<p>If one gets a degree in acting, what kind of job options (performance) would you have? I have a D not having success with auditioning for MT programs & we met w/a coach tonite who gave us an evaluation about her abilities & suggested maybe pursuing straight acting. My D feels that would either lead to performing Shakespeare (not what she wants) or film. I think there are more options than this, but don't have any specifics, so I thought I'd ask around here.
Thanks!</p>
<p>Patti LuPone majored in Drama at Juilliard! Thousands of other cases like this as well…</p>
<p>This year’s Tony winner for male MT (Gabe Ebert) is also a Juilliard drama grad. Straight theatre does not equate to just Shakespeare.</p>
<p>There is also the wide world of contemporary straight theatre to enjoy: Chekhov, Ibsen, Shaw, Williams, Miller, O’Neill, Inge, Mamet, Labute, Kushner, Hwang, Shepard, Stoppard - it’s a very long list and it goes on. Regional theatres across the world perform the great works of these modern playwrights and need actors to bring their characters to life.</p>
<p>Television, film, voice overs, audio books, cruise ships and amusement parks even for straight acting. Then there are stage opportunities in communities large and small. Maybe teaching as well.
And there is no reason you can’t continue to sing and dance even if you are in an actjng program. My D will. I have not invested thousands in lessons and classes to chuck it all now!!</p>
<p>This question fascinates me…no judgment, just saying that for my family, MT is a subset of theater and majoring in it always seemed somewhat limiting! My son’s getting voice and dance training in his acting program, so he will have those tools, but he would never have considered wanting to specialize in MT–for him, theater is about language and character. I was so amazed when we started this process to discover that there were so many more MT applicants! 
My daughter’s BA theater program did not do musicals at all (they were staged occasionally by the music department). So we have a quite different mindset. There’s a huge universe of wonderful “straight” theater to discover, preklbt!</p>
<p>Agree with Times3. We look at MT as a niche part of theatre, or a specialty. My son chose the straight acting route even though he performed mostly in musicals in HS and community theatre. </p>
<p>ditto bazaarshopper. My son has played the lead in a few pretty elaborate musicals and is still pursuing straight acting. He can sing very well and will probably play more singing roles as he goes on but his heart is in acting. Pure and simple. I was confused to with the MT thing being so big. Has it always been that way or more so in recent years? </p>
<p>Many shows on Broadway are not musicals. </p>
<p>Also most of TV and film and a good bit of regional theater. I think that there are a lot of people on the MT board because that is such a difficult application process (harder than acting even), and they need more support and information. </p>
<p>Well I will expand a bit on what Times3 is saying because I think it is important to keep MT in the acting mix and not just think of it as a niche because it really isn’t. If you pursue an MT degree without the mindset that you have the same responsibility to develop your character as an actor that would be expected in a straight play, you are doing the audience a disservice and your career is likely to be a short one. You can get away with being a ok singer, dancer even in a musical but you MUST be able to act. If anyone only wanted to see somebody with just an amazing voice, they could go to a concert. The story must be told whether it is sung or not.</p>
<p>My daughter is getting a BFA in Drama at Tisch. That’s the degree bestowed even if you are in the MT studio. She happens to also be in the MT studio but she takes her responsibility and training as an actor very seriously as do her peers. She is wrapping up a year dedicated to Shakespeare (yes, even the MTs study Shakespeare extensively). </p>
<p>Edit: editing my post because of what LeftofPisa wrote below. I just saw two straight plays at Tisch that involved singing. There were a couple of MTs also in the cast but mostly they were students in a straight acting studio. Those actors could sing too, many of them very well. I know that they do get vocal and movement/dance training as part of their curriculum. They need it too.</p>
<p>Agree with others that there is a wide world of non-MT theater out there. But also want to add that for a “straight actor” being able to sing and dance (or at least give a semblance of being able to follow choreography with grace) is a benefit because even in non-musical plays there can be a need for singing or dancing. So for your D, being a “straight actor” who can also sing and dance gives her a lot of flexibility. And may land her in non-MT shows where she gets to use all her talents. :-)</p>
<p>A lot of youth and community theater is geared towards musicals and that is where a lot of kids get their first acting bug. So I think it’s natural that a lot of kids are drawn to MT. But I also think that is too narrow a perspective. Whether an MT kid who can really act or a “straight actor” who can sing and dance, being flexible is going to serve you well.</p>
<p>@Times3, Are there really more MT applicants? I didn’t know that. There are fewer MT programs so that’s interesting.</p>
<p>Many ‘straight acting’ programs have a musical production as part of the plays for the year. My daughter’s school does not have a MT program, but the theater program is ‘theater and dance’ so she’ll take tap and ballet and other dance, and while I don’t think singing is required, the music program is in the same building and I know my daughter will take some voice lessons too.</p>
<p>If a student does get into a MT program, but ‘just barely’, will that student have good opportunities to star in a musical at that school? I think it would be very difficult. Maybe what the coach is saying is that the OP’s daughter will have more opportunities, even MT opportunities, at a more general program. Be the big fish in the smaller pond.</p>
<p>I don’t think there is a concept of “getting into MT but just barely.” For every student that gets into an MT program, there are multiples of students, probably just as talented who do not. The way studios are assigned at Tisch, there are certainly a number of MT applicants that did not get placed in the MT studio but still chose to attend. There are also some mighty good singers who didn’t apply for MT because they wanted an acting studio. I’m not sure what the journey was to the straight acting studio shows that I saw recently, but those kids were terrific singers and only 3 of them were MTs. </p>
<p>Thanks everyone! I really appreciate the feedback, my D is taking this in stride & has found such a positive attitude going forward. Acting has always been her strength & now she’s thinking about how much more she could do if she goes that route. We still have 2 more MT auditions, but if those done work out she is planning to go to Temple & major in theatre studies & continue her vocal & dance training as well. She did audition for their acting concentration but we haven’t heard yet whether she has been accepted for that or not.</p>
<p>Something else that has been important for us, is really paying attention to where “the flow” is. We define it as the thing you are doing that you become so engrossed in that you lose track of time. My son found his way to this career path using that guideline. The more he has been able to stay in his flow, the more doors have opened up for him and the more happy he is. </p>
<p>We are using the same philosophy with three other kids and what a fun journey it is, as they are such different people. We get exposed to all sorts of different worlds! </p>