<p>We are heading into this process. One of the options we have talked about is simply going to NY and finding singing, acting, and dancing there without the BFA just as you have mentioned. Our only concern is that our daughter will then be in NYC on her own and she will only be 17.</p>
<p>racmom - I was thinking about suggesting the same thing for my daughter and started scanning voice studios and acting studios and thought maybe she could attend night classes as a non-matriculated student to try and take college classes at the same time for the first year if she doesn't get in anywhere. The voice studio was going to email back to give me some advice. I think it was the Wickham studio. </p>
<p>Then I had a panic attack when my husband was laughing while watching Diane Sawyer's special on teen prostitution where one of the kids she focused on had majored in Musical Theater somewhere and was singing from Phantom of the Opera for Diane Sawyer. He was joking that our daughter may end up like her. </p>
<p>Then I was thinking I need to find the most rural campus with a BA Acting program.</p>
<p>College is more than an education, it is a maturing process, too. No way would I want my kid working yet...she is just too young.</p>
<p>I agree with Skwidjymom that college is about more than a degree, though I think that degree is very, very important, whether it is in engineering or English or musical theater. I cannot imagine my D in NYC on her own, taking classes without the rubric of college around her. However, for those who can, they can investigate programs such as Circle in the Square or Neighborhood Playhouse for excellent training opps that are part of a program, rather than just having their child take random classes. Also, there is always AMDA. My D's voice teacher said that though it doesn't have the best rep, talented and focused kids can get good training there. Might be worth looking into for those who have chosen not to go the BFA route.</p>
<p>letsfigureitout, to clarify, the option that we are looking into is full time 2 year study at a well established NYC studio. There are several studios with open (interview/audition) admission for full or part-time study. Several have separate areas for NYU students (Adler, Strasberg, Atlantic Theatre). Some may even offer MT programs.</p>
<p>My son was advised that he would not have time and should not audition for work if he attends a 2 year program. He would approach this as a structured full-time program where he is in classes all day and preparing for classes at night. He would also have some of the best theatrical, television and cinematic resources and an entire living stage within each city block.</p>
<p>He has the option to audition again at the unifieds in a year if he wants to go to a 4 year college. Personally, I am more comfortable with the BFA route right out of HS. I have very limited knowledge of how this type of training process works. There are those that argue that all the great teachers (Adler, Meisner, Strasberg, Chekov, and so on) never attended college yet their techniques are studied in all college theatre departments. Al Pacino and Robert DiNero did not attend college and trained with some of the aforementioned teachers in method acting instead. </p>
<p>As far as training in NYC, we are from that area originally and have family and friends at arms length. We would not feel comfortable sending him out on his own without a solid support system in place and a proven level of maturity.</p>
<p>Since there ARE many accomplished actors who did not attend "college" it is clear that securing training in another manor or bypassing training all together is an option. For us, it would be terribly difficult and would feel very risky. We know nothing about the business. Hopefully, in a BFA program, my S will learn how to survive in this field of work!</p>
<p>Good luck ProudDad! Looks like you have explored options other than "college" and it's great that you have found something that will work. I would love to hear how things work out for your S!</p>
<p>Just an fyi about AMDA. I don't know if some of you have read but they do now offer a BFA degree in either Acting or Musical Theatre. However you have to complete the BFA in Los Angeles but you can start it (the first two years) at either the New York or LA campuses.</p>
<p>I'm not sure that I understand the thinking that if my child auditioned for 3 or 4 top programs and was not accepted why I would then turn around and send her to audition for professional work. It makes a lot more sense to me that if she made all the top programs that maybe she has arrived and then it would be worth a shot at professional work.</p>
<p>I also agree with what has been said here about college being so much more than training to be a professional in your field. Most of these kids have no idea how to do their laundry, manage money, live on their own etc. Lets face it not all but most need a few more years of seasoning before we turn them loose.</p>
<p>A very good friend of mine decided not to even audition for schools, but just move to NYC and start to audition.
Although, she's been getting little commercials here and there, and a few random workshops... at all the musical theatre auditions she's been going to, the casting people were concerned about her lack of training. Not her lack of talent at all, but they questioned her ability to perform eight times a week with no intense,formal training after high school!</p>
<p>I think it is not only a question of being ready to handle the city and the business, but also to really know whether a young adult straight out of highschool will LOOK mature enough to be acting, singing, and dancing among the ranks of mature performers. There will be the matter of blending in with the rest of the ensemble and having that certain polish that 4 years would give you time to refine. Of course there will be parts for teenagers, but those don't come along often enough.</p>
<p>Wow... That was extremely helpful to hear BRbway.... ur, read. There is so much to think about, my head will explode!!!</p>
<p>BRbway raises an excellent point. There are very few professional roles which a 17 or 18 year old has any reasonable chance of being cast for, straight out of high school. No matter how talented they are. </p>
<p>I realize that those of you who are so worried about where your kids are going to land in September are thinking about all kinds of possibilities. I would strongly urge you to wait until all decisions are in and then, if you haven't been admitted to a non-audition backup that is also an academic safety (something EVERYone should have on their list), then take a deep breath and reevaluate what happens next. As MTdad says, if the student has had no luck with college auditions, chances are good that there is no way that they're ready to be auditioning professionally.</p>
<p>"Bypassing training altogether" is truly not a realistic option. Although it is true that there are many paths to a career in theatre, going into this whole crazy business without any training is a recipe for almost certain disaster. Being successful in theatre is so very difficult, even for the most-talented and best-trained actors. It's important to be mindful of those discouraging figures of 95% unemployment at any given time for Equity actors, which does not even take into account the thousands and thousands of non-Equity actors in NYC who are looking for work. Going into this business with the best possible training and preparation is still no guarantee but without it, the chances of success are virtually nonexistent.</p>
<p>Raw talent may be in evidence in a 17 or 18 year old at an audition. However, a lack of training is going to be a red flag in terms of being able to sustain eight shows a week for an extended run. No one is going to take a chance on someone with those doubts.</p>
<p>If after all decisions are in, there are no acceptances, I might look at the two year conservatory programs in the city but I would probably be more likely to recommend rethinking the college audition route for next year. Further training, further research, and developing an appropriate list of schools then another go at the auditioning process is a more realistic approach for kids who obviously wanted the college experience. A college education, as others have said, is an important time for these kids, for many reasons, not just for the theatre-related aspects.</p>
<p>Hang in there, everyone. We're all hoping for the one positive letter for you, and if it doesn't happen, there are lots of people here to help you, as I've said before, with plan B.</p>
<p>To add to BRbway's comments: a student of mine moved to NYC after graduating from high school. He briefly attended a 2-year program, but left after one semester: he was bored there, and was also told by several staff members that he was too advanced to waste his time at that school. (Yes, he is a phenomenal singer and actor.) So he stayed in the city, and began auditioning. Although he has gotten work, it has not been easy. At auditions, he is frequently told that his audition was great, he's wonderful, etc. etc., but he looks much too young for any available parts. A number of casting directors and agents have commented on his lack of professional training and schooling. When he DOES get a job, he is ALWAYS the youngest person in the cast. This makes it difficult to make friends with the other actors -- socializing often occurs after performances, so actors often frequent bars, and he isn't 21 yet. Older actors often find it difficult at first to relate to such a young professional, and many in fact resent his success at such a young age. </p>
<p>He has also had a great deal of difficulty learning how to manage his money and time. His parents have finally resorted to giving him an allowance. His youth and inexperience often leads him to stay up too late, partying with friends; as a result he sometimes sleeps through the morning and misses auditions; he doesn't eat properly and is often sick.</p>
<p>On the positive side, this very young man -- probably the most naturally talented student I have ever had -- has had 3 jobs in his first year as a professional, and has acquired his Equity card.</p>
<p>onstage, that seems to me a perfect, real life example, of why that four year college experience (which provides not only training, but growing up time) is invaluable. Success is not just about talent. I have to say that in my life, I have known many talented, brilliant people (not performers, but in other areas) and they are not always the most successful people in their fields. One must combine talent with responsibility, knowledge and most of all, a great work ethic, I think.</p>
<p>I'm just shocked he has managed for a year. How do these kids live? Online I found a studio in Harlem and the cheapest rent was $900 month. 1 bedroom rented out in Manhattan all seem to be well over $1000 month. During NY Unifieds the price of food was horrendous.</p>
<p>MOAP: you are so right about the cost of everything during NYC Unifieds! I honestly cannot imagine a young person (unless he or she came from a very well to do family willing to bankroll him or her) getting along very well at all with little maturity and no training in NYC. It scares me to think about! :)</p>
<p>The worst part about going straight to New York, or even taking a gap year to help the world is these kids lose their health insurance if they aren't in college.</p>
<p>People don't always know about the insurance thing. In talking with a department head at Emerson, I mentioned that our D would lose insurance coverage if she took a gap year, and he had never heard that.</p>
<p>My D will be a HS grad 2010..has GPA cum. 3.4, completed college requirement for Foreign Lang. how can we tell if she is in top 10 or 20% of her grad. class.</p>
<p>With most insurances, the lose their coverage once they turn 19 and are not in school. However, as in our daughter's case, she will regain her coverage once she goes back into school full time. There will be just a few months with no coverage (or Cobra if you want to go that route). Gap year doesn't take them out of coverage altogether.</p>
<p>Brit Mom - contact her high school counselor</p>