<p>Hi folks;
I've lurked and posted a couple times over the past year since my daughter, now a junior, expressed a strong desire to major in acting or theatre with a performance track in college. The posts are extremely helpful so I am going to throw this out there, and hope to hear some honest responses. If your student isn't in a performance based high school or intensive type non-school based program, how do you really know if they have "it" to try for an audition-based school? I know this is a very subjective area, and this isn't a post to "chance" her possibilities at particular schools. I just wonder how non-theatre parents find out how to help their theatre crazy students find their path?
Thanks,
E's confused Mom</p>
<p>I can respond as a theatre student who has non-theatre parents. While my parents know little to nothing about the theatre business or acting methods or what exactly it is that I am doing, they trust me because I have proven myself to be responsible. As an actor, you need to be thrifty, you need to be cunning, and you need to be able to bounce back from extreme lows that come from rejection. I got a job when I was 15 that I worked at all through high school while participating in around 15 high school performances and staying in the top 10 percent of my class GPA ranking. I’m also accepting the fact that my parents have no money to offer me, and that my entire education will be paid for by loans which I will eventually be paying off myself, whether I am making the money from acting or not. I accept that responsibility, and my parents trust me that I can land on my own two feet. I have also had many extensive conversations with my parents when they have been concerned and I have told them about my short term and long term goals, and all sorts of different fields I will be happy working in and that while I want to get my theatre degrees (I want to eventually pursue an MFA), I can take care of myself once I am outside of the protective shell of college. These are probably the sort of things that you should be asking your daughter if you are not convinced. Does she know about all the benefits of Actor’s Equity? Does she know how to get an agent? Does she know how to pay bills and get an apartment and navigate a city? If she does go for an acting school, will she stay motivated enough that she won’t spend all her free time partying? There’s a real negative connotation that comes along with having a degree in theatre, and it’s our responsibility to rise above it. Does she want to perhaps double major, or take on a minor? Sit down with your daughter and have a face to face conversation, and let her rationalize in her own head if this is something that she really wants to do. If she is unsure… well, it’s not going to get any easier.</p>
<p>I realize I may have missed the original question. As for “it” which I assume refers to talent, most training programs start at the base level and build you up from there. Very little previous experience is necessary. What any good beginner acting training program or conservatory is looking for is someone with some raw personality who has a good attitude and is receptive of criticism and suggestions.</p>
<p>Hi iwhitt,
So glad you may have missed the question because your response included tons of things that are great points- actually I was glad it was you who responded, as I was going to tag along my question at the end of one of your other threads, but decided to throw it out as a new one.</p>
<p>My daughter definitely wants theatre-no question. This past summer we sprung for the cost of a week long performing arts camp thing at Hampshire College, and I have never, ever seen her so happy. It was theatre stuff all day, every day, from one aspect to another. She wants to improve her acting skills to work, but would work at tech and design if she doesn’t have the talent to be on stage. She is involved in all her h.s. productions, on stage and in the technical department. She can’t sew, but she helped the “theatre moms” design costumes for the last competition play. She also takes private voice lessons and participates in a local youth theatre group. </p>
<p>She told me wants to start in the industry now, (why wait until you are plowing through college ) but has no idea how to get an agent, the benefits of Actor’s Equitity etc…We are looking at several non-audition type theatre programs as backups, as she isn’t a great student so we have to be careful even on those as to what would be “safety” vs “target” vs “reach.” Financially, she is very smart and compared to her older sister is a tightwad. Unlike her older sister, she isn’t concerned with a big name if she can get a good experience at a local state school for a third of the cost. That would free up saved college money for advanced training later.</p>
<p>All that said, as someone who was once in a similar place, how did you go about advancing yourself to where you are today? I look forward to hearing more from you and will put my daughter onto this post first thing tomorrow. I think reading here is less intimidating than asking the older theatre people and teachers around her (although I have been telling her that’s just who to ask as a resource).
Thanks iwhitt</p>
<p>Oh yeah, as a PS. I am very worried about the party rep of theatre majors and the indusry in general. My daughter looks very young for her age and is in a small school in a large suburban, diverse “town” with city qualities. I worry about her in a theatre environment, especially in a bigger program or in a city environment. She isn’t the type that has to go along with everyone to fit in, but who knows if that will change in college. Another good point by you…</p>
<p>Buggie44 - In addition to the one week program your D already went to, if you can afford to send her to a pre-college program next summer, it would help a lot to get a strong idea of what a college performance track is like as well as get a sense of the general talent and level of competition out there. Another plus is that then they will see kids they know at senior-year auditions at the various colleges and a friendly face is always welcome (close friends sometimes even try to schedule their auditions for the same dates just so they can see each other again). There are many threads here about summer programs that have a lot of information. The programs may seem pricey but it’s an investment in discovering if a 4-year college/university program in theatre is a good fit for your child before you actually head down that path. Hah, I don’t know about the accuracy of the party rep as the several kids I know who are in various college theatre programs are working too hard with evening rehearsals and homework to be the real partiers at their schools!</p>
<p>I’m not sure you can know if someone has “it”. But certainly to audition for good programs I think the person has to have a good opinion - good, not arrogant - opinion of their own skills and talent. As far as worry about the “party” aspect, if you audition for and are accepted to a rigorous program, you willl not have time to party. Those pre disposed to partying will probably do so anyway, but will quickly be cut from a competitive program if their performance suffers as a result.</p>
<p>Between being in Unions and getting a agent I’d say the agent is more important. An agent can submit you for union work even if you are not yet in a union. In the beginning it can be frustating to not be in Equity but you do have a lot of non union work open to you that evaporates the second you join a union. Being in a union doesn’t get you work. It just protects your rights once you get work under a union contract.</p>
<p>My general advice to anyone seeking a career in show business - performing, tech, or whatever - is don’t do it unless you cannot possibly imagaine yourself doing anything else. It is a tough row to hoe.</p>
<p>I’m glad that perspective helped! As for “how far I have come” I wouldn’t consider myself to have gone quite THAT far, lol. But I did a two week summer musical theatre program in Rochester that was a series of these daily intensive masterclasses taught by Broadway actors that were brought up from the city. (Turns out actors don’t always make the best teachers, but they had some good advice and I made some good contacts out of it). One of the actors invited me down for this great outreach program in the city called Moveable Arts, I recommend looking them up. While they are not so much geared towards the art/craft of acting (and honestly the whole program is very plasticy feeling, and very dog-eat-dog, but that’s New York for ya), the whole program is geared toward teaching you about the business behind acting. In a moveable arts weekend retreat, which is what I did, I met agents, casting directors, actors, and other broadway people who taught masterclasses and workshops about what they were looking for, what sort of things you can do to help advertise yourself, how to get an agent, that sort of thing. While I was FAR too young in my opinion for that sort of program, and much of it went over my head, it was eye-opening and very demystifying of the entire business. After that I had worked up the courage and went to an open call of Spring Awakening, this was back when it was on broadway, and I got called back a few times for the role of Moritz, who knew some country bumpkin from Upstate New York with absolutely no professional credits could even be considered for a role like that?</p>
<p>After that the big program I did was NYSSSA, the New York State Summer School of the Arts, I was enrolled in the school of theatre. What your D wants to look for is a summer intensive in acting training. That will really open her eyes to what sort of training a full time conservatory program has to offer. It was 6 hours of classes daily, 7 days a week, and 2 hours or so of workshops in the evenings, and we had constant homework that kept us busy studying the art and craft of acting. This is where I really learned what the craft was all about, and made me really respect what I was getting into. </p>
<p>Right now I am in the undergrad program at SUNY New Paltz, Majoring in Theatre Arts with a focus in Performance, and I am planning on double majoring (hopefully, if I can fit it in) in their TV production major. The kinds of programs I am looking at now are preparing to get into a good MFA program (I really want more advanced acting training), and I am looking for more summer intensives.</p>
<p>I recommend your D look at the summer intensives at the Stella Adler School at Tisch, and the Summer Intensive offered at Rutgers, and if you live in New York, take a look at NYSSSA, that program definitely changed my life. A Summer intensive is a huge time investment, but if she is serious then it’s a great prep for college theatre, and will put her a huge step ahead of the game when it comes to training. Not to mention, it looks REALLY GOOD on a college resume.</p>
<p>I echo iwhitt’s comments. Your D should look at the summer intensive programs that are offered at the major theatre colleges. My S attended one last summer and felt that it solidified for him his strong desire to pursue a degree and a career in acting. He also believed that it helped him to grow considerably as an actor. There are a range of programs and your D should look for them on the websites of the various colleges. For example, NYU Tisch is very expensive but it provides 6 college credits. Because it is a state-supported school, Rutgers (Mason Gross) would cost considerably less. She should begin to look soon because I believe they start to accept applications shortly after the new year begins. The application process is like a mini-college application - essays, grades, letters of recommendation, and, in some cases, an audition (or DVD of a monologue). As for an agent, they can be difficult for a teen to acquire, unless he/she lives in a major metropolitan area with an active theater or film community. An agent generally will want to be sure that the teen has the background (meaning he/she already has an acting resume) and can do the job (meaning that school won’t interfere and the student can audition/perform when school is in session). There is a book that describes the process for a teen to acquire an agent - I can’t recall the title but you may be able to get it through [url=<a href=“http://www.theatredirectories.com%5DTheatre”>http://www.theatredirectories.com]Theatre</a> Directories - Summer Theatres - Regional Theatres - Theatre Training Programs<a href=“which%20also%20has%20a%20helpful%20directory%20on%20college%20and%20conservatory%20theatre%20programs”>/url</a>.</p>
<p>Thanks to all your thoughtful posts; they are a wealth of information, and I really appreciate you sharing your thoughts and experiences. It gives me a lot of topics for dicussion with my daughter to help her determine her next move. Anything else you can think of is appreciated- you can always post or PM.
Buggie</p>
<p>Just a few thoughts to add to what others have already said:</p>
<p>My D is a senior in the BFA MT program at Syracuse. These kids are far too busy and driven to become a part of the party crowd. Most of them are carrying 18+ credits, and rehearsing 6 nights a week plus weekends. Don’t worry about it!</p>
<p>Since your daughter is already a junior, I would focus on getting her as much additional training and experience as possible; and you should try to make some college visits this year to get an idea of what programs might be appropriate. Don’t even worry yet about agents, Equity membership, etc. There’s plenty of time for that, and a comprehensive college program should help with educating her about those things.</p>
<p>Regarding “it” – yes, it does exist, and if it’s present in a performer, it’s obvious. However, there are many many performers out there who don’t have “it” – but who have been well-trained and as a result are able to work regularly. </p>
<p>Because acceptance rates at audition-based schools are so very low, it’s most important to include some non-audition schools on your list; and make sure they are schools that your daughter would be happy to attend! You need a good mix of reach and safety schools on your list, both with regard to academics and talent. Any school that requires an audition cannot be considered a safety school.</p>