@musicmama123 My D did the CMU summer program last year and really loved it. She felt she came away with a solid understanding of what it means to pursue a BFA and a jump start on the college audition season. She was able to select and workshop a number of monologues and got excellent feedback on what worked and what did not work. Interestingly enough, she really connected with her voice teacher (my D is an actress who can sing - she does not feel she is strong enough vocally to be an MT). The voice teacher disagreed - said with training she could be a very strong singer - and really boosted her confidence. She helped my D choose some songs for her rep since a few of the acting programs ask for a song as well. It is a challenging weeks - the kids work hard - but if your D puts in the work, she will come out with a solid understanding of the workings of a BFA program and an enhanced “book.”
One of the other nice benefits to attending the summer program (and this won’t be limited to the CMU program): my D knew a number of kids going through college auditions this year and met up with them at various times (during Unifieds and on campus). The camaraderie is wonderful.
Another takeaway (probably unique to my D) is she knew she did not want to audition for CMU. After I scraped my jaw off the floor - I thought who WOULDN’T want to audition for CMU - she felt even if she won the lottery, she would not be a good fit for the program overall. Overall, a very successful summer!
Thank you for all that information! Why did she not like it? Did she end up auditioning for MT or straight acting? My daughter is more singer/ actress and there is a lot of dance ( everyday) in the mt program .
UNCSA offers summer intensives in both drama/acting and stage combat for high school students… I don’t know anything about them, but they look pretty good and UNCSA is a great school.
Has anyone attended BADA Midsummer Conservatory? I was just accepted and am now trying to wrap my head around the monumental price tag. Is it worth it?
Wow…I just went to their page and it looks amazing. Congratulations! I would imagine the immersion into Shakespeare would be so valuable for a young actor! As far as the price tag, after you add in the airfare etc it looks comparable to several of the pre-college intensives here. We will struggle to pay for Emerson this year but if you can and it is what you want it ( it’s at Oxford ?!!) well what an opportunity!
@lsaroo- BADA is incredibly well respected- so congrats on getting accepted. I actually thought that one was less than some of the other quality UK options (RADA and LAMDA were both significantly more). It would certainly give you a new experience. Are you in HS or college right now?
My d was accepted into the BADA Midsummer at Oxford program. It is a very very well respected program! She is totally excited! They do offer financial aid, so call or email them - although I don’t know about the conservatory program. Definitely ask though and congrats!
My D did the Summer Intensive at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival and LOVED it - she thought that was the best program she did.
Last summer she did the NYU Summer HIgh School Meisner program and also liked it very much. She just committed to NYU too, so she obviously really liked it.
