<p>I've been researching BU, and it looks amazing. However, I'm a bit confused about the difference between Performance and Theatre Arts. Is there a difference? I heard someone say that a student is accepted and then chooses Theatre Arts- is that what happens (audition for Performance, choose Theatre Arts)?</p>
<p>I'm also going to go visit BU later in the spring. Any tips/suggestions? Is sitting in on classes available? Is there a specific College of Fine Arts Tour?</p>
<p>Thanks so much! :)</p>
<p>Or any feedback at all on BU would be much appreciated :)</p>
<p>At BU, BFA Performance students have a choice of the Acting track or the Theatre Arts track. Classes are identical during freshman year. At the end of freshman year, each student chooses the Acting or Theatre Arts track.</p>
<p>I’m not sure whether a prospective student can sit in on classes. Contact the School of Theatre about scheduling a visit.</p>
<p>Theatre Arts gives more choices outside of acting but still in the realm of theatre, while Acting classes have a more prescribed curriculum. I would suggest calling BU and asking them about it, they’re generally glad to answer questions. Or you could check up on their website.</p>
<p>Yes there are theater school tours, but we did not get to go to classes, but being in the building and bumping into students we got the vibe…
And accepted students may ask and get to trail a current freshman, go to classes, lunch the whole 100 yards.</p>
<p>The “tour” was actually sitting in the Theater school office in a discussion group with about 5 families, I think we took a “tour” not much to look at really. The place is all about the people, teaching, the students, climate, it rocks.</p>
<p>My D loves what she knows about BU, and, like everyone else, is waiting to hear something from them about admission. We toured the campus a year ago; the tour was individual for us, and it was led by a current theater arts student. It was relaxed, detailed, and informative. My D did not sit in on a class, and I’m thinking that may not be allowed until/unless you are admitted, but you should definitely check. The audition (in Chicago) was amazing. Faculty members presented the program in a 1/2 hour session to students and parents, and while my D waited for her audition time, she was able to chat with BU alums who lived in the Chicago area. We were concerned about the “assignment” of students to the theater arts vs acting BFA tracks, but everyone assured us that it was a decision made by the student, with input from faculty. As noted above, the theater arts track is a little more flexible, allowing room for dance classes, or extra study in a particular area (say, playwriting), or something like that. The acting track is very tightly scheduled, offering almost no room to pick and choose from BU offerings. The opinion of the students and alums that we talked to was consistently that students were happiest with the theater arts track precisely because of the flexibility. (However, since we only chatted with theater arts students/alums, this must be assessed independently.) I think we were most surprised to learn that BOTH tracks are BFA programs.</p>
<p>The Theatre Arts BFA at BU has become extremely popular. This year, there are more sophomores who chose it than chose the Acting track. </p>
<p>Perhaps the only disadvantage to Theater Arts is that some of their theatre classes are rather large, and it is not guaranteed that every theatre course can be taken in the most desirable sequence. Students in the Acting track have fixed scheduling, which makes things much simpler for them at registration time.</p>
<p>Good luck to your daughter, letsfigureitout.</p>
<p>Thank you, NJ! I do remember now that one of the alums mentioned that sometimes it was difficult to get in a class when you wanted it. However, she seemed to think that MOST times, things worked out OK. Is your child at BU?</p>
<p>Yes, letsfigureitout, my son is a sophomore Theatre Arts track BFA student at BU. He adores the program and I know he would agree with the alum that most times things work out okay with scheduling.</p>
<p>If the popularity of Theatre Arts continues, the SOT will probably make some adjustments in order to equalize studio sizes. This would be a good thing for any accepted student to inquire about, in my opinion.</p>
<p>They did say at the information session at Chicago Unifieds that they had every intention of adjusting their curriculum at any time based on students’ needs for performance or theatre arts. That sounded quite sincere, in our opinion, so we left confident that they would meet Theatre Arts majors’ needs.</p>
<p>This is a really interesting thread! My D also auditioned at BU and when asked if she preferred Theater Arts or Acting unequivocally stated Theater Arts. She likes the flexibility. Sounds like she is not alone!</p>
<p>Good luck everyone!</p>
<p>At BU, both Theatre Arts and Acting track BFA students are considered to be Performance majors, to distinguish them from the D&P (Design and Production) kids at the SOT.</p>
<p>Some theatre programs…especially certain BA theatre programs…are not performance-based (one must check on this when investigating schools), but BU’s Theatre Arts track definitely is. All students in both tracks are in the casting pool starting second semester sophomore year. Casting is guaranteed for all of these students, every quarter. In addition to a large number of school-connected productions, there are professional productions in the area that students are invited to audition for and are occasionally cast in, through the school.</p>
<p>Today’s issue of BU Today shows a picture of three sophomores in a current all-female production of Julius Caesar at the school. [url=<a href=“http://www.bu.edu/today/node/12436]Et”>http://www.bu.edu/today/node/12436]Et</a> Tu, Brut</p>
<p>Yes, thank you, NJMom. My mistake. I should have said Acting, not Performance.</p>
<p>That is a quirk of BU - Theatre Arts IS Performance, where at other schools it isn’t always. It is very important to read about depts carefully when learning about schools.</p>
<p>Another thing we learned - not about BU but in general - is that some schools list on their websites any and all theatre classes that they have ever offered, but they do not offer all of them EVERY YEAR. Some of them are offered only every third or fourth year. So a “rich” curriculum can end up being a lot smaller in reality.</p>
<p>It’s always nice when they show you a “typical” 4-year curriculum for the various majors. We’ve found that most helpful.</p>
<p>The current SOT freshman are in the middle of choosing our majors right now…we’ll make it official at the end of the semester, but so far it’s looking like a pretty even split between Acting and Theatre Arts.</p>
<p>I think the rep. from the school put it the best during the info session before the audition. The BFA Acting path is for those students who know they want to act, and thats basically it. Their passion is on stage, and not particularly interested in too much else, in his words “they have blinders on… they are, ‘acting, acting, acting’” Whereas the theatre studies majors are able to do more, pursue other areas of theatre, directing, dramaturgy, tech etc. while still having the performance core. Of course it isn’t as intensive as the acting path is, but it is more rounded. I believe it is also easier to minor in another subject as a theatre studies major than as a acting major… But i might remember wrong.</p>
<p>Hope i helped!</p>
<p>I just auditioned at BU a few weekends ago and it is very high on my list. (The only thing I don’t like is the tuition)
Based on our meeting with one of their professors Michael Kaye/my experience at their summer program I can say this.
Minoring can be done both in Acting and Theatre Arts.
Both majors are performance majors, it’s just two different paths to performance one is not better/more selective than the other it is entirely the students decision.
Casting is guarnteed when students enter the casting pool and is blind to Acting or Theatre Arts both are seen as the same.
Double-majoring is kind-of possible but as Michael Kaye said “a living nightmare” it can only be done as a Theatre Arts major and often requires a 5th year. It’s not really suggested.</p>
<p>Current students will be better to speak to about the program specifically but from my experience at the Summer Theatre Institute I fell in love with BU. My classes and my professors helped me to grow as an actress in only 5 weeks and it really made BU one of my top choices.</p>
<p>If you are serious about BU and can do so I highly suggest the Summer Theatre Institute, it gives you a good feel for the school.</p>
<p>If anyone has some super burning questions about the program, I can provide some decent insight. I’m a freshman transfer, so I can offer some advice in that area as well.</p>
<p>Just checked my D’s BU on-line app status, and it has changed. Rather than saying that everything is in, it says that “review of your application for admission is complete.” It also says that final admissions decisions will be sent in early April. So, something is happening at BU. I know that the reps at the Chicago Unifieds said that decisions would be mailed asap and before the end of March.</p>
<p>On the RD 2015 thread, someone called admissions and they said decisions would be out on Friday.</p>