@mtmom1967 , @gatorbridget , @triixxie , @RosaMT @4angels @pegski . Hi all. Just came back from Missouri State visit with accepted S (and mom - family visited together). This will be a love story, so where do I start.
Left LGA in NYC at 6am, arrived at 10:15 to Springfield airport for a 11 :30 start of day tour. Whole trip took 5 hours travel time and I will look for alternate routes in the future (Fayetteville nonstop from NYC maybe) Rented car at the airport, which was so nice since it is a small airport.Bing, Bang, out the door. Short 10-15 drive to the school. Parked in lot near fountains past the stadium, where I got a parking ticket, but Kathleen Hains (department administrative assistant said don’t worry since it’s a rental, and campus police aren’t city cops), so I threw ticket away. My S had to meet a young student from MT, Nathan, and he took him to lunch for an hour. My wife and I started to walk around to get a feel for the campus. It is not small, not large, but a very nice medium squared off campus with two very nice “quads”, one near the fountain , which is beautiful, and one near the “old campus” buildings just past the student union. So much greenery and the trees where in bloom. I have to say my S loved the campus feel. Lots of kids walking around, talking, laughing, very polite to us older folks (read: parents). It felt like a big school with a smaller footprint. Football stadium was right on campus, a stone’s throw from Craig building theater center.
So while S was at lunch with the other student, Jean and I walked around campus and grabbed onto a tour group that was in front of us. We did not have time for the official admissions 2 hour tour, so they were nice enough to let us join. Got to see some classrooms and 2 dorms. Shannon (6 person suite was awesome) and Freddy (2 person traditional). Both had rooms that were spacious. What I loved was the 6 person suite. Each 2 kids have their own rooms, plus a common living area and bathroom. So 3 bedrooms, plus living area. Bonus, ALL the dorms at Missouri are air conditioned and heated with separate controls for each room. Each dorm also comes with a fridge and microwave in each room, plus free laundry. The bonuses keep stacking up. The rec center is beautiful. Lots of “classes” like Yoga, spin, bodywork, etc…Great pool for lap swimming plus a “lazy river” pool for students to unwind. They have inner tubes for students to use. Great way to get some relief I guess.
Then we joined S for a one hour meeting with Bob. This is where we were sold.Bob is so dynamic and can really sell the program. He spoke of the high level of the faculty, dared us to google each teacher (get into the weeds as he said), which I had already done. Must say, faculty has impressive resumes, theater vets and the like. I could go on, but I would say that Bob had S hooked when he spoke directly to him and discussed his acting philosophy. My S is a singer / actor first, dance last. He has been wanting someone to match his acting philosophy. Bob’s is that of (paraphrasing here) "most actors are selling themselves on stage. It is not about you. Its about yo making the relationship with everyone else on stage: This hit a chord with my son. He commented later that this was his philosophy since he had gotten serious about acting in the last few years with his teachers. Wife and I commented on some other school’s senior showcases we saw in NYC (we live near NYC and did this to see what the senior talent was for graduating class). My wife and I were underwhelmed to say the least. Bob spoke to this and said he was as well for the few he visited. So he discussed his “week in NYC” with the seniors. Not only do they do master classes, see a show, but do a round robin informal workshop with agents and casting directors that he brings in, get positive and negative feedback, but then do it again 2 days later AFTER the initial meetings in a traditional showcase. They also have a jazz night in NYC and afterparty as a “release the beast” event. Bob really sold the rest of the program. Productions, working with film students for indy films, and being part of student devised theater groups that go out to the community, not to mention Tent theater and Little Springfield playhouse opportunity, which many students apparently get cast. We spent and hour and 20 minutes with BOB before we realized S was late for his assigned first class. So we ended there, felt amazed, and sent him off. S did a “contact improv” class, which he described as a dance lyrical class with an acting twist. Then he went to advanced acting 4, for an hour and a half and sat in on scene student. He talked with a bunch of the kids and really felt welcomed. The level of training seems great in his opinion and mine. Bob talked about he is now searching for “pop rock” vocal teacher and will add that next fall to each student’s junior year curriculum, on top of regular 4 year weekly vocal training and group work. Music theory is also becoming a bigger part of the training next year.
Jean and I went to lunch at student union during his classes. They have a papa john’s, Mexican bowl, veggie shop, Subway, Chik Filet, and a burger grill in the student union. Big building with lots of space. We walked around campus to get more of a feel and felt like t was a place S could spend 4 years and he would be comfortable. He felt the same way.
Went back to Craig and took a tour of the facility with Kathleen (she is so friendly, if you email her, she gets right back to you). . They have a black box, decent size where smaller productions are done, and a large theater (400 seats) with a large stage and fly system, plus scene shop connected. Dance studios and classrooms around the building. The theater was not as large as Coastal’s, but it would serve the purpose for big mainstage shows. Bob spoke that shows audition in the fall and spring, and freshman can’t work the first semester since those are cast already. Students MUST accept the roles they are cast. They can audition for acting , musicals and all participate for the dance show in the spring if capable. Everyone in the building and department seemed very welcoming and open. Bob asked at the end of our meeting when we would decide. I told him because of Easter holiday travels I would need a week to have the “family meeting”, so we will decide by next Thursday the 25th. It looks right now like we will commit. S has one more college visit this Monday to Western Carolina that we bought airline for already, so don’t want to cancel, but he already said, unless he gets “blown away” Mo state felt like home. I have a feeling we will be “Bears” very soon.
continued on next thread…