These drama students have been trained for years. Then the theater disappeared.

Linnea Scott, who majored in acting at an arts-loving high school in Denver, found herself living in what had been her little sister’s bedroom – her sister had taken hers. She wrote, did yoga, and hung out (outside) with friends from high school. “I remember having this intense feeling,” she said. “Have the last four years even taken place? “

The rush for some kind of work, some kind of income, was intense. Abigail Holland, an aspiring manager, found a job at an animal hospital. Patrick Monaghan, while making comedy sketches to publish online, does construction. Chase Dillon, still a bit of an entrepreneur, trades cryptocurrency.

“I do accounting work,” said Emma Davis, back home in Boca Raton, Fla., “Which is hilarious, considering I have a BFA in acting.”

The nanny, more in demand during a pandemic when many schools went virtual, has become a popular activity. Scott had a 5-year-old and an 8-year-old in his care in Denver, while Kate Pittard looked after six children in Brooklyn. “I sculpted with clay, painted, danced – things that I thought were pretty terrible for,” she said.

Health risks and changing local protocols have led some graduates to browse jobs. Trey Fitts, who as a senior starred as Melchior in “Spring Awakening,” worked at Target, but resigned after his stepfather had Covid and started driving for Grubhub; Johnson moved to Grubhub after working in landscaping and driving trucks.

“Nothing is happening in the industry,” said Jon Demegillo, who teaches Shakespeare at a summer camp. “What am I going to do with this diploma?” “

“A radical reimagination”

At the start of last summer, five members of the Class of 2020 were holed up together in Arkansas, where Gabriela Slape’s family had a lakefront home.