Current student and parents?

College Majors Musical Theater Major
1

<p>My D was just accepted to the Theatre performance track (she did not audition for MT) and was offered a very generous scholarship. We live in the area, so she initially was looking for something farther from home. However, with the scholarship, the prospect of being at a school in an exciting theatre city like D.C. seems worthy of more exploration.</p>

<p>Can any current theatre or MT students or families of students at AU tell us a little more about your experience of the department? Perhaps strengths and weaknesses of the program? Advantages/ disadvantages of the American University community as a whole? What is it like to be an “artsy” kind of kid at a school that attracts a lot of political science/ international study type kids (not that those things are mutually exclusive?) </p>

<p>We are going to see the show at the school this Thursday and are looking forward to seeing the students in action. Any feedback would be appreciated!</p>

2

<p>Hello!</p>

<p>I’m a senior musical theatre major and would love to answer any questions you or your daughter has about the program. The theatre and musical theatre programs are very closely intertwined, and we take almost all of our classes together, so I should be able to answer any questions you might have. </p>

<p>First of all, the advantages:</p>

<p>As you already know, DC has an incredible theatre community. AU is very connected to that community, and I would say that is one of the biggest advantages of going to American. For example, next year, 10 students will get to be part of a production of The Good Doctor in conjunction with Synetic Theatre, an incredible physical theatre company in Virginia. AU received a grant to have five Russian directors in residence for the fall semester of next year to direct the vignettes from this piece. </p>

<p>Unfortunately, freshmen will not be able to audition for that show, because it starts rehearsals over the summer. However, I’m sure there will be many more outside collaborations in AU’s future, as there have been many in the past.</p>

<p>Next season also includes Guys and Dolls, Glengarry Glen Ross w/ a reverse gender cast of all women playing men, and the new student showcase, which is open to all freshmen and transfer students. There will also be three more productions and the senior Capstone, which have yet to be announced. </p>

<p>The rest of these productions will be directed by AU’s faculty. I would say our amazing faculty is another of AU’s major advantages. They are so intelligent, creative, and caring. They are always there for guidance. And they are all out in the DC theatre community, acting, directing, and writing. </p>

<p>Another huge advantage, is the opportunity to go abroad. I went to the British American Drama Academy last semester, and it was one of the most incredible experiences of my life. I learned so much, and got to experience what a conservatory program was like. </p>

<p>That is one thing I would say: If you are looking for a conservatory program, AU is not that. Because I only have one major, I have had the opportunity to take a wide range of theatre, music, and dance classes. But, this is a BA. We all take gen eds. And, a lot of us really like them. But, still, it is valuable to know what kind of program you’re looking into. I’m sure you have already considered this, but I thought I would just reiterate that fact.</p>

<p>To address your other question, I have never really been considered what it’s like to be an “artsy” kind of kid at a school that attracts a lot of poli sci/ SIS kids. My freshman year, my roommates were a business and a linguistics major, respectively, and we are still friends. I do probably spend the majority of my time in the Katzen Arts Center, surrounded by my theatre and musical theatre friends and peers, but I still have friends outside the department, and they are always eager to come see my shows.</p>

<p>I’m really glad you’re going to get the chance to see Spelling Bee! It sounds like it’s shaping up to be an amazing show. If you want to see the campus beforehand or talk to a theatre or musical theatre student about the program, I can definitely set you up with someone or meet with you myself. Let me know!</p>

<p>And please send along any other questions you might have!</p>

3

<p>Thanks so much, sophiestar! I will pass along this info to my daughter. And I will get back to you, if we have more questions.</p>

4

<p>How many students are in the Theatre and Musical Theater programs at American? How many new students do they try to bring in each year?</p>

5

<p>Hmmm I’m not sure what the exact answer is to that question. I can tell you that in my class, there are twelve musical theatre performance majors and seven theatre performance majors. There are also two arts management majors and three theatre arts majors. But, the classes under us are all smaller. I don’t think that the professors go into auditions with any set number of students they want to accept for that year; they simply accept the people who they think will be a good asset to the program, which is why different years have such different class sizes. Does that answer your question? If you want specific numbers for the other classes, or more information on what the professors cap the class size at when they go into program auditions, I can probably find that out for you!</p>

6

<p>KellyLJ1, My son was accepted too. I can tell you of his experience when he visited last summer. There was no tour because it was August so we went to the theater (which is off campus) and just walked in uninvited to take a look. It happened that there were students there working on a project. They dropped what they were doing to welcome him and answer all of his questions. He clicked with them and felt comfortable immediately. This interaction made more of an impression on him than any tour we took at any other school.</p>