<p>One my my D's favorite actors, Parker Posey, went to SUNY-Purchase for acting, as did a well-known local actor who graduated from my D's school and is now a resident actor at Everyman Theatre here in Baltimore. Purchase apparently has a top notch acting program (not MT, right?) and should not be considered a "safety" by anyone.</p>
<p>That's true about SUNY Purchase as a vocal performance major also. It's on my D's list and is certainly not a safety!</p>
<p>Right...I can't tell however, if DefyingGravity was just talking of their BA in liberal arts program. The BFA in Acting program there is highly selective. If going for a BA in liberal arts, it might make more sense to pick a BA at a school that has a theater program where you can study and participate which may not be the case for a liberal arts student at Purchase.</p>
<p>Just to add to what the rest have said, Purchase is generally considered one of the top BFA Acting conservatories in the U.S. - right in the same league with NCSA and Cal Arts and just below Juilliard and CMU prestige-wise. It's also the most cost effective of the top BFAs with out-of-state tuition, room and board, and fees coming in at $20,465. They offer fairly generous financial aid and scholarships, as well. Also, their in-state "sticker price" is $14,205, so you can expect to be competing with every middle/lower-middle class conservatory bound actor from New York State for admission. They have a good-sized list of prominent alumni besides Parker Posey (also one of my favorite film actresses) as well. So ... Purchase is definitely not a safety for anybody unless you're talking about the BA in Drama Studies.</p>
<p>I could never go to Purchase, on a good day it is actually just as close as say NYU to me, I just could never go to school in westchester, we havn't gotten along so well lol. That was a bit of a pointless ramble ut I just think it's ironic how DG is looking at a school in westchester and doesn't really want to be in the city and I'm the opposite. Wow, I need to learn to control my thoughts.</p>
<p>CMU and Michigan are my top two choices. I've decided that I don't want to apply to Tisch and I'm not sure about Steinhardt because it has less of an acting focus than I think I want. I am applying to Julliard for the hell of it. I limit myself because I have an unhealthy attachment to the east coast.</p>
<p>Does anyone know about Wash U's BA?</p>
<p>I just joined today. Thanks for all of the helpful information. I have a Jr D who is determined to be a MT major. We are starting the college tours this month: NYU, Syracuse, Ithaca, OCU, OU, and Sam Houston State (TX).</p>
<p>How do people dress to go to school visits? I'm thinking black pants and a jacket for the east coast? Can my D wear nice jeans or is that too casual?
Do the schools ever let you sit in on rehearsals?</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>Just finished a tour of University of Virginia's drama department and you'd never know it from their web site but they do quite a bit of musical theater and have a very impressive small program in drama all within the nation's best public university. (Now, if they'd move it somewhere else so my D could get a "going away to college" experience it might be perfect!) They apparently interview at (excuse my ignorance) some Southern conference audition thing kids in music-theater-oriented high-schools go to because there was a family there from Georgia who knew the department representative from those auditions. Seems like they're quite serious about their program, have a 30-years-ago state of the art 600-seat theater as well as a black box and are building a mid-size theater and renovating everything else. The University also sponsors a summer theater with plenty of MT. </p>
<p>It's a BA program with several MA grad directions. About 80 Drama majors in the undergrad program but admission is through the main U with not much weight put on your MT or Drama accomplishments other than via an arts supplement. The department is actively lobbying for 20-or-so spots from the admissions department dedicated to theater recruits, but nothing yet. Any student in any division can audition for any role in any production. </p>
<p>I thought it might be something those looking for a good deal in a great liberal arts program with some opportunity for MT might want to consider.</p>
<p>I have a student who is currently a senior at UVA in the School of Commerce. I taught and directed her for all of her high school years, where she played several leads, and she absolutely could have pursued MT as a career and certainly considered it. For many personal reasons, she ultimately decided to pursue a liberal arts degree, but she would NOT have been happy in a place where she couldn't be active in MT. (She's an amazing pianist and flutist as well as singer/dancer/actress). In her 4 years at UVA, she has been actively involved in:</p>
<ul>
<li>FYP (First-Year Players), a student-run group in which freshman, called "first years" at UVA , and transfers perform musicals directed, choreorgraphed, etc. by upperclassmen</li>
<li>University Singers (UVA has several elite choirs and a cappella groups), </li>
<li>Heritage Rep, which is the local professional theatre company (Equity and non-Eq.) directed by on the theatre faculty at UVA - this is a tough gig for anyone to get, but working with Bob (the director, sorry I don't know his last name off the top of my head) in class settings helps you to be known - he teaches a musical theatre scene study course which my student loved (and she is highly trained and savvy - in other words, PICKY :) )</li>
<li>other local theatres which do very high-quality productions</li>
</ul>
<p>She has actually never performed in a university musical (she studied abroad last spring when she might have done so), but at the end of this school year, she is producing and performing (along with 3 others) in EDGES, a new song cycle written by two University of Michigan students and premiered last year. I have several students at UM and introduced her to this show, which has recently been made available for production and produced by CMU, BoCo, and other schools, and she connected with the composers and arranged to produce it at UVA. She has done the planning and persuasion work herself, but UVA does allow students to create or produce their own projects.</p>
<p>She is in the midst of job interviews and end-of-the-year work, but I will ask for more input and if she would be comfortable talking to anyone one-on-one about UVA's MT opportunities.</p>
<p>
[QUOTE]
Coach C wrote: "Heritage Rep, which is the local professional theatre company (Equity and non-Eq.) directed by on the theatre faculty at UVA - this is a tough gig for anyone to get, but working with Bob (the director, sorry I don't know his last name off the top of my head) in class settings helps you to be known..."
[/QUOTE]
</p>
<p>Bob Chapel is his name: <a href="http://www.virginia.edu/drama/faculty.htm%5B/url%5D">http://www.virginia.edu/drama/faculty.htm</a></p>
<p>I'm glad to hear someone else is impressed with UVA's program. I've never heard anything about it on this forum and it came as a pleasant surprise.</p>
<p>I can only respond about the dress at college tours from the perspective of tours done with my older S (business major). We observed mostly very casual dress in the group tours. Lots of jeans and sweaters (this was for mid-west colleges in April). My son wore a collared shirt, sweater, and khaki pants on his visits. We felt most comfortable with this because he had scheduled interviews at each of the schools.</p>
<p>Wow - UVA - my son has a friend from his school who is very excited to be going there next year (not related to theatre)!</p>
<p>College tours - I only have one suggestion - COMFORTABLE SHOES!!! Dress casually enough that you can wear something easy to walk in. We had a girl who toured with us way back when we started who tried heels and flip-flops - doesn't work too well!</p>
<p>Just be aware, while you are looking at UVA, that it's one of the most competitive universities in the country! My kids' high school's class valedictorian a couple of years ago was deferred for early decision, then ultimately rejected.<br>
Consider carefully when you're looking at more general or liberal arts places, because while conservatories will look the other way about grades, these places will not!</p>
<p>Proud Dad,
I read your post with interest as my S and I went through the same thought processes as he was applying to schools this year. He loves MT and definitely wanted a BFA MT but he still wanted liberal arts courses as well. There are schools where it is possible to have it both ways. I suggest you and your daughter look at Otterbein in Westerville, Ohio (a suburb of Columbus) and Illinois-Weslyan in Bloomington, Illinois. Both schools offer BFA's in MT but still require students to take liberal arts courses. In addition to a BFA MT, Otterbein offers a BA in theater which allows the student to take acting classes, dance classes and even voice as well as liberal arts courses. This really attracted my son who is something of an academic. I'm sure there are others schools like this and there will be other CC posters who can speak to these programs. Obviously avoid the conservatory style programs - they tend to be very heavily practical training programs with a small number of other courses. Good luck as you begin this journey.
MTaussie</p>
<p>My jr D and I are heading to NY Friday to see NYU, Syracuse and Ithaca.
Thanks for the posts on dress. We'll wear comfy shoes and jackets. I know we will wish for more time in NYC. We only have Saturday to sight see, and I've never been before. We have tickets for A Light... on Sat night. Anyone have ideas for a good less expensive off/off off Broadway show for Friday night?</p>
<p>Has anyone had luck getting into a rehearsal at a school, if there isn't a show in production? Ithaca said they would ask, and that it was a good idea. I thought watching a rehearsal would really reveal the character of the MT department. </p>
<p>So many colleges, so little time/money.</p>
<p>Rather sing,</p>
<p>My D and a group of her MT friends RAVED about Atlar Boyz! Even though they are not all Catholics, (some jokes, alas, were lost on them), they had such fun--they want to see it again! You may be able to get discounts on line ahead of time through broadwaybox.com. I've also heard "Title of Show" is wonderful. Go on New York Magazine's website (nymetro.com) and read the encapsulated reviews. If you are looking for an inexpensive meal near Lincoln Ctr, go to Ollie's Noodle Shop (enormous place;decent Chinese food). You won't go into sticker shock after looking at the bill. But see if they take reservations, because there are always lines out the door on the weekend.</p>
<p>The weather is supposed to get more spring-like by then. Have fun!</p>
<p>Altar Boyz is a fun off-Broadway show that is often available at TKTS (half price ticket booth in Times Square), or for $35 through theatermania dot com. It pokes fun at the Catholic religion, but even my mom (who is a devout Catholic) would not be offended! You have to join theater mania to get the discount, but it's free (although they will send you lots of emails unless you unsubscribe from the email option).</p>
<p>A dear friend from Texas and his daughter were visiting recently (college visit trip) and we took them to the show. I could tell my friend was very skeptical ... and he ended up buying the CD!</p>
<p>Edit: LOL! Freelance types a lot faster than I do. :)</p>
<p>rathersing, what kind of show would you like to see? Bernard Alba is good and I'd recommend that to anyone, but unfortunately it's closing tomorrow. Grey Gardens is excellent, you can't go wrong with Christine Ebersole and Mary Louise Wilson. Although Altar Boyz is fun, it's a 'fluff' musical which isn't to everyone's taste. It IS in a fabulous theatre space, however, I love Dodger Stages. Generally speaking, the best off-Broadway shows are straight plays and if you're looking for a good one, check on tickets for The God Committee. A Safe Harbor for Elizabeth Bishop is getting a lot of positive buzz. Amy Irving is a great actress, both onstage and on film. However, my #1 recommendation would be Landscape of the Body. It's a terrific play by John Guare, an unbelievable cast (including Lili Taylor and Sherie Rene Scott) and the tickets are $15. How can you go wrong? :)</p>
<p>Rathersing,
another vote for AltarBoyz, We saw it first last summer and I was very skeptical but it is very fun and you can get rush seats at the box office an hour before the show for $25. You can even try the lottery for Wicked and Spelling Bee first and then if you don't win walk one block to the Dodger Stages. Have loads of fun.
We are off to visit colleges in Boston so I'm sorry to say we won't be home in Syracuse to give you a welcome!</p>
<p>rathersing --</p>
<p>i just thought i'd let you know that if you do get to see one, the rehearsal you would see at ithacawould be for Twelfth Night, NOT a musical. so you'll get to see how the ACTING program is (there is one freshman BA in the show and there are some MTs also in the cast but i think it's predominantly acting majors). there is no musical currently in production, but i know they let perspectives sit in on MT classes sometimes.</p>
<p>I also vote for ALTAR BOYZ, depending on your taste - check out their website and you'll know whether it's for you or not. The script is very smart, and the guys are FIERCE. :)</p>
<p>I suggest JERSEY BOYS to anyone going to NYC - it's sold out into the next millenium ;), but they have excellent student rush tickets ($35/each) and your D could get 2, one for each of you. It's very well-sung and acted, and most of the young BFA students to whom I have recommended it have been hesitant or indifferent until they actually see it, after which they emerge saying, "That's one of the best thing I've ever seen!" You'd probably need to get in line about 2 hours before the tickets go on sale - but it's worth it to check the line and see if it looks like you have a shot. It's not a lottery, which in a way is nice, because you can simply count people and determine if you'll get tickets, so you don't wait in line for nothing.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>