<p>Marbleheader, plenty of BFA students have to work to earn money in the summertime. If your son attends Boston University and ends up doing that, he certainly won’t be the only one.</p>
<p>At most BFA programs, there is ample opportunity to “learn about an entire production.” At BU, there are particularly rich opportunities for this for Theatre Arts students.</p>
<p>In addition, BU requires Theatre Arts students to do an unpaid internship at some point during the four years. The school helps the student find these. Many students do them during the school year. There is a lot of choice and flexibility about what the intern requirement might be. If they need to, Theatre Arts students can stay out of casting for the quarter they are doing the internship, in order to have enough time to accommodate it.</p>
<p>I hope this is not way off topic but another idea for the summer and even during the school year is securing an agent.</p>
<p>It may not be easy but could be worth a try, especially if your a student in NY or LA. Auditioning for commercials is not that time consuming. Booking one leaves an actor with the ability to join SAG/AFTRA and a lot of money for tuition.</p>
<p>If interested in the approach I would take for getting an agent while in college PM me and I can share it with you, as well as a list of reputable NY and LA agents that I would suggest targeting.</p>
<p>My two children could NOT do ANY unpaid internships in the summers, not to mention attend programs that cost money, during their college and graduate school years. They worked every summer in their respective fields (one is in theater) away from home and had to earn at least enough money to pay all their living expenses to do that for the summer as we no longer paid for summers after high school when they were away from home (and they were never home for a summer). Many kids are in this situation or in the situation where they actually have to earn a profit in the summer to have money for the school year.</p>
<p>I agree with all you are saying, NJTheatreMOM. What I meant was that I will feel bad if S wants to do something during the summer that doesn’t supply a paycheck, and I have to be the bad guy who says no! It’s easy to get caught up in the enthusiasm of others who may be trying for a slot in one of the summer theatre programs - I’d want to do it, too! - and S will just have to know that he needs to bring in some money. </p>
<p>Oh, NO! I’m starting to sound like my father!!! “I had to work 3 jobs to pay for my college education, at a state school, even with the GI Bill, taking the bus, wearing the same suit for four years, bla, bla, bla.”</p>
<p>Just wait until they think they might want to attend a graduate program and you tell them it has absolutely got to be one with stipends and tuition waivers…because you can no longer afford to carry them financially the way you did with the undergrad degree.</p>
<p>The passion and enthusiasm of these creative theatre kids is infectious, and you want to be part of making great things happen for them…but at some point you have to say “no.” It varies by family of course, but most of us have probably faced this.</p>
<p>LOL! I agree with you, too, soozieVT! I know there are “many kids in this situation”. I’m not suggesting that my kid is the only poor kid who has to work. </p>
<p>Again, I’m only saying . . . aw, never mind!</p>
<p>NJTheatreMOM, yes, totally agreed! My older daughter wants to return to Italy post graduation to continue her studies in art, and I’ve already told her that she’d better hustle and find a good stipend/scholarship, because I can’t pay and it would be very unwise for her to take out loans. It does help if you truly can’t pay, by the way. I don’t feel guilty or like the bad guy–but I do feel sad and find myself wishing I were rich. Who doesn’t?? </p>
<p>I’m in the same boat as you, Marbleheader–I can’t possibly afford to pay for summer programs AND help pay for colleges. My D’s decision as to what to do this summer is based on that reality. There are still many good options and I guess we’ll have to see what pans out. But I agree with you; it can be hard to see other kids flying to, say, BADA for $8000 during the summer… What can you do? There are many routes to success and besides, it’s good for them to learn independence.</p>
<p>My kids understood that they had to support themselves over the summer, or live at home. If they wanted to go to a “pay to perform” program - they needed to get a scholarship. Every family has different financial situation, but for us, paying for college is a burden. We can’t afford summer programs too. Fortunately, D1 has been very creative in combining performance opportunities with paying jobs. And she’s used her paycheck to subsidize circus school and extra physical theater training! If kids’ really want to do something, they will find a way - no parental involvement required.</p>
<p>This is really for MT kids but if your kid wants to do tech work, Muhlenberg has a Summer Musical Theater and provides a stipend for tech interns.</p>
Wondering if you could elaborate on your daughters experience with Nantucket Theater workshop? How rigorous is it? Where are the actors housed? Did she have a great time? Etc…thanks!!!
My S did some very poorly paid internships in Chicago while also working as a server, set builder and caterer. He made enough to live on (from the survival jobs) and also got the experience (from the theaters). He also got a taste of how that works for later on.