<p>First, I've never started a discussion line before - I hope this works.</p>
<p>My question to those applying. Why do you want to be in MT. It should be clear that I do not want to discourage you - I just want to know what the great motivation might be for so many of you - far more than could be accepted. Why do you believe MT is the life you want to pursue? It is a tough life - as hard as it is getting into a good training program - it is even harder getting into the professional world - and harder, still maintaining that life.</p>
<p>I have some ideas why - it was fun in High School, in High school it was a place where you could shine, you are blessed with talents and many folks are encouraging you to do this.....</p>
<p>I don't have any answers - I just am iterested in the auditioning students' response...</p>
<p>This might be fun for parents as well, but that might be another thread...</p>
<p>I can't speak for many people, but for myself personally, I am almost (and I say almost) offended by this statement: "it was fun in high school, it was a place where you could shine, you are blessed with talents and many folks are encouranging you to do this....." I would say, my desires to pursue musical theatre were neither for praise nor for a "fun time" of giggles and pillow talk, though of course those things can't hurt.</p>
<p>For me, as for many people who have a passion in what they do, I could never watch or listen to theatre, musical or otherwise, and not feel somehow pulled to it. It's not just watching The Light in the Piazza, it's wondering where I'd fit in it, who I'd play, and closing my eyes and wondering what it must feel like to sing and dance in front of all those blinking eyes. I love watching baseball live, but I am in no way pulled in the same way. I love watching ER, but I am in no way wondering what it must feel to be on the otherside of the cutting board. </p>
<p>Also, for me it has never been "to get on Broadway" or even to remotely be the star. I just want to flippin' do it. To sing at weddings, to perform in Disney Land, or even--if it's all I'm capable of--to shine at the nearest Six Flags. There are plenty of opportunities to perform around the world, though they may not be as glamorus or well paying.</p>
<p>But mostly, because I've spent a year not performing now, and it's killing me. Because whatever else I would do that would be "easier," I'd still be sitting in the audience closing my eyes and constantly longing to get the stage back in my life. My mind's set on only one thing, and it's cause of this damn thing called passion. It's not my fault, I swear.</p>
<p>I can tell you that this is the ONLY career path my daughter has ever considered. We took her to see the World Premiere of Beauty and the Beast the week she turned 5 years old and she has been hooked ever since. She started singing at the age of 6, theatre at the age of 8, and has been doing professional theatre consistently since she was 10. Before my daughter was so involved in theatre, I used to look at child athletes (for example figure skaters) and think how much of their childhood they missed being at practice, etc. After my daughter became involved in theatre, I realized that some children are just driven by a certain passion. There is nothing my daughter loves more than an all day rehearsal unless it's the final product, being on stage. In January, she was finishing up a professional show, starting tech on her school show, and just starting rehearsal on another show (and she was the lead in each show). Last weekend, she did six auditions in LA in one day (three scheduled, three walkins). That evening, she told me she had the most fun that day because it was like she was performing all day. No nerves at all for her auditions, just plain old fun. Alfieism is right - it's a passion!!</p>
<p>I love and agree with so much of what the above two posters have said.</p>
<p>So many professionals in the theater world have said to me, "If you want to do anything else, do it. If there's even a doubt in your mind that theater is what you want to do, if there is anything you are considering pursuing as seriously, do that other thing." Theater is a crazy, irrational field, but I truly feel it is my calling. I have been struggling to think of anything that might even remotely interest me as a backup career because there truly isn't anything else. I'm addicted. </p>
<p>In actress Sharon Wheately's book, "Till the Fat Girl Sings: From Overweight Nobody to Broadway Somebody," she talks about the first time she saw a musical live at age eight and how she sobbed from the moment the curtain rose. She was so jealous and wanted to be up on stage herself so badly that she couldn't contain herself. I can SO relate to that. When I see shows on Broadway I am full of awe at their talent, but also a little jealous and think "Why not me? I will be up there some day." When I see shows on campus or on the community level I get really jealous, as much as I enjoy the show. I am not a jealous person normally. I just feel more strongly about it than anything else. </p>
<p>But, as Alfieism said, Broadway or Stardom is not the ultimate goal. I want to love the job I end up with. Performing as an actress day after day would be a career that wouldn't feel like a job; it would be a dream come true.</p>
<p>When I was in a professional training program and they said to us "if you can do anything else.. do it", or "look to your right, look to your left... only one of you will ultimately do this for your life".. I would get mad and think... "I can do lots of things... I want to do this!" As I embarked on my career as a performer and was performing professionally, I discovered what they meant... not that "only those for whom this is the only thing thay can do are qualified for or deserve to do this" but rather... "if you have other passions you may discover that this life is not the life for you." Once I was performing professionally I discovered that I did not love it enough to do it for the rest of my life... I now direct professionally and teach... perform occasionally, and am much happier than I was when I was performing full-time. However, I would not have made this discovery if I had not pursued the professional performing in a passionate, all-out way. I actually found that performing as an actress day after day did feel like a job... a job I liked, but a job... Directing and teaching are things that I can do day after day without there ever feeling like a "job"... I never would have guessed this would be the case when I was in my late teens or early 20s. </p>
<p>I hope that all of you who are embarking on the college audition path remember that you are special and should put yourself out there to follow your dream. Sometimes it can be discouraging, but if it is truely what you want it is worth it.. and you may not discover if it is the way you want to spend your life until you are actually doing it as a career. Life is an exciting journey.... go after what you want, and continue to learn and grow from every experience. Good luck!! :)</p>
<p>I often find myself jokingly saying "I wish I didn't love performing so much, and I wish I didn't have this talent" because I know I could get a steady, successful career (a much more financially pleasing one ;) doing anything else. But the truth is, I LOVE PERFORMING and I know I need/want to use my talents and doing what I love. I figure, after I give performing a long, fair, 100% shot, I can always try something else. (not to say that I'm going to give up easily)</p>
<p>Ok, I'll take a stab at this...I am not my D, but what I observe is the development of an artist, it is artistry, not a lark, that drives this passion, and her need to grow and develop this highly unusual combination of talents and strengths. It's yeoman's work, and I think many would drop out rather than pursue something so difficult, unless it drives their sense of who they are, and the need they have, as some of the posters above have articulated, to perform and seek the limelight so consistently.</p>
<p>Welll i don't do HS plays...I do professional and community theater...high school play bored me and quite honestly i was better than most (if not all) of the kids and i wasn't growing. i haven't done a high school play since freshmen yr..i've been doing professional theater and community theater ever since. I have made a life outta this...this isn't a dream that grew outta some high school fame or what not...this is a dream that's been growing since i was featured in bugsy malone when i was 10, featured in Ain't misbehavin when i was 13, starred in smokey joe's when i was 15 and Dreamgirls (as deena) when i was 17.....and so on.....not to be boa****l...but just to be clear that many of us on the MT board who are SERIOUS about MT go above and beyond little mediocre roles in HS. We are professionals before we audition for college.</p>
<p>bsb2007, it's fabulous that you have had so many professional opportunities and have made the most of them. That's amazing and I can tell by what you wrote (and the passion you brought to writing it) that you are going to continue to grow and develop as an artist. But it may be an overstatement to say that "many of us on the MT board who are serious about MT go above and beyond little mediocre roles in HS. We are professionals before we audition fro college." Is that really true, do you think? It's only my impression (because I am far from an expert and don't personally know everyone on this board or others! :)) but I think that <em>most</em> of the students auditioning for college have not worked professionally on a regular basis and many <em>have</em> gotten a great deal of satisfaction and yes, fun :), doing their high school musicals and plays. For quite a few kids, school musicals and plays are their first -- and for some, only -- exposure to performing. You might be surprised and pleased at the high level of some high school productions and the kids who perform in them. I know that is not true of every school, but I do know it's true of some, because I have seen them with my own eyes. I just don't want anyone to get the impression that because they have only done school shows that they somehow are less "serious" or gifted and talented or passionate than are those, like bsb2007, who have been able to do more. You're all wonderful!</p>
<p>Excellently said, NotMamaRose! It's been said time and time and TIME again on here that everyone follows his or her own path to MT. There's such diversity of personality, opportunity, family situation, etc., etc. -- factors that really have nothing to do with talent or with seriousness about MT. It seems absolutely clear, bsb2007, that your choice to focus on professional and community theatre at a young age was right for you. But that doesn't mean it's a better choice than others are making, nor does it guarantee that you'll have greater ultimate success than they do. Sorry, but it just doesn't. And I also have to echo NotMamaRose's praise of some high school productions. I've seen a number that have absolutely floored everyone in the audience and that have been tremendous growth experiences for the kids involved.</p>
<p>^^ totally agree. My HS absolutely SUCKS!!!at MT. The high school i attended for a while after katrina was phenomenal...i mean absolutely state of the art....that was the only thing i liked about where katrina displaced me too...lol. But i was simply speaking for myself and the few of us who did not take the HS MT path.</p>
<p>oh yea and for those who do HS musicals and r serious about them, i'm sure you are deciding to do MT for more than "this was fun!" You are doing it because there's some kinda passion tied up in there.</p>
<p>I agree with NotMamaRose that our sense is that most conservatory applicants are not working professionals. Why would they need the training? However I can relate to bad HS performances. That’s why d will not be in a school show this year. When you have talent and you have seen the most talented actors in the business it is painful to be in a technical play surrounded by kids who are hacking up the work pretty badly. </p>
<p>I think tashmu put it pretty well from a parents perspective; especially this line:</p>
<p>
[quote]
It's yeoman's work, and I think many would drop out rather than pursue something so difficult, unless it drives their sense of who they are…
[/quote]
</p>
<p>I think the follow on to that is something we have observed recently that following your dreams/passions is very often not easy. </p>
<p>I chuckle when people talk about a “back-up” or “minoring” in acting. That’s fine for them but as the kids have articulated so well above its just who they are. </p>
<p>This is the analogy I have used. </p>
<p>Today I sat down with my 2 year old 60 pound German Sheppard “Malachy” and had a talk with him. I explained that I thought he was a very talented dog and that he was making good progress with the “fetch” and “stay” and all that and that he was doing an admiral job of destroying the yard like dogs want to do. None the less I felt it was necessary to have a back up plan in case “the dog thing” didn’t work out for him. </p>
<p>Maybe that seems silly to you yet at this point D could no more consider a “back up” than our dog could consider not being a dog. I agree, its not a lark, they are artists and storytellers. I admire them because I could no more perform well than I could become a dog!</p>
<p>My daughter has continued to participate in her high school musicals while continuing with her professional shows (she's an Equity Membership Candidate) and has had a wonderful time doing so. She was offered the lead in her last professional show (at an equity theatre) but was also offered the lead in her school show. She was told by the director at the professional theatre that she was going to have to choose between the two and she told him she would choose her high school show since it was her senior year. The professional theatre than agreed to let her miss their last two nights as it was tech rehearsal for her school show (and they utilized an understudy) and asked her to do their show, which she agreed to do. My daughter's high school theatre department is top notch (she goes to a public high school) and she has learned a lot from her directors. She has been offered incredible roles through her school (Eponine in Les Mis, Gertrude McFuzz in Seussical, Annabelle Glick in Lucky Stiff, and Belle in Beauty and the Beast which just wrapped up). Our city has a Tony type recognition program for the high schools and my daughter has been nominated as Best Leading Actress for her first three roles (the nominations haven't come out yet this year) and won the award last year. The school has been nominated for numerous awards ranging from scenic design to orchestra. This is great recognition for the kids for their college applications and wouldn't have occurred through professional theatre. She is fortunate to live in a city that has so many opportunities but I think that is the exception rather than the norm. Since March '06, she has done four professional shows and two school shows (one straight and one musical). Her school has been asked to perform their straight show at the International Thespian Society convention in Lincoln this summer, just another benefit for continuing to participate in high school theatre. She will be missing out on two out of five professional summer stock shows in order to go to Nebraska.</p>
<p>I wanted to thank everyone for their contributions! I just want to make clear that I am happy that people want to do MT. I clearly am an avid supporter. I did not mean to trivialize "it was fun in high school". I only wanted stimulate individuals' stories on what initailly drew them to the theatre, and what then motivate their passion to attempt a career.</p>
<p>Regarding high schools, isn't it astonishing the range of opportunities high schools, even in the same community can offer students? Our high school has traditionally done typical, (but very well done) appropriate for teens, musicals. Last year, our new director upped the ante and did Chicago... most parents' reactions were, "What?" when he announced this. And it was a huge success. So this year when he announced Into The Woods, not having learned our lesson from last year, we reacted with the same, "What?" They both have their challenges for different reasons, but he pulled Chicago off, and I have faith he will pull Into The Woods off. Thankfully this year he also has a dedicated choir teacher to co-direct with him (he was the vocal director for Chicago) especially given the difficulty of the music.</p>
<p>That being said, our school also has a three top-notch show choirs that feed right into our theatre program, especially when it comes to the musicals. So while our students may not be out doing community and regional theatre throughout the year, many who star in our musicals are rehearsing and performing from August on for the show choir competition season (which we're in the midst of right now), and are not only very comfortable on stage, but have been working on the dynamics of performing for many months prior to the musical. If our school didn't have show choir, I don't know how all our students would get the additional experience that prepares them so well for our musicals.</p>
<p>mtdog, it's a basic and provocative question that you've put forward, one that we all should be re-examining through this process. This is especially important for the kids who are contemplating such a life of sacrifice! </p>
<p>Alismom, your daughter has been very fortunate to have such a wealth of opportunities available to her through these years, and parents who are able to provide the time and the means (and the willingness to do all that driving!) to support her pursuit. With such a resume, she must be very talented, and very driven. And it must be a tremendous asset with her college auditions. I suspect that most posters here do not have such exceptional advantages! </p>
<p>On the other hand, a friend from our public high school, who's resume was full of mostly high school productions (not all of them leads), walked into her first audition for a big-city equity production and landed a featured role, over many dozens of more experienced candidates. The point is that this girl is also driven - she's worked her butt off and made the most of every role. These "Peggy Sawyer" stories don't happen often, but they sure are inspiring!</p>
<p>KatMT, thanks for the sobering view from the other side of this madness. Even though she probably doesn't want to hear it right now, I'm passing it on to my D.</p>
<p>Here is why most of the people who I know and myself want to do musical theatre.
1. Actresses are hot.
2. Math is boring.
3. I'd kill myself at a desk job.
4. I like getting college credit for meditation and yoga.</p>
<p>Mizlyn, I remind my daughter how fortunate she is to have the opportunities she has all the time and she does appreciate them. My daughter is 18 years old and has yet even to take driver's ed!! My friends and coworkers (I work fulltime and commute 30 miles each way, sometimes making the trip back and forth three times in one day for rehearsals) say they don't know how I keep up with her schedule. I tell them that the only thing I'm doing for my daughter involves time and the gas money to get her back and forth (which got a little expensive at $3/gallon!!). And what do I get out of this ... Besides the great one on one time we have together (I've got three boys as well), EVERY NIGHT when we get home, a kiss and a "Thank you mommy, I love you!". It makes it ALL worth it!</p>