<p>Last year the onsite auditions were very quick and efficient. Students were assigned to one of two audition times. There was a 9:00 group and a 1:00 group. My D was in the 1:00 group. She was finished with her audition between 3:30 and 4:00. I believe that everyone in her group was finished around 4:00. The 9:00 group finished before the auditors had their lunch break. After parents and students heard brief talks from CMU faculty, students were asssigned to either group A or B. The A's went to do their dance audition while the B's did songs and monologues. There were 3 different rooms and auditors for the auditions, so at any time some kids were dancing, some were singing, and some were performing their monologues. The whole process took less time than at any other school my D visited. Hope this helps.</p>
<p>Lynnm, when my son auditioned there, they actually asked if anyone had some flight constraints, so they could be scheduled first. The only school that did that. Also, if you do need to leave early, you can ask for an accomodation. We did that at Michigan. As long as you are not making it a policy to just shorten your time at all the auditions, it is not an issue. Did not see many kids doing this and we did it only once.</p>
<p>It's really lonely here on the forum this weekend!! I know this sounds like BS, but I'm a little jealous I won't be taking my d to the unifieds at NYC this weekend! She was supposed to do Penn State and CCM today; and Ithaca and CM tomorrow. Now that I've read some of your posts, I don't think she would have been able to do them all! I thought they would only take 1-2 hours, tops! Whew! I would LOVE to know everyone's experiences! It is so exciting! Especially if you get to watch at all; I know at most schools, you don't, but it is so much fun to talk with other parents, etc! BREAK A LEG, EVERYONE!! And tell us all how it went - DON'T LEAVE OUT A THING! :)</p>
<p>rossji,
I know how you feel! My d had also scheduled auditions today, but she decided to cancel after getting into one of her top choices EA. I probably read it somewhere on one of these threads, but is the reason your d is not doing auditions because of an ED? Anyway, I still love to read about the experiences as well and look forward to hearing about future acceptances. BREAK A LEG!!!</p>
<p>Hi Lexasmom! I think I read somewhere where your d is going; but I forgot. It's hard to keep everyone straight, so I'm going back and try to figure out where. Yes, my d did ED for NYU, Cap 21. It's way too expensive for us, but maybe she can make some $ singing at Ellen's diner...:)</p>
<p>Hey! I just went back and found your post about OCU. That is FABULOUS!! Kristen Chenowith (sp?) is my d's favorite Broadway star. Ironically, she doesn't care for Idina, who went to NYU!</p>
<p>I do think I remember reading about your d's acceptance as well. My d is very excited about OCU...it seemed like a great fit for her and the scholarship money was very generous as well. (Ironically, my d leans more toward Idina,but loves Kristin's comedic timing!) My d also considered Tisch (and Steinhardt...singing is her thing), but you are right, the cost was a concern...and to be honest with you, I am not sure my d from NC is ready for the big city life just yet! (Of course, she thinks she is!) I hope those of us on this board who are finished with the audition process will keep sharing as the kids enter their freshman year. I would love to hear about their first college experiences!</p>
<p>I, for one, will continue to go on this forum even after our kids are away. That's if my ISP doesn't shut me down due to lack of payment! I'll be broke! lol. I would also love to hear how your d likes OCU; if they give good scholarship money, it might be time for a transfer after freshman year! I hope not, but you can't get blood from a stone.....</p>
<p>I'm one of those lurkers sometimes posters. Since my D is only a jr. I haven't had much need to post. I'm sure by this time next year I will be posting regularly! Anyway, we live in AZ and our D. is leaning toward U of A (AZ). We will still continue to pursure many different colleges for potential opportunities but she is moving this school up on her mental list. She wants to be closer to home and we certainly would save bundles if she was accepted there. (Besides, both parents went there and we are very familiar with the campus and Tucson) I know Uof A has been brought up occassionally on this thread and I was wondering if anyone has or is planning on auditioning there or if anyone knows some one who goes there or graduated from there. We are visiting the school the end of the month and seeing Midwives at the same time. When I called to set it up, the office staff was very accomodating and nice to talk with. Any thoughts would be welcome.</p>
<p>Looking forward to hearing about everyone's auditions from this past weekend! I'll pass along observations from me, my H and my D from UArts on Saturday when it's not 1a.m. with my alarm set for 6:15. But I did want to say that my H and I really enjoyed meeting Lynnm and her lovely D, and that my D was very happy to meet Broadway32nd (who H and I unfortunately didn't get to meet). Hang in there, guys!</p>
<p>Ericsmom and Soozievt--
A belated thank you for your answers to my Brown and Sarah Lawrence inquiries and your wonderful offers to get me in touch with kids you know at these schools. I know that being able to meet kids in the programs will be a wonderful tool and I will definitely take you up on your generous offers once I start planning trips to those schools you mentioned. </p>
<p>As I've been doing research about the type of schools I'm looking for (strong academic schools with either a very strong B.A. program or a B.F.A. with a distribution that will allow me to explore other interests as well) I've found that sometimes what turns me off to a program is the mission statement/overview of the program. For a lot of the B.A. programs I'm looking at- the statements seem to be saying the program is geared towards learning other things THROUGH theater. For instance, the theater studies major at yale (i'm assuming that this is the right one since i don't see drama major) says "The Theater Studies major is a special major in the humanities, whose general purpose is to contribute to an integrated understanding of various cultural traditions." Hmm... So basically, I'm scared that I'll be learning things in as a drama major B.A. program that, because it is liberal-arts and not pre-professional, I don't have any interest in. There are classes such as "Drama and Theater in the Arab World" that are listed as "pertinent to the major" which I am scared may mean that I'd be taking those type of classes in lieu of performance classes. While I am interested in exploring other aspects of theater besides performing, I would want most of my required classes as a drama/musical theater major in a liberal arts college to be geared towards performing since comparatively, I would be taking far fewer performance classes in a B.A. liberal arts drama major than in a B.F.A. program, and since many of those other classes can be achieved through electives. What I'm looking for is great acting classes and the opportunity to take voice and dance lessons, all geared towards performance, while still having the opportunity to take classes outside my major. I'm starting to wonder if that exists! My mom said that the mission statements need to be explored, that perhaps they don't represent what the class content will actually be like, but more the goal of some of these schools to make there majors sound like they have a "deeper meaning". What do you all think?</p>
<p>On a more positive note, something caught my eye on the Brown website- they had this wonderful FAQ section with the chair of the department that answered SO MANY questions that I'd had. It REALLY made me think about the program where I'd previously thought to cross it off my list since so many of the things seem to be student-run. Some things that intrigued me - she said they do at least three musicals a year, voice lessons are available through the applied music program/music dpt. and then- "We believe our program is the best liberal arts theatre major in the country. Brown is a place to get a great education while you grow as an artist. No other program in the U.S. sends more students to the top five MFA programs. We have many students at Brown whose parents work in the industry, which I think says a lot about the image of our program within the profession. Brown theatre graduates are omnipresent in New York and L.A." Obviously, all of this was subjective and needs to be taken with a grain of salt, but it was definitely enough to make me reconsider the place. I loved how straight foward and informative this was. I breathed a sigh of relief that a college's site finally got to the bottom of some of my questions!! heres the link for any who are interested: <a href="http://www.brown.edu/Departments/Theatre_Speech_Dance/Undergraduate_Program.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.brown.edu/Departments/Theatre_Speech_Dance/Undergraduate_Program.html</a></p>
<p>Sorry for rambling. It's nice to be able to do research and then have somewhere to come for educated opinions on what I've learned-. I'd hate to be misinformed, and I'm hoping that others who are looking for similar qualities in a school can benefit from my process, which is slightly different from the paths that many of your extremely dedicated and talented kids have chosen. But thats what makes this board so great- it has a little bit for everyone.</p>
<p>Dani, just a quick note as I have to go out, but I am glad you read up more on Brown. I think there are a plethora of performance opportunities there. I understand your point about some BA theater arts majors as being sort of a study OF theater, rather than performance oriented and I think to some extent, that is true with some of those. That may be the case at Yale. However, at Yale, that would be complemented by the abundance of theatrical production opportunities. I guess you have to weigh these variations. I also think that SOME of the BFA programs in musical theater have a decent amount of liberal arts offerings and even possible minors in a liberal arts subject. This seems particularly true at NYU, UMich, Syracuse and Penn State. Some programs offer less in terms of liberal arts. So, I would still look into these BFA programs and what you can do in liberal arts. All of those programs I just mentioned have presented in such a way as a philosophy of wanting their performing arts students to become educated in liberal arts as an important facet of their education and also as an actor. </p>
<p>I think when you visit Brown, we will definitely hook you up with those in the know who can fully answer your questions about theater there. I think Brown is a good choice for you given your interests. Besides, the school is great, my D loves it so much. </p>
<p>Susan
PS, my younger D happens to be IMing your mutual friend, S., as I write...lol.</p>
<p>Susan- I think you're right about weighing the pros and cons of each program to find the best fit. And funny- NYU (still thinking about whether Steinhardt or Tisch), UMich and Penn State are the three B.F.A. programs (as of now) on my list of schools-to-visit. My SDM friends and I are going to go see CAP 21's Grand Hotel Feb break actually. I know they did that at SDM and a bunch of your D's friends were in it. I saw the video at S's house. But yes, those B.F.A.'s that emphasize the liberal arts are very appealing to me. Its just that they seem scarce, and then theres the fact that all of these mt schools are so very competitive to get into- so I need other options. Brown sounds fabulous, and I'm excited to talk to the kids you know who are involved in theater there. It sounds like a great fit for me- I especially like the lack of core curriculum, the fact that you can study whatever it is you're passionate about. I think thats a great philosophy. But not so easy to get into either. Even my non-audition schools are going to be reaches. jeez...</p>
<p>TTYL,
Dani</p>
<p>P.S.-- That boy is just busy busy busy! I haven't spoken to him in a few weeks- he was in a staged reading of a musical at Lincoln Center recently, I heard he was great though didnt get to catch it bc of Seussical.</p>
<p>My D auditioned yesterday (Sunday) at Otterbein and Miami in NYC at the Unifieds. I was impressed with the whole thing. Although she only auditioned at 2 schools, everyone seemed quited nice and I can't say that I saw any kids who seemed unduly stressed. My D came out of her audition at Otterbein with a huge smile on her face. And that means a lot --I know it means nothing as far as getting in to a program, but it means something to see your child come out of something as stressful as a college audition and be smiling. So, once again bravo to DoctorJohn--and his colleagues.
She also felt pretty good about Miami, except that she didn't know what to make of the fact that he apparently gave her suggestions on how she should interpret her monologue on future auditions.</p>
<p>And it was nice seeing Lynnm again! </p>
<p>My D has a free weekend coming up, and then the final four and she's done!</p>
<p>Dizzydani88 - Based on your comments, go to the general discussion page soon. I'm going to post there about our weekend visit to Indiana University - you might be interested. I won't put it here since this one is on auditions.</p>
<p>Dizzydani88:
Don't forget Syracuse. Also, my daughter auditioned this past weekend at the Unifieds for USC--which has not really been explored on this board. Although is doesn't have a set MT BFA program it has a very intense conservatory-style acting program within a huge University. They also have a Theatre BA that incorporates a MT minor. The Dean who spoke to the group at the Unifieds said this MT minor comprises of a 27-unit program incorporating the study of acting, dance or movement, vocal arts and related musical subjects (in addition to all the BA Theatre credits). She that this group of MT kids are a large presence. You must audition separately to do this minor. They do two large musicals a year in addition to their many other productions. You also get all your voice lessons from the faculty of their respected Thornton School of Music. If you are willing to go all the way to California, there is a bonus of famous guest artists. Among them this year: Jason Robert Brown, Twyla Tharp, Jason Alexander and Moises Kaufman (Laramie Project). I need not mention all the obvious Film and Television resources on and around the campus. It is worth a look.<br>
<a href="http://theatre.usc.edu/%5B/url%5D">http://theatre.usc.edu/</a></p>
<p>Thanks for the kind words. I'm glad your D enjoyed her audition with us. She should take the comments from the Miami prof very positively. We are, after all, teachers as well as theatre professionals, and I'm sure he wanted to give her something to use in her future auditions. That doesn't mean her work was bad. Far from it. There are always layers and nuances to be added to any artwork. Being an artist, you know that. So she should take his advice and add it to the work. </p>
<p>I know that my profession gets a bad rap sometimes for being cruel and competitive, and there's no question that at the highest economic levels, there's a lot of stress, and people under stress aren't always kind. But as I've written in other places, I think the lesson from the masters (Sophocles, Shakespeare, Chekov) is that human beings should treat each other decently. I've never understood how some theatre people could do plays that literally shout that message, and then turn around and treat the people who work for them and with them like inanimate objects. </p>
<p>As soon as I can find the e-mail from Shauna with the instructions on how to modify the Big List, I'll put Indiana on it. I'm quite fond of IU, given that my son David did both undergraduate and master's degrees in bassoon there.</p>
<p>FYI, everyone, I saw 27 students in NYC on Sunday, 25 yesterday in Chicago. I'll see 25 today and 25 tomorrow in Chicago. Then off to Las Vegas, San Francisco and LA. If you're in one of those places, please stop by to say hello. </p>