<p>Okay, so I'm studying getting my BA in English (focus on Theatre) at a huge school, but my goal for postgraduate is to get an MFA in acting or study at a conservatory. I'm just a little paranoid because I've auditioned for a bunch of stuff this year, but I haven't gotten cast in anything. I go to a huge school (30,000) and an upperclassmen told me not to get too frustrated because the casting is "really random", but I'm worried that when I go to audition for these schools they'll see that I wasn't in anything in college and think it strange. Will that be that case? Or will they really be focusing on the quality of my audition and looking for potential? Of course I still have more shows this year to audition for but I'm just worried.</p>
<p>I might suggest you try to take an acting/techniques class or two as an elective in order to meet the faculty who are likely involved in casting, to improve your craft, and get some honest feedback on how you are doing in relation to others who are also pursuing acting at the college level.</p>
<p>Best of luck.</p>
<p>I did take one acting class last year as part of my program. I did well and really enjoyed it. The prof was also very encouraging when I discussed my plans with her. Unfortunately there is only one faculty run production a year. The rest are entirely student run. I do certainly learn something from each audition, particularly since all the auditions are cold reads and I do need to work on those, but it is frustrating.</p>
<p>Also worth noting, I was accepted into a program at LAMDA for a semester, but my school would not approve it for transfer credits or extend my financial aid so I’m unable to go and get that training.</p>
<p>Have you been able to get involved with productions behind the scenes? This is a way to meet more people involved in productions. </p>
<p>Are there community theatre or local regional theatre productions in which you can become involved in during the school year or in the summers? </p>
<p>Have you considered applying for the O’Neill Center programs: [O</a> Neill Center :: National Theater Institute](<a href=“http://www.theoneill.org/national-theater-institute]O”>http://www.theoneill.org/national-theater-institute) </p>
<p>It is not so much that an MFA program is going to look for your having been cast in college productions, but they are going to look for training, experience, and continued focus prior to application. It is very difficult to be admitted to MFA acting programs right out of undergraduate school… so, taking a few years post grad to continue to work and/ or train could be good too.</p>
<p>I definitely have been considering working with stage management or tech for the shows that are going on now. </p>
<p>As for summer opportunities, I’m currently looking for internships and the like where I could be around experienced actors, as the problem I have at school now is it barely dips its toe into the practical performance aspect. The program you pointed me toward looks excellent as well!</p>
<p>I had also thought of the possibility of not pushing straight through to postgrad, especially because I’m graduating a year early it might be wise to take a year to work, get more experience, and also be able to focus on applications/preparing audition material when not in school.</p>
<p>Thanks for your insight guys, I really appreciate it.</p>
<p>Auditions can be very competitive, especially for women–because there are usually more women but fewer women’s roles.</p>
<p>If you really are auditioning for EVERYTHING–both the faculty directed and the student directed, and you are not being cast, I think there is some reason for concern.</p>
<p>You say that you took ONE acting class, and that was last year. Are you competing against people who have taken many, many more acting classes than you have, and so have a better knowledge of theatre techniques? You might just be doing something wrong at your auditions and not know it. Since it is supposed to be educational, can you ask the directors or other people holding the auditions to give you feedback on your audition?</p>
<p>You will probably have to audition to get into an MFA acting program at a conservatory, so it is worth the effort to make sure you can give an INCREDIBLE audition.</p>
<p>Another possibility is that, when everything else is equal, folks prefer to cast people that they know. I remember one time I was holding auditions, and for one part it was down to two people, one of whom was a stranger to me, the other was a friend. Although audition wise they were equal, I cast my friend because I knew I would have an easy time working with him (now, if the stranger had given a better audition than my friend, I would have cast the stranger, but they were otherwise equal).</p>
<p>Do the theatre students know you? Do you take classes with them and socialize with them?</p>
<p>I wish you could find a way to get to that LAMDA program. Forget about the transfer credits, it is still something that you can put on your resume (which as you say is rather sparse right now), and it will be INCREDIBLE training. Is there any way you can raise the money to go? Student loans, anything?</p>
<p>KEVP</p>