Hi, my son is a Junior and wanting to major in theater performance, possibly writing. He’s been acting since he was 8. His grades and test scores are excellent. Not looking for NY or LA area, but would like something within a 7-8 hr drive of Nashville. We’ve visited University of Evansville, Kenyon, and DePauw so far and plan to also check out Elon and Belmont. What suggestions do you all have? TIA!
Drew University Madison New Jersey PM me if you want info my daughter is a senior there.
Near Kenyon in OH there is also Denison - Terrific CTCL school
Ooops sorry…didn’t read closely enough…
Otterbein’s Theatre BA would allow for both pursuits.
Just in case you are brand new to this - there are several paths to consider.
The most intensive is the Bachelor of Fine Arts. These are college programs that require an audition, and the best ones are extremely selective. They are different from a typical college experience and definitely don’t allow for things like double majors. Some of the best are at Carnegie-Mellon (yes, really, it’s not all tech), SUNY-Purchase, Rutgers, NYU, and a dozen others, some of which have been mentioned above. There are also BFA arts schools like Juilliard and UNCSA (University of North Carolina School for the Arts).
An alternative to a BFA is a non-degree theatre training, usually in NYC, such as Circle in the Square, Esper, AMDA, etc. Some are fantastic. Some are not.
Many, many schools offer a Bachelor of Arts in theater or drama. These are typical liberal arts degrees but may or may not have good acting training. These can support double majors and non-theatre extracurricular activities. One of the best is Northwestern. Some students go on to get an MFA (a Master of Fine Arts), or do some other type of intensive training, after their BA. Others go to grad school in a different field.
My main advice is, if your son doesn’t want a BFA, do not consider a school that has a BFA. The BA students there will always be the also-rans.
Also, it’s a great thing to be an actor/writer who can create your own performance opportunities! An example is Tina Fey (read her autobiography). She has a BA from UVa and did intensive training at Second City while working survival jobs.
You should start reading the theater boards on CC. Lots of great information and discussions.
Knox College and Illinois Wesleyan may be worth your consideration. Also, I wouldn’t always say the BAs are second fiddle to BFAs in a program with both, at UIC I met a student that was getting gigs, and being in the BA allowed more flexibility to get work - so it depends on the school. My kid1 is looking at LAC with theater programs also.
Kenyon is tough to beat for a combo of writing and theatre. Agree that Knox is worth a look. They have a special program where you take a quarter and create an entire production from scratch. It is offered every three years. Depending on how fast you drive - haha - you might consider Georgetown. Northwestern? Wash U?
I realize that they are further than you wanted, but Middlebury, Brown, and Vassar would otherwise fit, I believe.
Anyway, just some ideas. Good luck!!
Does anyone know how Susquehanna compares to Drew - other than location.
What kind of comparison are you looking for? My d is a senior at Drew and I might be able to answer some questions. One thing that may be different is that Drew has a NYC semester where the students audition and if accepted will go into the city for a semester and work with industry professionals putting on a devised piece of theatre. Also the university has many professors that have connections with NYC and the inner workings of theatre on Broadway. Not sure if Susquehanna has the same opportunities.
Thanks @bisouu, that is helpful. Do you know roughly how many students are in the program and what kind of performance opportunities they have?
I think it’s between 50-60 majors. There are tons of performance opportunities. 2 Mainstages a year, tons of smaller shows, plus plays is process (PIPS) every week.
Thanks again @bisouu
Baldwin Wallace, Berea, OH
Hi… I’m interested in talking to someone about the BA in Theatre at Otterbein. My d is looking at that program. Does anyone know anything about it? Also curious if BAs and BFAs work together as a team or if it feels divided… Definitely hoping for a team approach. Thanks.
@theatremom16 has a freshman at Otterbein maybe she can help