<p>The theatre program that I am in right now is BA one (I'm at USC), and if I decide to stick with this program, I do have a major concern abut senior year: BAs don't get a showcase. They can audition to get a spot in the BFA showcase that only happens in LA, but there are very few spots and about 100 BAs in my class as of now. Is getting representation really hard if I don't have a senior showcase? Is it harder to get representation is New York if I went to college in LA? Are there any ways for me to do my own kind of showcase?</p>
<p>Getting legit/theatrical representation is really hard whether you have a showcase or not. The reality is that the majority of graduating actors from even the toppermost conservatories don’t get it right off the bat and my experience from following three graduating classes from my school as well as people I know who have graduated from others is that there’s really no rhyme nor reason as to who does and doesn’t get it. It just depends on what the different agencies are looking for in a given year. The real value of a showcase for most is getting seen by the casting directors, producers and other industry types who attend because it is their recommendations and the credits they’ll help you get on your resume that will get you in to see the good agents if you don’t get lucky with one from showcase. There are apparently a lot of non-scholastic showcases you can pay to be a part of taking place all the time although many are apparently wastes of time if not out-and-out scams, so you need to be a shrewd consumer in choosing one. People always seem to be organizing their own, as well.</p>
<p>Also since you’re thinking of transferring, if you decide a showcase is important for you, check out the dates of when the various schools hold them. It doesn’t matter as much in NYC, but I was recently a little shocked to find that some of the top east coast acting conservatories do their LA showcases in March which is completely nuts since the vast majority of theatrical agents, casting directors and just about everybody else in the biz are WAY too busy with pilot season during that time of year to attend showcases. No wonder nobody ever gets signed out there from those schools … They apparently do it then because it’s spring break …</p>
<p>Also while you are checking, find out about the school’s policy on participating in showcase. Some schools (I don’t know if it is a minority or is common) don’t allow all seniors to participate in showcase, but audition and select those who will be included. Just because a school has one, doesn’t meant that it is a guarantee for everyone.</p>