@lrfmt18 - Yes! Exactly. :-q
Ok so let’s just my S’s theatrical, and commercial agent/agency here in L.A. does not want their clients to list their weight. But I do believe on his IMDb his weight is listed. Just not on his physical resume that he takes it to casting offices or on auditions.
Well, you could just never update your weight and be any weight you want:)
It is just silly to ask for it.
@sbc, I’m a fan of that concept. And to that end can I just add that I’m 5’8" and 130 lbs just like in 1999 so that’s my story and I’m sticking to it.
This works way better than WeightWatchers.
@halfokum, Like my drivers license…
@stagedoormama @lrfmt18 I also saw the section about weight on that school’s dance form. I couldn’t believe they had that there. 
We did not see anything like this, but why are you all not willing to name the schools. Maybe they just have not updated forms, it does happen, or maybe they are clueless, it happens, or maybe they are jerks. But why not say where you saw this. I think anyone on this site realizes that you have bogus reports, and bogus posts, but a legitimate school can just show their forms, and a legitimate poster can just show a form.
Feel free to not believe any of us, up to you. Even though we have all obviously had the same experience. You will see that most people do not name schools on this forum for fear of our kids being retaliated against, etc., hence the reason I would like to keep school names private.
@sbc- @stagedoormama is right. When speaking in negative terms- and there are negatives elements to schools- many of us prefer to be vague. It is not an attempt to mislead- but to avoid offending. After all- you never know who is reading a particular comment. (I remember being told AT a school that the head of a program had someone regularly check for references to them and their program on this website) And even more than that- there are parent s for most every school under the BFA sun on the forum- why throw shade at somebody else’s school? If you have a question about what is being discussed, you might want to try PMing a poster- sometimes they are more willing to share if it is not out on a public forum. I have learned a LOT that way. However- implying that posters are lying, as you did above, might not be the best way to gain access to information. Just a suggestion
I don’t know what schools are being referenced in this year’s auditions discussion but the two that I talked about were Oklahoma City and CCM. As I said, this was several years ago and they may no longer be so focussed on appearance. I don’t think this is a matter of throwing shade on anyone’s school. If the schools are doing it, and some clearly are, if there are multiple experiences of it this year, then I don’t know why anyone should be offended by hearing it.
OCUs current MT students are quite diverse in terms of height, weight and ethnicity. There is no restriction on what you can or can’t weigh. The MT program is in the Bass School of Music at OCU.
The Ann Lacy School of Dance, which offers a BFA in Dance Performance at OCU, does work with its students to maintain a healthy weight and they do conduct weigh ins periodically.
RE: the resume issue…there is an article entitled “Backstage Experts Answer: What Belongs on an Actor’s Résumé?” (Google it…I’m not sure if I’m allowed to link it…?), and interestingly, the 10 experts do not agree as to whether weight should be on there. Some say yes, others say no. The thing is, if they are going to see you in person, or even on a video, they will see what your body type is. But if you are submitting a HS/R, they have no idea what your body looks like. And yes, it matters for certain roles.
But, once your child gets into a MT program, the school helps them develop/format a good resume. Schools may have different preferences on the weight issue as well. If you check out the MT programs Showcase pages, you can click on each kid’s resume to see how they are formatted. (This is also a good way to see what types of kids schools have accepted in the past).
The bottom line is, in this field, weight matters. And sometimes, it is practical (e.g., can the lead male lift the lead girl in this dance?). Sometimes it is a costuming issue. There are many, many kids in this field (particularly the girls) who have body image issues. Think about it…they are constantly being judged, rejected or accepted, based partially on how they look. Some of the schools seem to exacerbate the body image issues by things they do, whether it is weigh ins, checking the box that says, “pedestrian” body type, etc. In a perfect world, every BFA program would have a mandatory class on healthy eating and exercise. The focus should be on staying strong and healthy, not on the scale. But it is what it is, and the entertainment industry often demands a certain look. Yes, it’s getting better, but it’s far from perfect. Your child has to have very thick skin in this business, and staying healthy (both physically and emotionally) is critical.
Yes, there are definitely some schools that are more concerned with a certain look & weight; rumor has it that there are even a handful of schools that actually have a height/weight cut off. Honestly, however, it’s impossible to tell if your particular son/daughter ‘fits’ in with the look or supposed cut-offs of the school.
For example, If you look at CMU’s showcase videos, most of the students are beautiful… But if an aspiring student just looked at that and said, “I’m plain & dumpy, & not commercial at all, I shouldn’t apply,” someone like Josh Gad would never have gone there. It’s really important to understand this–you just don’t know whether a school will want you, unless you go ahead & apply.
And of course, also see if you like them. Remember, this is very individual, and remember also that this has to do with your own values, fit, preferences, way you learn, environment you like learning in. If you get a bad feeling from comments made at the audition, by all means take that into account when considering the school
@connections, while I agree with you that no one should rule out a school based on their own weight/looks and assumptions of what the school wants, note that Josh Gad was an Acting major at CMU, and the Acting majors in many of the programs seem to have more leeway on looks than MT…
Though very attractive acting majors have an inside track as well.
I have seen a lot of Broadway musicals, as well as other professional theater, and NOT every actor/actress is classically beautiful, nor thin. That is because there is such a variety of roles in shows. Yes, an ingenue or leading romantic man typically has natural beauty and a healthy figure. But there are so many other roles! Yes, chorus types are often tall and thin, but again there are so many other roles.
Further, I know a lot of people who are in or have been in BFA in MT programs and not everyone is a classic beauty or the most handsome. Very much not the case. I would not worry about this. Accept who you are and your type (and of course, try to stay healthy). Most BFA programs accept a variety of types and not everyone is gorgeous. Same with in the professional theater world. Looks DO matter, but that doesn’t mean you have to be a cover girl or boy.
@moneky13 - you have brought up the Gad/acting major thing before - but I find it interesting that on CMU’s own “notable alumni” page- they don’t note distinctions between the two http://www.drama.cmu.edu/250/notable-alumni
Two other CMUs who don’t necessarily fit the “perfect” looks category (and are known for their work in musicals no matter their major) are Christian Borle (who has what I would call a “character” type face) and Megan Hilty (who has a curvy figure)
There will always be the ‘outliers’ who don’t fit what the stereotype of the school/program/whatever would suggest, but those outliers have something that makes them stand out. Christian Borle definitely has some kind of magical chemistry when you watch him perform. That he could pull off sweet schlumpy Emmett Forrest in Legally Blonde and rockstar Shakespeare in Something Rotten shows the talent that CMU saw in him and why they chose him.
Oh I am sorry I really was not trying to imply that people lied I was just referencing that on much of social media you do get those trolls. I was actually trying to say I thought the people on this site would believe it and could tell when someone was over the top. Had not thought about retaliation. Thank you.
I feel like that CMU looks thing is a myth started years ago by someone who was looking for something to excuse a rejection. We continue to perpetuate it but in reality, CMU has as many balding, ears stick out, acne prone, bad hair dye, imperfect physical specimens as the next place. And they are all fantastic and beautiful just like any late teens, early 20’s young person is. What I wouldn’t give to look like that again, warts and all.
What CMU really has that other places may not is quality photography, video and lighting. (That works better than WeightWatchers too btw.)