I am currently a freshman at DePaul University majoring in Health Science with a concentration in Bioscience. I have always had a passion for theater and did numerous plays in elementary school and in middle school at the local center for the arts. I put it on pause during high school so that I could focus more on my academics but now after very much consideration am interested in pursuing a degree in acting. I have just briefly looked at theater schools and most of them require previous experience or something along the lines of a portfolio. My question is are there any theater schools that don’t require very much experience and if so which ones? This is something that I am super interested in and would be really grateful for any suggestions. Thanks!
Given that you have done no acting since middle school, before you throw over your current program, I suggest researching and applying for summer acting programs (there are many, of varying degrees of competitiveness). See how that goes. At the least it will give you some current experience for applying to programs.
You might find [url=<a href=“http://www.backstage.com/advice-for-actors/backstage-experts/backstage-experts-answer-do-actors-need-college-degrees/%5Dthis%5B/url”>http://www.backstage.com/advice-for-actors/backstage-experts/backstage-experts-answer-do-actors-need-college-degrees/]this[/url] array of opinions interesting.
Columbia College Chicago is a popular “safety” for Theater majors (it was for my son). They have an excellent department, and do not require auditions. You would have to audition for their more competitive BFA program, however. Temple has an excellent Theater department. You do not have to audition for admission, but you would have to for certain classes and, of course, for plays.
@dullbd By chance- you happen to be attending one of the best theater schools in the country. Maybe you could get in touch with people in the theater dept- and schedule an appointment to talk to them.
That was my thought, too! You’re already AT a great theater school - why not talk to the theater department and see if you can get involved there, either by auditioning for the theater program or else just by taking some classes?
There is a Theatre Studies minor at DePaul that is designed for students in other DePaul colleges. Give the office a call to see if that might be do-able.
You could always audition to transfer into the program at DePaul! I’m a theatre major at DePaul and know of several people who have done so successfully.