Leading non-audition schools

College Majors Musical Theater Major
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<p>I think many of us wear different "hats". I know I do. I just talk of the theater mom one here mostly. I really am also a soccer mom, a ski race mom, a tennis mom, a softball mom, a band mom, a dance mom, a piano mom, and was once also a horsback riding/shows mom and figure skating mom! One of my kids still does many of those things and one did do all those things but gave many up to focus on just the performing arts ones.</p>

<p>In fact, since I do talk about my theater kid here (though my other kid did lots of musical theater for years but is not going into this field), many who know my theater kid do not realize she did lots of sports until she was about 13 and gave them up. For graduation, I had made each of my girls a huge poster sized framed collage of about 250 trimmed down photos of significant moments in their life which now hangs on their dorm walls. For my theater kid, while there are many shots of her in costume in many roles she has played and many dance shows and the like (Halloween costumes too, lol), when some look at it and figure they will see mostly theater stuff (she is known as a theater kid), they do not realize she was an avid soccer player, ski racer, horseback rider, and figure skater for years and then see all this pics of her doing those things. </p>

<p>Like AlwaysAMom, I have spent lots of time in the audience of theater productions, recitals, concerts and dance shows but as much time on the sidelines of soccer games, ski races (now THAT is a cold one), tennis matches, softball games, horseshows (braiding manes is not that different than the theater hairdos I have had to do), and skating rinks. Thankfully I do enjoy the things my kids ended up getting into and clearly I do really love going to the theater. </p>

<p>Now, I just have to remember not to say "break a leg" to the ski racing kid!
Lately, we have decided not to say "break a leg" to our theater/dance kid anymore either since she fractured her pelvis and it doesn't sound quite right any more.</p>

<p>So, hi to the other soccer/theater moms on here. And look....three of us have a goalie in the family too! Maybe we should start a soccer mom thread! LOL</p>

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<p>Theatermom mentioned that Jim Christy at VU is retiring - and he is certainly GREAT (I had him as a prof eons ago during my freshman year at VU) - but as my earlier post stated, the person responsible for musicals at VU is Fr. Peter Donohue - so before you write off VU, talk to Fr. Peter. He is the Barrymore-award winning director of musicals there - Jim directs straight plays (as do others). Villanova also has Joanna Rotte, who I never had as a prof or director but who worked directly under Stella Adler at wrote a book about that called Acting With Adler.</p>

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<p>Thanks for clarifying my post re Jim Christy, Coach C. I just remembered his name appearing in previous discussions here about VU and wanted folks to know of his departure. Wasn't suggesting that anyone "write off" VU as a result. His retirement has been the source of much press here in Philadelphia. I know very little about the specifics of the VU performing arts programs, just a vague feeling that they are known locally more for their straight acting program than for MT, but that's just my own impression. Do you know whether they offer BA's or BFA's? I haven't actually attended a production there in years and in truth the last one I saw WAS a musical! Just goes to show.....</p>

<p>PS Will you get to see "Edges" at CMU this weekend? I'd love to know what they do with it and how it compares to the "original" I saw last May.</p>

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<p>I used to ba a soccer Dad, but now both kids are in college. I've continued as a Soccer Club Board Member.</p>

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<p>Maybe we do need to expand the title to soccer mom/dads.... I am also a soccer mom for my younger daughter and my son. My older d who is my mt d was also heavily involved in sports until deciding to focus more seriously on all aspects of mt. She was a softball pitcher, a competitive gymnast, soccer player, volleyball player and runner. Now although she can still do much of the gymnastic tumbling she used to, she really has only kept up with the running. That all my kids do with hubby and they run 5K races all over the area a couple of weekends a month. I guess I am the running mom too who gets to hold everything and cheer them at the finish line. It's fun to be able to enjoy many different hats. It certainly keeps us all busy, doesn't it? I wouldn't have it any other way. </p>

<p>With my younger d, I am also the cheerleading mom and the track mom and with my son, the basketball mom and the high jump mom. How fortunate we are all to be there to cheer on our children in all of the things they truly love to do! It's a blast!</p>

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<p>MTMOMMY
that is a good question and one I wish I had asked when I connected with Greg Pinney (is that right?) at Indiana.</p>

<p>He would be the one to answer that. If you find out, please post on here. I am very interested to know.</p>

<p>Thanks,
xxx,Mary Anna</p>

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<p>Bump before this floats off to page 3, 4, or more and someone starts another one with the same topic...:)</p>

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<p>Yale was mentioned on this thread... I know they have extremely well regarded music and theatre programs, but I can't seem to find much information on the musical theatre life at the school. Any information on if they do musicals at all, or if there is a way to "create" a musical theatre major?</p>

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<p>Thanks to all who have responded here. It is very helpful. My daughter is pretty committed to the audition schools, however, she is an average student, with very average SAT scores. I submitted an application on her behal to Ball State and to IU, as neither required the essays she has written. She was accepted at Ball State and we are waiting to hear from IU. At the moment she is stating that she will not attend college before going to BSU. (Yes, she is a drama queen!). We auditioned at Otterbein and CCm this weekend and she felt exceptionally good about the dance, and nervous about the rest.</p>

<p>Since you can watch the others at Otterbein, I think it gives a very realistic look at just how good everyone is. Plus, she is 5' 10" and isn't sure that is good. She is worried that it will hurt her from a castability standpoint.</p>

<p>I really appreciate the information.</p>

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<p>I wondered that same thing and if there would be an advantage to go to IU for one year for general music classes, etc with an eye to preparing for the MT program in 2007. That sounds appealing to me, particularly from a finincial standpoint as it is in state.</p>

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<p>By the way, I am also a sports mom, with an older son recruited to play basketball collegiately.</p>

<p>I would just like to say that it was a whole lot easier when the schools are calling you, and not vice versa!</p>

<p>Does any of that go on in the collegiate musical theatre world?</p>

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<p>Well, that's a bit like what happens at the North Texas Drama consortium audition, I suppose. I hadn't really thought about it that way!</p>

<p>Mary Anna</p>

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<p>fluffqueen, there really is no comparison between athletic recruitment and the admissions process for theatre kids. None of these theatre kids are recruited in remotely the same way. As a parent who's been through both processes with my Ds, I can tell you that with certainty.</p>

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<p>Hearing that some of you MT parents also do double-duty as sports parents (and often, for the same kids) made me sit up and take notice, probably because my D is so not a sports kid, and has never been interested in sports at all! In fact, she considers the fact that they have NO physical education classes or sports teams or intramural sports one of the biggest side benefits of attending an arts high school! I also notice, now that I think about it, that a number of her her acting/MT friends are also not very athletic, in that they don't like to play sports, etc., though many of them dance, are graceful, etc.
I am sure most people here have seen that movie, Camp, which apparently was about Stage Door Manor. (soozievt, is that true?) I vividly recall a part of that film in which the camp athletic coach is trying so hard to get someone -- anyone! -- to play basketball with him, but no one seems to be interested. My D saw that and said "Look! See, Mom? Lots of theater kids hate sports, too!" <g>
It's good to know that the stereotype of MT kids being sports aversive is not always the case, though it is the case with my own D. (My second D, who is very into dance, is also super coordinated and, according to her phys ed teachers at school, a "PE superstar." She might want to go out for field hockey next year, but my guess is she won't, because there won't be time to do that <em>and</em> take ballet four times a week. <g>)
Lisa, the non-sports mom</g></g></p>

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<p>My daughter did some of the sports things when young, but ultimately focused on dance and gymnasatics. My son was very athletic, however, I used to tell him that I would put her fitness level up against his any day. Our show choir is very competitive, and with all the lifts and partnering, the "frontline dancer girls" do a lot of working out and running/aerobic activities to get through the 20 minutes full out. Same with dance.</p>

<p>However, in middle school she decided she might want to play volleyball (she is tall) until she learned that she had to lift weights. That ended that.</p>

<p>Like anything, I think it takes all kinds!</p>

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<p>I actually think that is a good thing. The reason I asked the question is that I would hate to think that we were spending all this money travelling for auditions, etc., only to find out that spots were being held for kids they have been watching for some time.</p>

<p>I am glad to learn that the audition process is fair.</p>

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<p>Fluffqueen-
Ball State is Non-audition? Did I get that right?</p>

<p>We've toured BSU [but d is only a soph in hs], but we were on our way back from homecoming at my alma mater, Miami U and D liked the "looks" of campus. So interesting to note and keep in the back of her mind if that is correct[Non-audition]. Although, would kill me if she ended up at BSU-lol!!! [everyone-BIG rivalry between the two]</p>

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<p>Oh and on the athletic question-
D is odd among her MT friends as she IS a big ski racer and soccer player, she seems to get the same high from being in a course or on the field as she does from being on stage-but she is not a big sports "watching" fan. Teases her big-jock boyfriend all the time about sports-
Her, on her way to a major league baseball game with his family "I hope I get to see Brett Farve up close and he gets a lot of baskets today!"</p>

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<p>theatre and sports definitely aren't seperate:</p>

<p>i was huge into competitive swimming for years, but then because of money issues, the choice came down to being able to go to a big deal qualifying meet or being able to take voice lessons, and i chose voice lessons. sometimes you just have to make really difficult choices.</p>

<p>i was also really big into competitive highland dance and was doing well in competition. eventually, both swimming and highland dance were taking up virtually all of my time, and i had to make another difficult decision and stopped both swimming AND highland dance in order to pursue musical theatre more full-time. </p>

<p>it's weird how many people are surprised when they find out i did sports as well and music/theatre....why do they have to seem so opposite??</p>

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<p>I am not sure why the stereotype of actors/musical theater performers not being athletes came from, or why it persists! Some of you guys here sure show it's not true! And let's face it: musical theater performers have to be in good shape to do what they do. So they need to be fit and coordinated and, yes, athletic, no matter what stereotypes tell us.</p>

<p>L</p>