I want to go back to school for Musical Theater or regular theater, but I’m not sure what to do. I don’t have any experience with Dance, Acting, or Singing. (Although I have taken a Voice class once and was told I have potential.) I just want to know what someone like me can do to gain acceptance into a school that offer Theater majors.
I’ve looked some stuff up on YouTube and various sights and it seems like I’d have to audition for the course.
There are many colleges that don’t require an audition. Check out some colleges that you are interested and check out their degrees and requirements. Good luck
If you don’t have any experience with dancing, acting, or singing- Have you ever Been in a musical? what makes you think you want to major in MT? If you haven’t been in shows- my 1st piece of advice would be to try out for some community theater productions and see if you LIKE it before you try to major in it.
What do you mean you “want to go back to school”? Do you already have an undergraduate degree? Some college? If you are a transfer student, the plan might like look a little different from that of a HS senior applying to college for the first time.
I’ve worked behind the scenes for about part of a day once in a musical for my old school. Plus I used to be on an Indy film crew when I lived in FL. Theater is something that I’ve always been interested in but haven’t had any opportunities or knowledge of how to enter the Theater scene. Anyway I was just wondering what someone like me could do.
I would be a transfer student.
Perhaps it would be helpful for you to take a look at the threads above Big List of Colleges by State and by Program. Given your limited experience perhaps one of the non-auditioned programs would be a good fit, especially as a transfer student.
I would also suggest getting involved in community theatre before you decide to major in it.
Not to sound ungrateful or anything but none of this is helping. I live way out in the boonies of NY. There are only paid acting theaters near me. I’m not sure If I was clear on my original question, I’m sorry for that. What I meant was, What are steps steps I should I take to gain admittance into a theater major? Do I need to take dance lessons and acting lessons before I apply? or what?
Yes to all of the above. Can you get involved in a spring production at the school your are currently attending? The one thing you will be up against is kids with years of experience. Other than the experience you have stated have you auditioned for other shows?
@Orlus25
!. Take acting, dancing, and voice lessons. You will need all 3 to major in MT. Some programs do not require a Dance call but you will want to be proficient at all 3 of these things.
2. See if you can find a local workshop specializing in auditioning. Some professional and local theatres offer classes and workshops on auditions and they are very helpful.
3. Research the kind of school you would like to attend for MT and how much it costs (unless cost is no object, in which case, lucky you).
4. Read as many plays as possible and watch as many musicals (in real life and on the internet) as you can.
5. The competition to get into an auditioned program is horrendously large. Be prepared to be disappointed by the majority of your auditions, but also be confident enough to approach this as “why not me?”.
6. The non audition programs are a really great option for learning and getting some experience. Perhaps you could try one of those and then transfer again later but realize that you would have to start all over again as a 1st year student.
7. Perhaps check into the non college programs in NYC such as AADA, AMDA, and others (after doing the classes and workshops mentioned above).
8. Backstage work for one of the paid theatres you mentioned can be extremely useful also, they usually need volunteers.
9. Good luck, it’s a wonderful experience being in MT and once you get really involved you will likely be addicted!
@Orlus25 - Thank you fro giving a little more clarification. You don’t say what region of the country you are in or what your financial situation is. Are you on your own? Does your family support you and your decision to pursue theater?
There are many successful theater/film people who “discovered” they loved theater/MT while they were in college and had no previous experience. While I agree with the suggestions for taking acting, voice, dance lessons ASAP, and getting as much theater related experience and exposure as you can, you could also go to a Theater/Drama/Music BA program at a college that allows non-BFA students to audition for their plays and musicals. Some schools allow all majors to audition, others allow all Theater and Dance majors to audition. Many schools whose missions are focused on true “Liberal Arts” eduction, want their students to explore and expand their horizons as much s possible. Also look for schools/programs that encourage and support their students to create their own works - this is often where the greatest opportunities and chances to grow are found.
I will give you one example that I am familiar with: My S is a BFA MT student who attends Wright State in Ohio. Their program is made up of MT and Acting BFAs - who are accepted through competitive auditions. There are also Theater Studies BA majors, who study more wide-ranging aspects of theater - history, theory, production, etc - but also have some access to the same Acting, Dance, Voice classes as the BFAs (not as intensively or as many classes). All majors in the Theater and Dance departments are encouraged to audition for main stage shows, many get roles and some even get leads. But the best part (INMHO) is what is called “Director’s Lab” theater. This is a totally student-run theater that allows students to write, direct, act and tech in shows w/o any faculty involvement (from one-person to casts of “dozens” productions). Multiple shows are mounted each week with only one, or at most two, performances. This is all done outside of regular school and rehearsal hours. It is a real “trial by fire” and where the students truly test their mettle. Because things are mounted so quickly and “on the fly”, the opportunities to learn from mistakes and move on are tremendous.
Many other schools have similar setups and they don’t necessarily have to be in departments that offer BFA degrees in Acting/MT. Some of today’s successful “stars” found their calling in just such environments. Good luck!
sopranomtmom’s suggestion of checking out the Big List of Schools pinned on this forum is a great place to start. Check out the non-audition options and then compare the curriculum offered. It sounds like you want a performance based program, so look for programs that have that emphasis. We live in a rural state, and finding acting, voice and dance instruction can be a challenge. Perhaps you can start by finding acting lessons first to learn if you enjoy the training and process.