Andy Crouch
The Hideout Theatre
"I felt so much discomfort any time I pursued something that I wasn't passionate about or interested in, that I opted to trust my gut and follow my interests, and it paid off."
Career Roadmap
Andy's work combines: Acting & Theatre, Education, and Upholding a Cause and Belief
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Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Here's the path I took:
High School
William P. Clements
Bachelor's Degree
Plan II and Philosophy
The University of Texas at Austin
Here's the path I recommend for someone who wants to be a Self-Enrichment Teachers:
Bachelor's Degree: Plan II and Philosophy
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Life & Career Milestones
My path in life took a while to figure out
1.
I graduated high school not knowing what I wanted to do in life, but getting into a cool program at UT that I was excited about.
2.
I had a great time in college, but I never really learned how to do anything especially useful or practical, but I did a comic strip for the daily paper at my school, and I took that pretty seriously.
3.
I was looking for meaning and a path, so I threw myself into a couple of intense courses at my school: a hardcore expository writing class and a summer Shakespeare program.
4.
I stumbled into improv my last year of college and fell in love with how fascinating and scary it was. I felt like if I learned to do this, it would make me a stronger person.
5.
I graduated college without a plan and ended up getting a series of really boring office jobs. I temped for a while, which was the worst.
6.
The theater that I was doing improv at every weekend needed someone to help out with stuff, so I started working there for VERY LITTLE money.
7.
Over time I moved into different jobs at the theater and slowly made more and more, always just enough to pay rent and keep my head above water.
8.
The theater has flourished over time and I have settled into my current position of Education Director, which is really what I love most about improv, sharing it with other people.
Defining Moments
How I responded to discouragement
THE NOISE
Messages from Myself:
You need to make more money. You need to pursue a more legitimate career path. What you do isn't a real job. You need to get a higher level of education based on your socioeconomic background and what your parents do for a living.
How I responded:
I felt so much discomfort any time I pursued something that I wasn't passionate about or interested in, that I opted to trust my gut and follow my interests, and it paid off.
Experiences and challenges that shaped me
Nobody is getting rich choosing to work in the arts. Helping manage a theater doesn't pay a lot, so I've had to make my peace with a modest lifestyle. But I make enough, and I have a very happy life.