Pretty sure I cannot post a link here, but if my link below gets deleted, please go to the theatre site Howlround dot com and read the article entitled “Body Shaming: The Epidemic Plaguing Collegiate Theatre Programs.” I would go so far to suggest that this is an issue for male and female students and worth a discussion, especially for any parent with a child who struggles in this area. I don’t have answers here, but I know this goes on and continues into the professional years. I am an advocate for talk therapy as an outlet for many in this profession – competition / rejection / self-doubt – and I would add body image to that list of things about which young people need to have an open healthy dialogue and perspective.
http://howlround.com/body-shaming-the-epidemic-plaguing-collegiate-theatre-programs
Yup. I agree and I think the discussion can’t wait until they are in college. If the #metoo movement taught anything it taught those of us who are old enough to know better that we’ve been complicit in “normalizing” sexual abuse in the workplace by not speaking out against it. We need to arm our kids mentally to expect that they will meet with those kind of “mentors” with their destructive “lessons” and that they’re entitled to call them out when they do. Respect for authority and expertise is important, but our kids need to be able to have the self-confidence to say “I’m not buying that nonsense” out loud when they encounter it, no matter who the BS is coming from.
This is interesting! While I agree with her thoughts on unhealthy diets and body shaming, I do challenge her thoughts on typing being wrong. As a parent of a student who doesn’t fit the most often talked about types, he needs to know that. He needs to know how to market himself and how to craft a piece of the pie for himself in this industry. That should not make him feel bad about himself, if done correctly (acknowledging some people may not do this well) it should make him feel confident in his skin. Finally, I’ll say because you don’t fit the lead man/woman type today, doesn’t mean you never will. Shrek is a great example of a character who would never be a typical leading man and gave the funny side kick a leading role. I bet when that role was announced, the people who knew their type performed most confidently in the audition, but knowing their type was key.
Back to the unhealthy dieting and body image… do any programs still weigh or require students to lose weight to return the next year? I heard about these years ago and was hyper aware of it as we auditioned (again, my kid is not fitting any of the most typed categories, so we would not have auditioned at schools who who had a preference), but I was never able to confirm it during his audition cycle (2015). Is this a practice that died, but the stories have lived on?
@MTTwinsinCA2 I agree with your thoughts on talk therapy and a need for open healthy dialogue! Very well put.
I can confirm that weekly weigh ins were mentioned at our CCM tour in 2013. No idea how they would have worked, or if the even would have happened
I have heard Emerson also does weigh ins. Students at Drake have said weight is brought up a lot but don’t know if they do weigh ins.
Some schools do not do this. Worth asking if it is of interest or concern to you.
Wowza - I simply can’t imagine that being okay.
BTW - Weigh ins were NOT mentioned as part of program at CCM during the 2018 rounds of auditions. D asked. Whether they do it when the kids are in the program I wouldn’t know.
CAP21 does not do weigh-ins or require weight on the resume. But a few schools D auditioned at said to make sure weight was included on the resume.
As if this MT business isn’t tough enough!
OCUs dance school has weigh ins. I am not sure the frequency. It is more about maintaining a consistent weight rather than weight loss although they do recommend a weight range based on your frame and height. There is no ill intent in having the weigh ins. They are trying to prepare dancers and performers for the real world where, like it or not, their size and shape will dictate what jobs they get. I do see where this can be a concern for eating disorders and body image concerns. But I do not think the intent is to shame anyone. It is to help them achieve success in their chosen field.
OCU accepts and graduates performers of all shapes and sizes. So size and type are not a requirement for admission or success in the MT program. But I think by having weigh ins in the dance school, it does make students aware that in this industry, size and maintaining size no matter your type, will be a part of your professional world. And learning how to deal with that in a college setting first and having someone help you be accountable may be easier than nobody ever talking to you about it and then dealing with it on your own after you’ve graduated.
In the real world, D has had several contracts with weight/size clauses in them allowing a small window of fluctuation in weight (up or down) during the contract. This mostly relates to the costumes and needing to re-fit them if someone’s size changes which can cost time and money to do. It is nothing personal. It’s just a business reality.
I wil also say that the pressures of weight and body image are not restricted to theater majors. You will find athletes in all sports who have weigh ins, greek life members and individuals from all walks of life and in all majors who feel pressured for one reason or another to reach a certain weight or look a certain way that can be challenged with eating disorders and body image issues in college. It is something all students need to be aware of and know themselves personally and how best for them to handle such situations.
@vvnstar Personally, I find the sad part is that a school feels that in order to properly prepare their students for the professional world they need to include weigh ins. While I understand their purpose in dance fields, I still think that they can be a dangerous and unhealthy practice. Dancers, actors…they are all artists, and there is no one size fits all for art. This is an industry problem that has trickled down to college programs, and while I think it is important for programs to encourage students to take care of their bodies (healthy eating, exercise) and be at a healthy weight for their body type, that means something different for every person, and weigh-ins are not the appropriate way to do that.
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CMU did this in the past IIRC an interview I heard from one of their alums who was working on Broadway. Appeared to be linked to the advancement requirement students went through there.