My son did an audition yesterday with a local theater group for an equity role in a Spring show. Not sure he will get it, but he said it was great experience in getting comfortable answering questions with directors/stage managers/etc. It was also a good distraction. @savedrama4momma we have not had any auditions yet, only ones scheduled for Jan/Feb. Can you tell us, what was some of their better feedback, if you are willing to share.
@MTmomSF Feedback- one of the directors shared with her afterwards that her monologues might not be contrasting enough- both dealt with a deeper theme but used a little humor- and they are both contemporary. Both schools loved one of the monologues and at the 2nd school she only had to do one monologue- and he told her it is such a smart choice and perfect for her. He even gave her some coaching and had her perform it a second time. SO- as a result of the feedback, we are keeping that monologue, and searching for a new second one to contrast it with. The good news is she feels so much more confident about the one we are keeping! The bad news about that means we canât film prescreens until we figure out a second monologue. Both directors said her voice is lovely and that her vocal teachers should be commended etc- things like that. It was way more feedback than she expected- but like I said- they had plenty of time as it was such an early audition and they werenât pressed and rushing her through. They asked her why she chose each song and she felt like that conversation went well and they seemed pleased with her rationale. They were kind and encouraging! I know they wonât all be that great- but this was an awesome way to get our feet wet. My daughter said our school auditions for the high school shows are a million times more stressful. 
How funny is that!
^^^the benefits of an early audition!
Iâve just named a person at a liberal arts school âThe Road Blockerâ. Jeesh, its so important to have the right personality in the admissions office. The âRoad Blockerâ thinks we have this wide open schedule, without any school, work, or shows to consider. Also, they must be the only school to which we are applying.
Okay, just sharing information instead of asking questions for a change. My D has submitted 5 common apps and has her first audition scheduled (this is for Acting, not MT) at Marymount Manhattan. She got her ID# at NYU and BU but we are still waiting for the âaudition schedulerâ to go live for those two at least. Has anyone else heard the same?
@FourStars D was able to schedule her audition at BU through the applicant link - she got an email with the subject line âNext Steps: Access the BU Applicant Link.â NYU isnât on her list, so donât know about that one.
Also, I saw your question about Acting programs that have crossover with MT - I donât know if itâs on the you Dâs list, but Wright State is one. All Acting majors & MT majors audition each semester for all shows. Acting majors get cast in musicals & MTâs get cast in plays.
@MTmom2017, I tried to schedule BU for my D but we donât have a BU ID number that it asked for. I couldnât find it in the applicant link. Did you have a number or were you able to schedule without it?
@TNTheatreDad, the âNext Steps: Access the BU Applicant Linkâ email had the ID number in it. It wasnât easy to see! After the numbered instructions there are 2 paragraphs - 1st about financial aid, 2nd about contacting if you have questions - itâs in the middle of that paragraph.
Hello! Regarding Pace Prescreen for Acting? In addition to two contrasting monologues, there is one âWild Cardâ which is optional. What do people submit? My D has considered using her Shakespeare piece (itâs good, a strength of hers), since Pace pieces are both contemporary. Or maybe a film monologue or scene? All input or recollections welcomed!
It can be anything you want that helps them get to know you better - it doesnât have to be acting-related. My son is applying as a transfer, and for his Wild Card, he talked about how he got into weightlifting as a hobby, and demonstrated lifting some weights. He passed the prescreen. My daughter hasnât filmed her Wild Card yet (planning to do it tomorrow), but she likes to write, so weâre going to film her reading aloud one of her poems or short stories. So it can be anything, really!
I donât know how we missed it before. I think I have it scheduled now
@actorparent1 you have a rising Freshman D and a transfer S!!! Holy cow!!! Are they interested in the same schools? Truly wishing you broken legsâŠI am going through this for the 2nd year with ONE kid (gap year) and losing my mind (and $)!
Thanks, @owenfolks!
My kids took two very different paths to end up here. My D has known since age 8 that this is what she wants to do, has a lot of training and some professional experience, goes to a PA high school, and has been researching BFA programs since freshman year.
My S took acting classes along with his sister and enjoyed them, but also liked chess and flag football and other things - he wasnât laser-focused like she was. He was cast in a few high school plays and loved it, but when it was time for college, he thought he should major in something âpractical.â So first he was going to go into nursing. After taking a few classes, though, he realized it wasnât for him. Then he thought heâd major in teaching, took a few classes, but didnât like that either. He was struggling to find something that âclickedâ with him, and was getting depressed about it. Then he took a college acting class - and immediately felt like he was âhome.â It reawakened his love of acting, and he decided he wanted to major in it.
His current college has a BFA Acting program, so he asked if he could audition for it, but was told the cycle was done for the year and he would have to wait for the following year (aka this year). So he spent the summer working on his monologues. Then he thought âWhy not cast the net a little wider, as long as Iâm going for this?â So he now has 6 schools heâs auditioning for. Itâs a small list because heâs pretty sure heâll get into the program at his current college (itâs auditioned, but not super-selective - the college mainly attracts local kids), and he would be fine going there if he doesnât get into the others. He has been super-motivated and committed with getting all the essays done, applications in, and auditions scheduled.
My D has a larger list, but it includes all the schools on Sâ list, so thatâs made it easier. Also, all of the schools are in driving distance, which helps a lot!
Wishing you broken legs too! Hopefully all the kids will end up where theyâre meant to be!
Thatâs awesome! I also have a S that has tried nursing; and it didnât stick. He is currently majoring in washing dishes and delivering pizza. :))
@fourstars My son didnât do the Wild Card video for Pace, but did do the optional acting reel. Heâs applying to FTVC only and he passed.
Any thoughts on doing an instrumental piece on the wild card option if my daughter plays an instrument for band at school? We were thinking of a fun little clip of her in the band room at school and then have her play a bit?
@savedrama4momma, definitely! They want to see another side of you aside from the acting video. Playing an instrument would be great!
@actorparent1 Thank you so much! That is tremendously helpful. Of course, now we are considering a wide range of things, I will let you know what she decides!
D had a long weekend (Fri and today off) that we decided would be best spent finishing apps rather than visiting schools. I am happy to say that as of this morning she has all 14 submitted, SAT scores ordered, resume done, and we are now on to scheduling portfolio reviews and pestering her high school to get transcripts and recs in. (Costume design major.)
Updateâno pestering needed! Counseling office emailed her this afternoon and has submitted everything. I canât believe they moved so fast. UNCSA is scheduled. Hopefully sheâll have everything on her calendar by the end of the week. I love this board. I havenât posted much, but it has been so helpful over the last several months helping us find the right schools and letting us know what to expect from this process (even if there are not tons of techies out there). Thank you.