Hi my son is thinking about the BU acting program and I am reading and hearing that many of these theater programs are so competitive that the kids don’t really get to perform that much. Can anyone tell me if there are ample opportunities to audition and perform in student directed or other plays – if the freshman don’t get into the BFA produced ones?
You should bring your inquiry to the Theater/Drama Majors forum. There are some very knowledgeable contributors on their threads.
great - thanks!
Unless things have changed – and I doubt that they have (my son graduated in 2013) – BU has guaranteed casting. Starting in sophomore year, all students are cast in a show every quarter, based on auditions.
This does not mean that any given student will necessarily ever get “good” roles. However, everyone is given ample opportunities to be in plays.
Every spring, seniors put on their own productions for thesis, and undergrads act in these. The are very few other opportunities to be in any kind of student-directed show.
Most conservatory programs like BU emphasize training over performance. Students do have plenty of opportunities to perform in classroom exercises.