<p>I’m sorry-- I can’t remember-- Do Freshmen MTs audition, and potentially if cast, perform in productions? If so-- are they required to audition, or is it optional? I know some programs don’t let Freshmen audition.</p>
<p>Freshman BFA students are required to audition. As are all BFA performers. In many cases freshman are cast. In the past two years all but a couple of freshman had at least an understudy opportunity. We treat the stage as an extension of the studio. As such, we work to get students into rehearsal. We don’t guarantee a role, that isn’t possible. But we do work toward that end.</p>
<p>Thank you kjgc! Are the BFA students also required to do any “front of the house” or Tech work?</p>
<p>It kind of varies from year to year. When you take the classes Intro to Costuming and Intro to Stagecraft, you may be required to tech a show as part of your shop hours, but it is not required every semester. However, BFA musical theatre and acting students are always encouraged to do tech work and usually step up to the plate without much pushing. You find areas that you are more interested than others and can request those. I was an assistant stage manager, a make up artist, and an assistant director on 3 separate mainstage productions during my time at CCU (so obviously not every single year). I asked for those jobs as they were more in my area of interest than say, lighting or fly rail, and I learned tremendously from each experience. It also depends on what you are cast in. Sometimes casting makes it basically impossible for a student to tech a show during a certain semester or even year and that of course is understood.</p>
<p>Front of house is handled through the Wheelwright Auditorium Box office so it’s a separate process, but many theatre students have worked for WW as their on-campus job (myself included).</p>