I’m an aspiring actress with a huge love for performing, as cliche as that sounds. I’m making almost all As and am involved in Speech and Debate, Mock Trial, PHAST Club (which is a community service group) and am considering joining GSA. I also write novels in my freetime. I guess what my biggest concern is revolves around the fact that I am not in drama at my school. Both mock trial and speech and debate are performance activities, but I’m concerned that no theatre experience will mean my application gets rejected. I’ve had lots of success in speech (not to sound vain) and was personally approached to do mock trial. I guess my question is, especially because my primary interest is screen acting, should I join drama? Or will my current performance activities be enough?
If you are not involved in drama in your school… have you done shows elsewhere? Curious as to what draws you to a performance major if you have not been involved with performing. You can study screen acting at NYU (my kid is doing it right now) but not until your junior year… the 1st 2 years are primary training, which is stage based performance
The good news is- as a drama major, you will need to audition. If they like what they see, experience won’t matter. No one get accepted based on performance resume
I act in mock trial as a witness, which means I have to study a character and play the scene out in a courthouse. It’s my job to be able to know my character well so I don’t trip up on questions and also play the part convincingly. It involves improv and is always fun. We are judged by an actual legal judge. I also do speech and debate where I do one event where I write and perform my own monologue, and also an event where I perform ten minutes of a published monologue or play. I regularly place in both. I got first yesterday in one of my events actually. My school has a film production program run with professional equipment and an amazing teacher with connections to the industry, I act in short films and whatnot there. I take rigorous classes and would have to sacrifice the aforementioned clubs (and one other service/drug abuse prevention club) and my GPA to participate in my school’s drama program, as it is a three-hour rehearsal schedule 4 days a week and I have hw and the clubs I listed above. I have been involved with performing, just not in theatre. Part of the reason I’m drawn to acting majors is because many people have told me that I excel at acting and I have a pure passion for stepping outside of myself and into a character. (sort of like when I write, bc I’m also a novelist)
I guess my question is whether or not my resume will be enough. I perform in three different fields and feel like I’m well rounded as an actor, but I’m concerned a lack of theatre will be my downfall. I’m a sophomore, so if I can next year I will try to either take drama or do one school production if it becomes apparent that it’s essential to me getting into nyu