Great tips from a Broadway icon… number 5 and 7 were things I always told my daughter. Stage time in college is so important. Getting training in class is wonderful, but having that audience and getting on stage is critical in my opinion. Pick programs that will help you get that. Choose roles that you feel would stretch you beyond belief. Good advice.
http://www.lincolncenter.org/article/advice-from-audra-mcdonald
What she says in #7 is “Theater doesn’t happen unless there’s an audience.” One can have an audience while presenting scenes, songs and dance routines to the members of their class or to faculty or invited guests. One has an audience every time they audition. So it’s not only about programs that put on a lot of shows and guarantee casting. I would stay open to how you interpret Audra’s advice.
I tried to go back in an edit because I knew I would get some flak… 
I wanted to say that the type of performance opportunities are varied and great. Student run shows, Plays in Process, readings, etc can all be included. MainStage shows or Broadway performances are not the only place a student can perform for an audience. But an audience outside of the classroom I believe is still vital to growth as an actor.
Agree with what you wrote above. I’ve never heard of a theatre program that doesn’t provide some opportunity for an audience outside of the classroom. Is there such a thing?
And this can be accomplished without guaranteed casting or through faculty productions. Get out and audition for anything and everything your college has to offer. Take whatever part or parts come your way. Grab whatever performance opportunities you can while you can. They become so much fewer once you graduate.
@halflokum, I think there are programs that don’t let the kids perform until they are upperclassmen (like Juilliard), but I agree…I don’t know any that never offer that opportunity to perform outside the classroom. But to add to what @bisouu said in post #4, don’t just grab whatever performance opportunities there are…MAKE your own opportunities (thanks to @soozievt for that great advice).
Right @monkey13, I think CMU is another that holds off on public performances until late in their program. And plenty others do not allow freshman to audition. I wouldn’t avoid programs like those because of that structure but I would be sure I was prepared to take a broader view of what it means to have an audience. I’d also probably try hard to use my summers to get my on stage fix until my turn comes around in my program, whenever that may be…
…whenever that may be. Sigh.
I love Audra McDonald. She is so very talented and her voice is amazing. I saw her in concert a year ago and loved every minute. She also seems like a well grounded and genuinely wonderful person. I am grateful to how nice she has been to my daughter.
The tips she offers in that article are great. I particularly like the one that work begets work. From my observation of my own kid who is a young artist, I really observe this to be true. I think the more you work and network with people in that work and are seen by others in the industry, more work can evolve. It takes time to build that, but I think some opportunities arise due to previous work, and might be more likely to happen than discoveries of brand new talent in a blind audition (though that happens too).
And as @monkey13 mentioned in her post, I have stated here many times that I think you can’t wait for work to come to you and have to go out and create opportunities and projects as well. That has been a big thing for my own kid. I also think that having a versatile skill set may open up the chances of more work. But my tips are merely observations as a parent of a young artist, and Audra speaks from experience!
Didn’t Audra go to Juilliard for undergrad in VP? Do they get performance opportunities?
Our son is a third year VP undergrad at Juilliard. He does have performance ops - including recitals, opera scenes, undergrad operas and covering parts in the graduate operas. They also have community outreach opportunities where he sings at nursing homes, etc.
Thank you @jbrideau – so great to hear from someone with direct knowledge! My D has a VP audition there next Thursday. She has a terrible cold & cough now, so I don’t know how this will go…
Break a leg to your daughter @choirsandstages! I hope she feels better soon!