<p>I'm a fan of the program at IWU, as well. My son met with the program director there three years ago (end of junior year) and really liked him, and the general feel of the campus was friendly and upbeat. He ended up not auditioning since it was scheduled late compared to his others, and by the time it rolled around he had already gotten a couple of acceptances. We know a few people at IWU and it has an excellent reputation in the Chicago area where we live. The average ACT score is 29 (same as NYU), so it's no slouch academically, either. IWU is 2-3 hours from Chicago, but has a small town feel. I agree that its MT program is overlooked way too often.</p>
<p>motter3, will you be staying over night before your audition?</p>
<p>edmondsg, im sorry to hear you didn't get to audition here at IWU. The program has changed even more since you were auditioning. Thanks for you post :-)</p>
<p>bearfann14, yes i will be staying over night the thursday before my audition, and staying in a hotel the friday night before my audition.</p>
<p>Awesome! I hope to see you here next year, and maybe i will see you when you stay. Well break a leg in your audition!</p>
<p>I have a lot of specific questions...I wasn't sure whether to PM you or leave it in a comment, but thought that maybe some other people would have these questions too...apologies if it was annoying to bump this up so much!</p>
<p>Would it be possible to take a minor outside of theatre (e.g. English or something)? Are there any cuts/re-auditions/evaluations/etc.? How many students are accepted into the major (and do you know how many students audition in the first place)? How many semesters of dance can you take...ballet, jazz, tap? Do you take private voice each semester? Can freshmen audition for the shows? How balanced is the curriculum between the three disciplines?</p>
<p>Thanks so much for any help with these, sorry I have so many questions!</p>
<p>Our s. got into IW in MT last year with a scholarship and was VERY impressed with the people there. He wanted to go to a "big college" type school, but it was a very hard choice. His dad and I were both so impressed, especially with the "whole student" approach.</p>
<p>My daughter & I visited and auditioned there recently. We liked the school and I'm confident that she would get a good education there. So things I didn't like were as follows:
- Freshman cannot audition for any of the mainstage plays they have to wait until their sophmore year. They are pretty much gophers their first year. I have mixed feelings on this as I understand that they need to learn crew, lighting, sound, design etc but they have classes for that. Our high school has classes in technical theatre and anyone in Drama has to be a lackey to earn their Thespian points. I just have an issue with paying 38K for relatively talented child to be an usher. They claim that the students can be in any student run productions in conjunction with their 50 seat black box theatre and they will be learning and working hard.
- Their theatre is kind of a dump. The campus is beautiful, the building the theatre is nice but it looks like they haven't replaced the seats since 1969. It appears the capacity is about 300, the theatre at our high school is 3 times this size.
- They currently don't have a senior showcase. They said they are working on that but I think it's imperative if you want your child to have a shot at the big time.</p>
<p>Things we liked:
- The faculty and student aids were very helpful and very nice.
- If you make this program you are going to get a lot of attention. It appears to be a small close-knit group.
- I got the feeling that the emphasis on the MT program is growing and that they are dedicated to making it better year after year.
- The 4 year graduation rate is high, so is job placement after graduation.</p>
<p>It is really helpful to read posts like this one--gives you a real feel for what to look for in a school. I was surprised by one thing, though. We are looking at BFA Acting programs, and it is very clear to us that MOST of these programs do not have freshman (or, sometimes, even sophomores!) perform in mainstage productions. That is something for the Junior and Senior years, once a solid base of skills has been thoroughly established. The students at these programs do NOT seem to feel as though they're missing out. They recognize the importance of their training and they have plenty of performing to do in class. Is MT training different in this respect?</p>
<p>Some MT programs have the same restrictions. My D is a sophomore at Syracuse, and was not allowed to audition for main-stage productions until the end of Freshman year, when shows are cast for the following fall semester. The reason given? Students need to be on the same page with their basic acting training; and many have bad habits that need changing.</p>
<p>At first we felt this was a drawback of the program, but in retrospect are very happy the department has this policy, for several reasons:
1. Freshman year was VERY demanding, both physically and emotionally. At Syracuse they call the first year of training "boot camp". A full schedule of classes, plus rehearsals for class-work, backstage work, actual homework and the usual first-year adjustments would have left little time or energy for additional rehearsals. My D has found she is much better at managing her time this year, and is currently rehearsing for her second main-stage production of the year. Even so, she had a few near melt-downs during fall semester while trying to do it all!
2. Another unexpected benefit -- many close friendships were formed during freshman year, when students were not competing for roles. This year, they have been able to maintain those relationships even though they are now in more direct competition with each other.
3. Another point to keep in mind -- at schools where freshman are allowed to audition, there is no guarantee that they will be cast! Don't forget, they will be competing for roles with older, more experienced students who have already developed relationships with the instructors and professors.</p>
<p>I know this is a somewhat controversial issue -- just keep in mind that many schools have this policy for some very solid reasons.</p>
<p>I agree 100% with what onstage wrote. My S is at IWU and at first we weren't too happy about the freshmen not being able to audition. But for all the reasons articulated above, it was a good thing. Plus, ushering isn't what the "x" hours (tech requirements) are all about. My S did costumes one show and did actual construction which he hadn't done before, lights for one and house managing for another. And in the spring, the freshman MT'ers put on their own musical, a full production with costumes, props, band etc. of "Triumph of Love." All 7 of them had great parts and it was a good experience to work together on it. Don't underestimate the experience they get in student-directed shows. They are extremely well done, rehearsals are demanding and there is a lot of room for creativity. IWU's Musical Theatre Society just put on a "staged reading" version of the "lost musical" Do-Re-Mi that they cast, rehearsed and staged all in 10 days complete with costumes, choreography and a full orchestra made up of IWU music students. It was staged in the beautiful Hansen Center, (definitely not a dump!) to full crowds. I wouldn't dismiss schools that don't allow freshmen to audition. </p>
<p>I do agree, however, that the main theatre needs an overhaul. The campus is so gorgeous and almost every building is new so it's kind of a sore thumb. Hopefully it will get some attention soon. Although I must say, after seeing the spectacle of "Scrooge" the musical in December, the production values don't suffer for it!</p>
<p>Hey everyone,</p>
<p>We in the Theatre Recruiment office here at IWU found out about this message board through one of the parents at our last audition day, so we thought it would be a good idea to make our own account and answer all your questions directly! Not that bearsfann14 hasn't been doing an excellent job :)</p>
<p>We'll go through all the previous posts within the next couple days and try to catch up on any questions that haven't been answered yet.</p>
<p>Thanks and we hope to chat with many of you!</p>
<p>Ninnynoodle-</p>
<p>Minors are possible with all our degree tracks, but if you were to decide you wanted to double major your only option would be the BA track.</p>
<p>As for the cuts/re-audition deal, do you mean once you've been accepted into the program? We have juries at the end of every semester so the faculty can see student progress, and there are Sophomore Reviews at the end of the spring semester of your sophomore year. The faculty technically can't boot you out of the program, but they can suggest that you move degree tracks.</p>
<p>For music theatre I believe we accept around 20 students and expect about half to choose to come here.</p>
<p>As for dance, the faculty encourages you to always be in AT LEAST one dance class per semester. Our dance requirements right now are at least 2 semesters of modern, 2 of ballet, 2 of jazz, and 1 of tap. By the end of your senior year you must be able to pass into either Tap II or Jazz III AND Ballet III or Modern III (that's ONE from EACH of those pairings).</p>
<p>Yes, music theatre students take voice lessons every semester. There is also a repertoire class once a week in the chapel on campus. It's basically a master class.. all the music theatre majors gather and sing for each other and the vocal coaches work with you in front of everyone.</p>
<p>I think we have a pretty good balance between the three disciplines. With the BFA in Music Theatre you're basically getting an Acting and Voice double major with a Dance minor. We're also required to take 2 semesters of theory and 3 of keyboarding. If you've never had theory before I HIGHLY RECOMMEND taking some sort of "Music Theory Basics" class or something before you get here. It can get pretty rough if you've got absolutely no background in it.</p>
<p>Freshmen are not allowed to audition for any of the main stage shows, but are eligible to be in any student run productions. Being a freshman (my name is Erika, I'm one of 4 student workers in the recruitment office who will post on this board) I'm so glad that pressure was taken off me this year! Like other people have said, the adjustment from home to college can be rougher than you'd expect and you get crazy busy with classes, etc etc. You always have the opportunity to be involved in a show in one way or another, though.. I've been on two wardrobe crews so far (I'm a freshman) and I actually enjoy the backstage work way more than I thought I would because I'd never worked BEHIND the scenes before, which I think is the case with a lot of students. Also, I like that we're required to work on crews because it reminds you that you need to respect everyone around you. A show can't go on without the performers and the people backstage working together, and I think performers forget that sometimes. You get a really well-rounded theatre education here at Wesleyan and knowing how to sew a hem or build a flat will come in way more handy than you may think it will once you're out in the "real world".</p>
<p>Hopefully this helps!</p>
<p>Yes, that helps a lot! Thank you so much! I think my questions are answered, I really appreciate that!</p>
<p>Just because you're a freshman and you audition doesn't mean you'll make the show! As a matter of fact it's unlikely. I have a problem with the fundamental fact that you can't even try. A good example of this would be if the school is doing a show and has a character that you are a perfect fit for, now what? And if you don't like the pressure then you're in the wrong line of work! There is plenty of time to work on the stage crew and learn everything it's not likely that you'll make every show. I doubt they'd cast the same people for every show even though they may be the best actors.</p>
<p>Baymom-</p>
<p>Thanks for your informative post about your childs freshman year. I certainly won't dismiss this school because of the freshman rule, I just don't like it and it is a consideration of which school we may eventually pick. Like I mentioned in my original post some kids from large HS programs (like ours) have paid their dues doing costumes, lighting and sound. I also want to say that my daughter and I respect and appreciate everyone that works on a show.</p>
<p>Quite a few schools have that no-performing-while-a-freshmen rule, including Carnegie Mellon. I would guess that in addition to giving kids time to adjust to being away from home and to college life, such a rule would allow the freshmen musical theater/acting ensemble/class to bond as friends and colleagues without competition entering into it.</p>
<p>This is for ninnynoddle...</p>
<p>Yes it is possible to take a minor outside of Theatre no matter what major you choose. It will be more difficult if you are a BFA, but it is def. still possible.
There are no cuts here at IWU, although there are Juriesevery semester;this is where you perform a combination of monologues, songs, scenes, etc(whatever is on the criteria for you class) for the theatre faculty and they give you feedback about your progress throughout the semester as well as for the jury itself.
As far as how many audition and how many are accepted, I do not know an exact number of how many audition, but i know it is a decent number, and in my class, 9 were accepted: 3 boys and 6 girls. It usually ranges from 7-11, and the ratio of boys to girls changes as well.
You can take dance every semester. It is also possible to get a dance minor with any theatre degree.
As far as private voice... YES! Every BFA Muisical Theatre student has a voice teacher. The theatre department actually has thier own voice teacher on staff seperate from the music department, but it is also possible to take from the music department as well. Every thurs. there is a rep class for all the MT majors. This gives all students the opportunity to perfrom and get feedback from the MT Voice professors.
Freshman are not allowed to do Mainstage Productions, but they can do shows in our Phoenix theater, which is on of the smaller theatres we have here. I didn't like this at first, but i now think it is a good idea to make sure freshman concentrate on training their first year and wait to perform mainstage till Soph. year.
The curriculum is fairly balanced b/w all three fields. Every student has to take private voice, acting, and dance every semester. It is great thought because IWU gives you the opportunity to take more of one than the other if one aspect needs to be a little more improved. I know a girl who is in almost all dance classes this semester b/c that is what she wants to improve on most.
I hope this helped. I am sort of in a hurry to get to class so if there is anything i missed, feel free to ask. I will be sure to get to everyone elses question when i get back from class. Thanks for you interest and Break a leg!! </p>
<p>:-)</p>
<p>I am reposting my last post with some changes so disregard that one and look at this one.. sorry about that.. there were some typos.</p>
<p>This is for ninnynoddle...</p>
<p>Yes it is possible to take a minor outside of Theatre no matter what major you choose. It will be more difficult if you are a BFA, but it is def. still possible.
There are no cuts here at IWU, although there are Juriesevery semester;this is where you perform a combination of monologues, songs, scenes, etc(whatever is on the criteria for you class) for the theatre faculty and they give you feedback about your progress throughout the semester as well as for the jury itself.
As far as how many audition and how many are accepted, I do not know an exact number of how many audition, but i know it is a decent number, and in my class there are 9 MTs: 3 boys and 6 girls. It usually ranges from 7-11, and the ratio of boys to girls changes as well.
You can take dance every semester. It is also possible to get a dance minor with any theatre degree.
As far as private voice... YES! Every BFA Muisical Theatre student has a voice teacher. The theatre department actually has thier own voice teachers on staff seperate from the music department, but it is also possible to take from the music department as well. Every thurs. there is a rep class for all the MT majors. This gives all students the opportunity to perfrom and get feedback from the MT Voice professors.
Freshman are not allowed to do Mainstage Productions, but they can do shows in our Phoenix theater, which is on of the smaller theatres we have here. I didn't like this at first, but i now think it is a good idea to make sure freshman concentrate on training their first year and wait to perform mainstage till Soph. year.
The curriculum is fairly balanced b/w all three fields. Every student has to take private voice, acting, and dance every semester. It is great thought because IWU gives you the opportunity to take more of one than the other if one aspect needs to be a little more improved. I know a girl who is in almost all dance classes this semester b/c that is what she wants to improve on most.
I hope this helped. I am sort of in a hurry to get to class so if there is anything i missed, feel free to ask. I will be sure to get to everyone elses question when i get back from class. Thanks for you interest and Break a leg!! </p>
<p>:-)</p>
<p>MTDAD777. Here are some things that might help you out regarding your posts about freshman performing:
Freshman Not Performing Main stage:
I completely understand where you are coming from. My high school had a 900 seat theater, a student body of 4,700, and a fine arts department of around 1,000. The reason for not performing as a freshman in main stage is not specifically about getting to do other things like costumes and tech, but it also has a lot to do with training. Much of freshman year is about getting rid of bad habits and making sure all freshmen are headed in the right direction for success over the 4 years they are here. At IWU they want to take your talent and improve you to your best ability. In order to do this, freshman do not perform so that they do not fall back into old habits that are trying to be broken this year, whether that habit is in dancing, acting, or voice, as well as so they can concentrate on what is being thrown at them their first year here.</p>
<p>As far as a student being right for a part, that is not always what performing and shows are about, especially as a freshman. A student’s goal is to improve in order to go out and work, and although a freshman might be able to play a part well (and believe me, they are all talented and could all play parts in our shows), it’s not always about the final production of a show, but being in school, it’s all about the education and learning process. After getting rid of bad habits and training for a year, then students will get the opportunity to use what they have learned and fixed, as well as what they are still learning, and put it into a main stage, larger scale production.</p>