<p>It's a little late for anyone to be thinking about this subject for this summer, but I am wondering about summer stock productions.</p>
<p>Somebody on another thread mentioned them. I always thought that summer stock casting was almost exclusively MT, with few (if any) straight acting opportunities.</p>
<p>I don't think I've ever seen anybody post about summer stock in this forum, though the MT forum is full of posts about it. In addition, my son who is a senior in a non-MT BFA program, has never mentioned anybody from his program who has done it.</p>
<p>If anybody has any direct experience with non-MT summer stock, it would be interesting to hear about, and it might help others.</p>
<p>I second NJTheatreMOm’s question. My D is exclusively straight theatre and didn’t bother to apply to summer stock at all this year. It’s not like she will do both MT & straight–she doesn’t sing and she doesn’t dance. So for actors, are there summerstock opportunities? I haven’t seen anything, and neither has she, but if anyone does know, it would be much appreciated.</p>
<p>My D is taking the internship/Shakespeare route this year. Many places are still taking applications.</p>
<p>You all probably saw this on the MT board, but just in case. (Start on post #34) There’s a little info on straight acting, so at least it’s a start. </p>
<p>There are all those theaters out in the Berkshires, and I think there are a few up in Maine & down the Cape in MA. I would love to hear others’ experiences. Not so much with the internship/training places, but the good ol’ fashioned “let’s live in the loft of a barn for the summer and put on cutting edge plays” theatre opportunities. Alas, that’s probably gone by.</p>
<p>I watched a documentary on PBS about a summer stock theatre that was on the Cape, and how the couple who ran it raised their kids there, and had young actors live there over the summer. It was during the early sixties into the seventies - lots of free love going on there!!! But it was fascinating. The dad did run away with one of the more famous guest actresses . . .</p>
<p>Hey Marbleheader – I’m the product of one of these summer stock scenarios so it is probably not surprising that I’m the stage dad. I’m adopted and only discovered these details (that my birth father (probably English) and my biirth mother met at a summer production) when applying for non-identifying NY state information about 5-6 years ago. This answered what had been unknown quetion to that point – why was my daughter so wired to do this? Somehow the genes passed right through me.</p>
<p>^Two of the three specific opportunities mentioned above by austinmtmom (Texas and Utah) require singing as part of the audition, which implies that they prefer people whose abilities include MT skills. Not sure about the other one.</p>
<p>Summer stock positions vary considerably from place to place, and should be thoroughly researched, in my opinion. Some are great, others not. Many of those ‘good old fashioned’ spots are long gone, and some of them weren’t as much fun as the tradition makes them sound. ;)</p>
<p>There are definitely summer theatre opportunities other than MT and some of them will provide an excellent experience for students. Chatauqua and Williamstown are two of the excellent ones. They’re very selective but the experience is guaranteed to be valuable at a place like those.</p>
<p>We’ve known students who worked in these through the years - New London Barn Playhouse, Surflight, Weston Playhouse, Cortland Repertory Theatre, The Theater Barn, and a couple of the Shakespeare Festivals. Some are companies that also do musicals so that may factor into casting but many students we’ve known studying straight theatre also have substantial musical talents. </p>
<p>We also know kids who have worked at theatres in Minnesota, South Carolina, Montana, Utah, Wisconsin, and all across Canada. There are many opportunities out there if your student wishes this type of summer experience. Many students in NYC work there during the summer, as my D did one summer. Another summer, she worked in the UK. Contacts made at your student’s school should help with this type of information.</p>
<p>The only one that I know anything about in alwaysamom’s list is Williamstown. It seems to be very selective. A couple of recent Boston University BFA grads my son knows were there last summer. I doubt that undergrads are often hired, if ever.</p>
<p>I agree that asking everyone you can think of at your school for help and recommendations is an excellent idea.</p>
<p>Actingdad, my parents operated a summer stock theater when I was growing up. I worked there but never paid much attention. Then D’s first grade took a class trip to see Into the Woods. From then until now, she has been almost entirely focused on theater, and I have come to the conclusion that it was hard-wiring.</p>
<p>My impression is that since even summer “Shakespeare festivals” very often alternate their classical offerings with MT shows, they prefer actors who have capabilities that include MT skills…so that everyone participates in both, in repertory.</p>
<p>If students think of summer stock as musicals only, it’s because they have heard that “only students with MT abilities should bother to apply.”</p>
<p>My D is applying to various Shakespeare repertory acting internships. Many, however, either start too early for Northwestern, or take more advanced students than she, so her chances are low. Her fallback plan is to apply for an excellent physical acting intensive at a local professional theatre, to gain more skills and build her resume. I do think it’s more challenging for students who want straight acting only, but that’s always going to be the case. I guess I’ll keep y’all posted as to how it pans out for her, and share what we learned. I do agree with NJTHeatreMom, that there are far more posts about summer opportunities for MT students.</p>
<p>ActingDad and Gwen - that is too funny. It may be hard-wired for some. In our family, if you put either me or hubby up on a stage, we’d both pee ourselves. Not sure where S gets this - but I would say for him it was watching musicals on TV and in movies.</p>
<p>It does seem that summer stock is more for MT, but I’m sure there are plenty of backstage opportunities for our actors. S can dance and sing, too, but not at the caliber of most of the MT students.</p>
<p>Just to clarify, when we are talking about “summer stock” I think we are talking about paid work, as opposed to internships. It’s pretty easy to find good internships any place at all if you will work for free!</p>
<p>Working in production (backstage) can be a great experience for any acting student. You don’t have to be an acting intern to increase your theatre skills. Being around any high-quality production helps.</p>
<p>Not often, but there have definitely been undergrads at both Williamstown and Chatauqua. If I’m not mistaken, a mom here on CC posted a couple of years ago about her son being at Chatauqua but I don’t recall who it was. In any case, we know undergrad students who have spent summers at both of those wonderful places.</p>
<p>Acting students without any musical talent are going to be at a disadvantage, there’s no question about that. This will be the case for summer employment while in college as well as for employment after graduation. There are far fewer straight theatre opportunities than musicals. Many students we know, including my D, form their own theatre companies/groups and work hard to make employment opportunities for themselves. Being in NYC certainly helps with the many contacts students form there, and the abundance of actors/directors/stage managers, etc., both new grads and those with experience. MT kids do the same thing in NYC, all the time, current students/recent grads and most pros are doing various types of gigs, projects. It’s an excellent way to be seen. In this business, few are in a position to sit around waiting to be cast in a show.</p>
<p>Alwaysamom, were the undergrads you knew at Williamstown doing paid work? Did any of them ever appear onstage?</p>
<p>According to the website, Williamstown has an apprentice program that costs $3000 for the summer session. Their next level above that is the non-Equity company, which consists of a “nationally recognized, highly competitive group of young actors drawn primarily from the top graduate programs in the country.”</p>
<p>I agree about the student interest in forming their own theatre companies. That is one of my son’s goals, although he is not going to try it the moment he gets out of college.</p>
<p>I also wanted to make the point that students who prefer straight acting are not necessarily without musical talent. For many, it is simply a choice. They would rather put their energies into aspects of theatre artistry other than singing and dancing. This is particularly true if things like directing and playwriting are of interest to them in addition to acting.</p>
<p>I know undergrad actors who were at Williamstown the past 2 summers in the apprenticeship program. They paid to be there but both felt it was well worth it. They did get some stage time. They notify of acceptances very late, just fyi.</p>
<p>That’s definitely true, but you can get lucky. My D (who can sing, but isn’t in musical theater) got a part (wasn’t a musical) last summer with the Nantucket Theater Workshop. Pay was not great, but they provide housing. She was persistent and went to several auditions (which were in NYC).</p>