Incoming Freshman Auditions!

College Majors Musical Theater Major
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<p>Yes, there are too few faculty to do all the things that are required - so they have moved our webmaster responsibilities to the College level; and that decreases effective, speedy communication…</p>

<p>There are no intake auditions. If the university accepts you, we accept you.</p>

<p>We are offering video auditions for out-of-county students who haven’t yet been accepted (early next year), so that we can make special admit requests for about five of them to be held to the (lower) O.C. admission standards.</p>

<ol>
<li><p>We commit to the students in the first two years, stating that we will guarantee them placement in ALL prep courses to start out, with “assessment advancement” beginning in their second year. The program and structure is not going to be a good fit for all. If you need a guarantee of completing a program, then this is not the program for you. If you want a shot at excellent training, at an institution that offers development before cut, then we might be a fit. We guarantee each BFA (jr. and sr.) roles in the season productions each semester, with at least one guaranteed lead before they graduate. Not many of those schools who “take all” can offer that… Again, there are up sides and down sides to each program. We are doing the best we can with what we have. If not a good match for your son or daughter, they won’t be happy here and won’t succeed. So please be sure to investigate, visit, talk to current students, and make the most informed decisions that you can make when applying - no matter WHAT school you are looking at. IT IS VITAL to empower yourself with knowledge/research.</p></li>
<li><p>On F/T faculty devoted to MT: we have ONE MT dance faculty member, ONE MT voice faculty member (and one P/T), and ONE MT teacher (MT I class). Without a great deal more full-time faculty hired, we can only accommodate 10 students at the junior and senior level (this was a number that was set by NAST accreditation team, after carefully reviewing our resources, facilities, season and courses). So if we don’t make cuts, we would have to limit our intake to 10 freshmen each year. That would not be viable to sustain our program funding, especially in this “corporatized education” climate.</p></li>
</ol>

<p>Another point to make: you could invest tuition/fees in private studio voice, dance and acting classes, and your child may have a better preparation, and variety to choose from, than going the traditional college/university route. There is no one, set method to success. To each his own. :)</p>

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<p>Oh, sorry - I missed your question about application period. The university application process is currently underway - I believe through November, or until full. That info should be available on the homepage for the university - click on “future students” tab. As I said, if the university accepts you and you say you want to study MT, we accept you…there is no separate “application to department/program” required.</p>

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<p>So I’m very confused. Does this mean there are no auditions this year. Someone I know auditioned last year but was rejected. I’m trying to figure out if this is a true MT safety or not. Thanks much!</p>

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<p>Ah… no safety.</p>

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<p>No auditions. If the school accepts you, we accept you.</p>

<p>We are only auditioning out-of-state students for “silver bullet admission” requests (holding them to OC admission standards, which are a little lower than out-of-county admission standards). These “silver bullet” auditions are limited (up to five awarded), and will be done via video submission. All applicants will receive notice - sometime in December (when application deadline has passed). </p>

<p>Once you have applied, check your Titan Online email account (set up during the application process) regularly - that is where all important communications from the university will be sent.</p>

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<p>It is a “safety” for the first year only. People are eliminated each year. If you are looking for a non-audition, stay in it for 4 years if you want to, safety, this is not it.</p>

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<p>Prof H,</p>

<p>My son is a first time freshman applicant from the Bay Area. He applied during the application period last November to CSU Fullerton. He wants the BFA MT program, however, on the csumentor application, that was not an option, so he chose BA Theatre Arts. Is he eligible for the Musical Theatre BFA “Silver Bullet” Admission video audition for non-OC students?</p>

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<p>Hi, whound:</p>

<p>No student can formally declare “Musical Theatre BFA” until they have passed their jury at the end of their sophomore year. Until then, all freshmen are declared BA Theatre students. but the theatre advsiors know that he is MT (see third paragraph, below).</p>

<p>Yes, your son can participate in the silver bullet admission auditions if he has not been accepted close to that April 2nd deadline. The silver bullet auditions are only for those not yet accepted, hoping for lighter admission standard.</p>

<p>Once accepted, your son will have to attend a New Student Orientation on campus during the summer. At that time a Theatre advisor will ask them “Who’s musical theatre?,” and then give those students a “track” of classes to register in for the fall (classes for which they will have permits waiting, guaranteeing them a seat). It’s a great way to keep students on track to schedule at the end of their sophomore year.</p>

<p>Hope this answered your questions.</p>

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<p>Hi Prof H.,</p>

<p>My son recently got accepted to CSUF as a freshman. He’s interest in straight Acting. I have been looking at the “Theatre-Drama” forum trying to find more info on the CSUF Acting program, but it seems that there are a lot more threads on CSUF in this MT theatre! Thank you for taking the time to be here and answer our questions. Here are mine:</p>

<p>Is the Acting BFA grogram very similar to the MT BFA? (in term of “track”, “cuts”, have senior showcases, guarantee role in productions …)?</p>

<p>Do you have an equal amount of male and female students in these program?</p>

<p>Do the acting kids get voice lessons in the first 2 years? </p>

<p>For the students who didn’t make it into the BFA Acting program, can they still be casted in the school’s productions?</p>

<p>With the current state budget, can most of the students in the theatre programs (MT, Drama, Directing…) graduate in 4 years?</p>

<p>Thank you so much!</p>

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<p>At the end of sophomore year if you made it past the MT assessments during freshman & sophomore, are you allowed to be juried for both BFA MT & Acting so you have a better chance of getting into one of the small BFA programs? </p>

<p>If you don’t make the BFA jury at the end of sophomore year can you re-jury at the end of junior year & perhaps just stay a 5th year at CSUF?</p>

<p>How soon do you find out about your sophomore BFA jury results? Is it soon enough that if I don’t get in I could still have time to audition as a transfer to other schools?</p>

<p>I’m officially going to CalState as a MT “wannabe” in the fall & am really excited but have tons of questions. I have a passion for MT but do not have years & years of extensive training in things like dance, which worries me with the cuts. Sorry for all my questions!</p>

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<p>Oh & also what exact courses do MT “wannabes” take their freshman year & their sophomore year? & what exact courses do BFA MT & BFA Acting juniors & seniors take? </p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

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<p>I’ll reiterate your questions below, and type in the answer in same paragraph (for clarity).</p>

<p>Is the Acting BFA grogram very similar to the MT BFA? (in term of “track”, “cuts”, have senior showcases, guarantee role in productions …)? Yes, exactly the same in terms of tracking, cuts (though they have only one mid-soph year before the jury at end of soph year), showcase (theirs is in Los Angeles), and guaranteed casting each semester with one substantial role before they graduate.</p>

<p>Do you have an equal amount of male and female students in these program? No. There are always more women than men (both in acting and MT).</p>

<p>Do the acting kids get voice lessons in the first 2 years? They get voice and movement for the actor each semester of their actor training. They don’t get voice/singing lessons.</p>

<p>For the students who didn’t make it into the BFA Acting program, can they still be casted in the school’s productions? Yes, we have BA students (both frosh/soph and upper division who were cut from the BFA programs) in productions all the time. There is just no guarantee of casting for them.</p>

<p>With the current state budget, can most of the students in the theatre programs (MT, Drama, Directing…) graduate in 4 years? Yes, especially Acting majors (as they take fewer overall units than MT, because they don’t have to also emphasize dance and music coursework). I always recommend taking a lot of AP before coming here (that helps no matter what your degree), as well as summer and winter GE off-campus/online (it’s cheaper to take at community colleges).</p>

<p>Sorry that Acting literature isn’t more readily available, but I don’t head that area. You should contact the head of acting, Svetlana Efremova-Reed for any questions I haven’t answered here: <a href=“mailto:sefremova-reed@fullerton.edu”>sefremova-reed@fullerton.edu</a></p>

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<p>Hi, GeoFio:</p>

<p>If you make it through to the spring of your sophomore year as an MT major, you may opt to jury for both programs (you will have all the prereqs if MT, and will only need to take soph Voice & Mvmt for the Actor in your junior year to be caught up with those who started as Acting). It increases your odds of admission to a BFA program if you try for both - but the choice is entirely yours (we will never presume, but will always ask you what you want to try for).</p>

<p>No, once you have juried you may not repeat. It’s hard enough to get you out of here in 4 years, and the school frowns upon students who don’t graduate in a timely manner, as well as financial aid drying up after a certain amount of units/time. You cannot repeat performance courses (except for dance - can take each level up to four times) so you won’t be increasing your skills in that year after your jury, and each year the talent that comes up tends to be stronger than the preceding year. For these reasons, if you feel you won’t be ready to jury at the end of the sophomore year, it is better to drop out a performance track for a year, increase your skills at schools/studios outside of school, then re-enter a BFA track when you feel you are ready to do your very best.</p>

<p>You jury in May of your sophomore year (timed around final exam week). You get the results before final exams have finished, so unless you have already begun applying and auditioning for transfer schools you will likely not be able to transfer. If transferring is your “plan B” (which we always demand you craft for yourself, no matter what BFA you try for), you must start application process in freshman year, and must keep up with their various audition and application requirements concurrently with your studies at CSUF. That puts you in the best position to transfer to another university, if needed and desired.</p>

<p>We have had men come in without any dance training, and they pass their juries. You simply need to know that you will need a LOT of work and training in that area to stay competitive (unless you are one of the fortunate ones for whom dance comes easily).</p>

<p>As for the coursework that you take in each BFA, you will have to contact Prof. Svetlana Efremova-Reed, head of acting, to answer the Acting questions (or you could look in the catalog at the courses required for the Acting BFA program to figure that out).</p>

<p>MT students take the following (NOT COUNTING the GE required, as those are taken in varying orders - depending on the student and the availability of classes):</p>

<p>FRESHMAN YEAR:
Two dance classes in fall, and three in spring (jazz, tap and/or ballet)
Script analysis in the fall, and Acting I in the spring
Voice & Movement I both semesters
Stage Crew both semesters (the fall is treated as an orientation class, rather than a stage crew assignment; but the class is credited is a stage crew credit).
We’ll try to add in either Costuming or Stagecraft in spring</p>

<p>SOPHOMORE YEAR (requires assessment for advancement before each semester):
Three dance classes each semester
Acting II both semesters
Musical Theatre I both semesters
Stage crew both semesters
Makeup (if possible to fit in)
Costuming or Stagecraft (if not yet taken)
Music Theory for Non-Majors in the fall; and Basic Musicianship and Sight-Singing in the spring (Music Theory for Non-Majors is a prereq for this).</p>

<p>Pending successful jury into the BFA, as well as retention juries once in:</p>

<p>JUNIOR YEAR
Acting III both semesters
Dance for Musical Theatre both semesters
Private voice lessons both semesters
Mus Thtr Practicum both semesters
Critical thinking/writing in theatre in fall; and a Theatre History in the spring
Stage crew both semesters
Performance credit both semesters
Any additional dance needed (until you completed Level II in all: jazz, tap and ballet)</p>

<p>SENIOR YEAR
Advanced Musical Theatre both semesters
Private voice lessons both semesters
Mus Thtr Practicum in the fall
One Theatre History each semester
Performance credit both semesters
Any additional dance needed (until you completed Level II in all: jazz, tap and ballet)
An elective (theatre, dance or music, etc.) in either semester</p>

<p>It’s a VERY heavy load, and will demand your undivided attention. Having fewer GE to take while here is a terrific asset, so bank those up ASAP.</p>

<p>eve</p>

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<p>Thank you so much for your detailed answers!</p>

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<p>Prof H.,</p>

<p>Thank you so much!</p>

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<p>Glad to help you all! Thank you for your interest. :)</p>

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<p>Prof H.,</p>

<p>We’ll be visiting CSUF next Friday 04/13: Prof. Cominis is nice enough to offer us a chance to attend one of her classes in the morning, we then will take a tour of the school. My son is really looking forward to all this :)</p>

<p>Since we’ll fly into Fullerton the day before (Thursday 04/12), is it possible for my son to attend some students’ rehearsal / acting workshop in the afternnon for a short time? He also would like to check out the Student Housing, especially the Art District. Do we need to get this arranged ahead of time with the school? And lastly, if you’re around and available either Thursday afternoon or Friday morning, we’d love to stop by to say Hello!</p>

<p>Thank you so much.</p>

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<p>The only afternoon rehearsals would be students’ independently working, and they would not be likely to welcome observers. The productions rehearse only in the evenings, so that’s of no help either. Perhaps Prof. Cominis could get you in to observe another acting or voice & movement class, so please contact her directly with inquiry.</p>

<p>Student Housing should be able to arrange a tour of dorms for you, including info on Arts District - but you need to contact them directly.</p>

<p>My office is CPAC 136. If I’m in there and you’re in this neck of the woods, drop in and say hello!</p>

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<p>Thanks again. We’ll try our luck and hope to get to meet you sometimes next week!</p>

<p>Prof. H, you and Prof. Cominis have been so responsive and helpful to us. You really give us such a good impression of CSUF!</p>