then spending the next several hours defending my choice to my peers, and all life decisions that led me to that very point.
“What a waste of intelligence.”
“All your potential – and that’s what you’re doing with it?”
“Good thing there are always restaurants in need of waiters!”
I heard it all. And there were days when I’d listen. I started introducing myself as a double major, even when I had no clue what that second major would be, as if to say, “Don’t worry! I have a plan B!” As the years progressed, the external comments died down, but there was always a voice in the back of my head – what if they were right? I had four years to steel myself before entering the capitalist workforce, and there I was preparing by sitting beneath my lofted bed, reading excerpts of Aristotle’s Poetics.
Yet as I reflect on these last four years at Emory, an older (but still chipper, if not a trifle jaded) Adam Weisman realizes that I can attribute so much of my growth to my theater studies education. From philosophy, history and politics to sustainability and architecture, theater arts have helped me explore every niche academic interest I could identify. My involvement in student theater and Theater Emory have given me invaluable leadership opportunities and allowed me to hone my collaborative and people skills. The culminating result of my arts education is a well-rounded, competitive job applicant, ready to tackle any challenge that arises post-graduation. But most importantly, I learned to never apologize for pursuing a degree or a career in the arts. As I walk across the graduation stage, I will do so proud of all I have accomplished as a theater studies major.
Fellow students of the arts, continue your arts education with steadfast resolve. Don’t let anyone tell you that the arts aren’t a worthy pursuit. Together, we’ll show the world the power of the liberal arts.
Adam Weisman is a hopeful theatermaker from South Florida. He served as the secretary and interim production manager of Ad Hoc Productions, producer and mediator of the Lenaia Playwriting Festival, student representative on the Theater Emory advisory board, and resource manager and keeper of student storage for Alpha Psi Omega, Theater Honor Society. In 2021, he received the German Studies Engagement Award. He will be receiving a Theater Studies Departmental award this year. Additionally, he completed a Summer Student Assistantship completing German Studies research with Prof. Caroline Schaumann. His senior undergraduate research project was voted fan-favorite at The Davinci Talks. He plans on taking a gap year to work in theaters in and around Atlanta before pursuing a MFA in Theater for Youth.
