<p>I'm only in 8th grade, but have been wondering what experience is needed so I can prepare myself. I plan on taking acting classes as electives in school, along with on weekends at the local community theater. My question is how many plays/musicals have you been in before your college audition? I can't do any plays during the year due to schedule conflicts and the only ones I can find in the summer are musicals (I can't sing very well). What was your training like during high school, and any tips? Thank you.</p>
<p>I’m sure you will get a lot of specific advice on what measures to take to best prepare yourself, but I wanted to just offer some general encouragement. I have been home schooled my entire life, and because of this I’ve never had the opportunity to take theatre classes. However, I have devoted my time and energy to pursuing what opportunities present themselves to me whether it be community theatre or otherwise. What I’m trying to say is that I think it’s less important what specific courses you take or the number of shows you perform in, and more important the type of effort you put into those experiences. There will always be someone with more theatre experience and training, but if you work hard and commit yourself to improving, that’s what’s truly going to count when you think about preparing for college auditions (and a theatre career in general). Good luck with Highschool! :)</p>
<p>If theater is really what you want to do for the rest of your life- I would advise trying to rearrange your schedule so that you CAN do shows during the year. That is going to be what builds your resume. I did about 5 or 6 shows every year of high school. Colleges want to see that you have experience and that you have had many opportunities to grow and learn. I know someone who didn’t know until his junior year that he wanted to do theater, and auditioned for colleges with only a couple of shows on his resume. They continually told him they were impressed with his talent, but that he needed more experience.</p>
<p>I tend agree with Alexxmichele. It seems that the average show takes about 3 months from auditions to performances, so in general, 3 - 4 shows per year are doable with little or no overlap. If you have more, that’s great, but you do want to protect your GPA and not get too overly committed. It just depends on you and your situation on how much you can handle.</p>
<p>Dramaqueen4jesus is correct in that you must put forth great effort to see results. Just being in a show over and over again will ensure some experience, but learning as much as you can about your art form and pushing yourself counts for a lot. </p>
<p>There are a few exceptional people who have hardly studied acting at all - just have natural talent - but I think they are not the norm. Most of us (myself included) have done a ton of shows and taken lots of classes and workshops. You learn something different from each teacher/director you work with and it really helps you in the long run.</p>
<p>I agree with Alexxmichele. Find time to do a couple shows/classes during the school year and not just the summer. Take acting in HS and audition for the shows. If you are not initially cast, volunteer to do tech or be a stage manager to show your commitment. Sometimes this helps get a foot in the door. Also look into summer acting camps with great instructors. I attended my state’s Governor’s School for the Arts (a 3 week camp - for free!!!) and got to work with some of the best instructors in my state. Most were college professors. Try to seek out the best people you can find in your area/state and work with them, if possible. That’s what I did.</p>
<p>Good luck, Berry05! Hope this helps.</p>