<p>Schools in Utah are good for acting, you know that Napolean Dynamite is a movie primarily created by BYU students, right? My school, Westminster College, has a GREAT theatre arts program (although, you can only minor in theatre arts, but major in Arts Administration):</p>
<p>I think Julliard is probably often considered the best, or at least it has an extremely high prestige level associated with it when it comes to acting, or any other performing arts. At least, that's my opinion; I'm not an arts major, by the way ;)</p>
<p>UNC has a very, very strong graduate program in acting, which will impact on undergraduates. Graduate acting majors were guaranteed that they would get their equity card (at least they were a few years ago) when they graduated. The Playmakers Repertory Theater on campus is an equity theater.</p>
<p>Julliard does have an excellent reputation but is it because it is a great acting school, or because it has a very selective acceptance that only starts with the best. Did they make Kevin Kline so athletic and focused or was he like that before he arrived? </p>
<p>tsdad, is it hard to get an equity card, I thought you just paid your money after agreeing to a name?</p>
<p>I would add The University of Minnesota to the list. Not considered a top elite program but a good up and comer where the students seem to be very happy. Their relationship with the Guthrie Theater is important. The plays I have seen at the Guthrie have rivaled anything in the country. Saw one play and it was so good that I went back the next two nights in a row. (They reserve student tickets sold first come first serve the day of the show for cheap). I think Time Magazine listed them one of the top regional theaters in the country at one point if I am not mistaken.</p>
<p>so you feel that the undergraduate is a very strong program as well? thank you so much for your help.</p>
<p>My knowledge of the Guthrie is first hand my knowledge of "the U" (how the locals refer to it) is second hand. </p>
<p>There was a poster on another thread who was a freshman in thier program. I believe he said he was accepted to Julliard and was convinced his attendance at the "U" was a better choice. He felt he would get just as good an education (and maybe better) and would be happy. As contrasted to dealing with the stress of Julliard, said all the students there looked unhappy I believe.</p>
<p>That sent me to the "U's" web site and I was impressed with the facualty.</p>
<p>Does anyone know anything about the Neighborhood Playhouse School of Theater in New York? If so, what are your opinions on it?</p>
<p>kwhit06,
UNC-CH is pretty good as far as state university BA programs go from what I understand. They do have a very good MFA program which would be a negative for undergrads in many places. However, I understand they do make an effort to get the undergrads some performance experience though it probably isn't with the grad students. It's definitely worth checking out if that's the type of program you want.</p>
<p>311Griff,
The University of Utah is also a very reputable program. The big hit on it, however, is that they apparently have a hard time getting the top students from other parts of the country to come because of the location. Their faculty appear to be quite amazing based on their bios. I'm thinking about doing a walk-in for them at the New York Unified Auditions. They supposedly always have times open. I was going to walk in for them last year but already had a "biggie" acceptance in hand and didn't bother.</p>
<p>Mr.B,
That's the same old "chicken or the egg" question you get when discussing the success of those that went to Ivy League universities. Yes, the kids I've known who got in Juilliard had a special flair beyond just the normal "X factor" and probably would have had a decent chance of doing well no matter where they'd gone, but the training there is awfully good, too, and they're fairly inexpensive when compared to some of the other "top programs" like NYU and Carnegie Mellon. The connections you can make are also unparalleled in the U.S. There was a Juilliard student writing on the Musical Theatre Majors forum yesterday [here[/url</a>]. Juilliard is probably only second in "prestige" to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London. Some Americans consider RADA "the British Juilliard," but most of the world considers Juilliard "the American RADA." BTW, if you'd ever taken a Suzuki movement class, you'd know how athletic it'll make you! LOL As for focus, if you're going into conservatory actor training, you'd damned well better be focused before you get there or won't last long.</p>
<p>WallyWorld,
If you'll look back at the list, you'll find Minnesota listed under "Large Universities with Elite BFAs." I went to their callback weekend last year and was very impressed. I got to see an amazing production of "Pericles" at the Guthrie, too. It's a new program but no doubt they're on the right track. The only thing I didn't like about them was that they have Saturday morning acting classes ... plus the "brrrrr factor." ;) As for the student who wrote about it ... Be wary of taking the word of one student on a message board - especially when he denigrates other programs to pimp his own. I have no doubt it's a good program, but ... the proof's still in the pudding on the success of their alumni. Notice that he never responded when someone asked him about the success he claimed their recent graduates had. BTW, I know some Juilliard students and they couldn't be any happier where they are though they do work, work and work some more.</p>
<p>need2leave07,
The Neighborhood Playhouse is sort of the home of the "Meisner Method" though they're not a collegiate program. You can get the same style of training at NYU/Tisch's Meisner Extention (if you have $45,000+ per year to spend on a BFA) as well as Rutgers and CCM Drama.</p>
<p>WallyWorld is already there, but you guys that are really interested in College Theatre programs really ought to start posting on the [url=<a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=63432%5DTheatre/Drama">http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=63432]Theatre/Drama</a> Colleges](<a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=135078%5Dhere%5B/url">http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=135078) thread. There are a lot of people who read there who know a lot more than I do and will give you great, well-thought-out answers to virtually any question on the subject.</p>
<p>Good info as usual fishbowl.</p>
<p>I am going to post a question on the theater/drama forum that I would like your thoughts on.</p>