<p>This news may have already been discussed here, but if not, here it is:</p>
<p>"Harvard Dean of Arts and Humanities Diana Sorensen said that the introduction of a major specializing in theater arts is part of a university-wide effort to strengthen the arts at Harvard, which she thinks will make the school, which does not currently offer a theater major, more appealing to current as well as prospective students and faculty"</p>
<p>My niece is a student at Harvard and is very much into theatre arts. She is part of the Radcliffe theatre group. They audition in the fall for all the productions and act/stage manage all the shows. I have been to three since she has been there and they are stunning! IMAGINE what will happen when they actually introduce a major?!?!?! LOL!</p>
<p>I found the writer a little bit presumptuous, no?:</p>
<p>“A few years from now, students interested in studying theater within the Ivy League may not immediately turn to Yale.”</p>
<p>“Students and professors in the Yale theater community interviewed said they ancicipate a level of competition between Harvard and Yale’s programs in the admissions process, though most added that they hope the two will have a positive relationship.”</p>
<p>Yes, Yale does a have arguably the best MFA program; but undergrad? It seems there are many, many great undergrad BA options aside from Harvard or Yale or the Ivy League. </p>
<p>Presumptuous, yes. Most students I know who are interested in theatre in an Ivy setting attend/attended Brown.</p>
<p>Actually, Yale has one of the best Theater BAs as well as some of the best opportunities for performance (highly-acclaimed Improv Troupes, A cappella, etc). I’ve never heard of anyone going to Brown to pursue a theater degree unlike Yale. Brown is known for producing actors who get their careers from nepotism. </p>
<p>Compare Alumni if you don’t believe me.</p>
<p>Check out Fiasco Theater Company (<a href=“http://www.fiascotheater.com/”>http://www.fiascotheater.com/</a> and relevant reviews in the NYT) to see a fantastic example of Brown alumni–undergrad as well as MFA.</p>
<p>I don’t see any alumni on that website…</p>
<p>but if we’re talking about MFA, no school other than Juilliard, compares to Yale.</p>
<p>“Actually, Yale has one of the best Theater BAs”</p>
<p>hopenest, I assumed that as well, but upon researching and visiting Yale and other schools, I found Yale’s curriculum lacking in theatre practicum as compared to BA programs like Northwestern and Brown. Also Yale’s undergrad theatre faculty and program seems to often be in flux. And, I didn’t find a strong connection between Yale’s undergrad program and their graduate program. But I could certainly be wrong.</p>
<p>hopenest, Can you elaborate on your opinions about and experience with Yale’s and Brown’s undergrad theatre programs? Are you basing your opinion solely on a comparison of famous alumni? Thanks</p>
<p>
What a mean-spirited and unsupported statement. Not representative of the usual tone here on the CC Theater Major thread. </p>
<p>Well said, Glassharmonica.</p>
<p>Not to belabor the point (and trying to proceed as if this is still a rational discussion), but all of the Fiasco group are MFA graduates of Brown, as is one of their associate directors, and four of that group also got their BA from Brown. They’re a wonderful theater company. </p>
<p>Generalizations are so risky. No one can possibly know the background of the sum total of students moving through every college’s program at any given moment. Not even the students that are there as often connections are more subtle. Students with family connections, especially connections to fame, simply make for better news.</p>
<p>^^^^agree</p>
<p>I didn’t mean to demean Yale. It goes without saying it’s one the greatest universities in the world. But based on my recent (albeit limited) research, I just don’t see it as THE go-to undergrad theatre program as the linked article suggests. </p>
<p>I don’t think for all well-informed theatre students the decision will be Harvard or Yale as much as it may be Harvard versus a conservatory, working or perhaps another BA programs.</p>
<p>We saw a really interesting play from Brown (author and both actors, were from Brown I believe) at the NY Fringe a few years ago. How that’s for generalizing from a very small sample? 
</p>
<p>I think Brown has a vibrant undergrad department. Here is a recent undergraduate on Broadway: <a href=“Brian Cross on Ditching Economics for Acting & Being Bowled Over by His Snow Geese Co-Stars | Broadway Buzz | Broadway.com”>http://www.broadway.com/buzz/172726/brian-cross-on-ditching-economics-for-acting-being-bowled-over-by-his-snow-geese-co-stars/</a></p>
<p>I wasn’t trying to offend anyone, honestly, or say everyone who comes out of Brown is a product of nepotism. However they have a considerable amount of students that are like the children of Diana Ross, Susan Sarandon, Danny Devito, Dustin Hoffman, Steven Spielberg, Kevin Costner, etc most of these kids are in the entertainment business. Just head over to the Brown forum, Celebs and Brown go together like Cookie Dough and Ice Cream. </p>
<p>^^^Wow, I did not know that. But, if these kids are choosing to attend Brown, where is nepotism involved and why would that reflect unfavorably on Browns’s undergraduate theatre department? I’m not sure I follow your logic.</p>
<p>I’m not saying it’s unfavorable OR nepotism is involved during school (them getting into BU is a different subject). What I am saying is after college when they are searching for jobs who their parents are will get them a lot farther than some random talented kid from Idaho who got a BFA from CMU, regardless of merits. Now I’m not saying the Idaho kid will never make it but let’s face it Spielberg’s kid will make it in the biz quicker (right out of college) because of who her father is. </p>
<p>hopenest, this is exactly the kind of generalization that you should rid yourself of, and quickly, if you hope to make a career in the arts. Denigrating certain schools, actors, theatre companies, producers, directors, take your pick, will come back to bite you. Trust me. The theatre world is a small one and you never know who is listening to what you have to say. Just a small piece of advice.</p>
<p>Just one anecdotal note, of many I could list, is an actor who we know, and is also known by others here on CC. He booked a national tour in the fall of his senior year at Brown(eight years ago) and took a leave of absence. He has been in shows continuously since then other than the one semester he went back to finish his degree. He has done another national tour, has been on Broadway, moved to off-Broadway with his show and continues there currently. He has taken time off from that show to do many other smaller shows in NY and regionally. Very talented and it wasn’t connections that got him work.</p>
<p>A related caution. Don’t assume that the offspring of famous actors are without talent of their own.</p>
<p>There are some very connected kids at Harvard, too. </p>
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<p>Wondering why BU was mentioned here.</p>