<p>So, I am an out-of-stater who also happens to be a Junior Musical Theatre major at Ball State, and I am among MANY. We have students from California, Texas, Missouri, Ohio (like myself), and a variety of other states. Being from another state does not at all hinder anyone’s acceptance into the program (as some have asked before) - in fact, as a whole the department is very diverse. </p>
<p>Moving on - I’d like to talk a little bit about my experiences here in the department, and perhaps spark some questions from interested prospective highschoolers and transfers and others. Let’s see…all in all I feel that I have had an EXTREMELY detailed and (to use the word again) diverse experience here. I came in as a double major in musical theatre AND dance, and therefore feel that I have a pretty good idea of the department as a whole, and can honestly say that I made the best possible choice for me. When auditioning for schools, I had three in mind: CCM (of the University of Cincinnati), Otterbein, and here. I had heard of BSU through some performer friends of mine, and had also caught wind of it through the show choir circuit. In the end, after my auditions and offers, I decided that this department had the most welcoming and supportive environment, and was the place I thought that I would be able to grow the most. And, not to sound cheesy, I was right. In a competitive world, such as is the performing one, it is virtually impossible to find a talented and prestigious theatre department that isn’t also accompanied by a hostile environment, where friends are set against friends and fun is replaced by extreme pressure. Here I found friends who both cared about me as much as I cared for them, and helped to promote a competitive setting in a healthy and fun way. Don’t get me wrong - I do feel very challenged in my abilities in acting, singing, and dancing, but at the same time I feel that it is in the faculty’s concern to push each student to his or her own personal best. I feel confident in this department’s talents and in its sincere want for me to succeed in this tough, harsh business. I have grown exponentially as a performer and a person here and look forward to the next year and a half (is it really only that much longer?!) here at BSU. </p>
<p>If you have some questions about what it’s like as a student here or anything else you can ask me here or through my email: <a href=“mailto:mjwarrell@bsu.edu”>mjwarrell@bsu.edu</a>
…break legs!</p>
<p>We received a call back from your school at Illinois theatre fest. It seems to have a good reputation as an academic institution along with many other things. We haven't heard much regarding the MT program but it sounds like a nice environment. They sent us a pile of information and I noticed that the talent scholarship was very lean versus the cost of the school (something like 16K for 4yrs, 4K per year) so we didn't want to audition if we couldn't afford the school. We do however have a friend from our school that went there to audition this weekend. We were curious as to how many spots are available? Thanks.</p>
<p>We accept 16 students per year in the MT program. Acceptance letters were sent out this past week. Also, we have scholarships that include up to 1/2 tuition waivers. Hope this helps.</p>
<p>Did rejection letters go out too? Daughter was accepted to Ball State in general and is just waiting to hear about the results of her audition (boy, that was a LONG day for all involved!) She suspects it will be a rejection for MT but would like to know one way or another. </p>
<p>Also, it seemed with the BS admission she can still enter the Theatre Studies program with the MT rejection, is that correct, or does she have to have something in that rejection letter which says you didn't make it into MT but we invite/encourage you to enter the Theatre Studies option?</p>
<p>Yes...Ball State does Senior Showcases in LA, NY, and Chicago. Each year, industry professionals from all three cities come to BSU, select the students who will participate, and work with those students and the faculty members assigned to each Showcase. This past year, the industry professionals were Stephanie Klapper in New York (Stephanie is a Broadway, Off Broadway, and Regional theatre casting director with tremendous credits to her name), Erica Daniels in Chicago (Erica is the casting Director at Steppenwolf Theatre), and Claire Sinnett in LA (Claire is a respected agent and teacher in LA). Since its inception eight years ago, 85% of the students who attended the Showcases are know in those cities and working within the industry. Seven of the nine students who attended this year's NY Showcase received agent offers. Students have signed with Stewart Talent, Professional Artists, Independent Artists, CESD, SCAW, Buchwald, Krasney, and Eisen among others. Our LA Showcase will take place in May. Hope this answers your question!</p>
<p>Bill - Can we get some stats and info on the number of students selected to participate in the showcases ? </p>
<p>Total number of seniors .vs. number selected to participate
Any descriptive info on the selection process and possible reasons for those not selected
As they are selected in the Fall, what is it like for those not selected for the remainer of their Senior year</p>
<p>Hi thisismegan,
The last post before yours was from 08, so I don’t know who might answer this. However, my D recently auditioned at BSU and during the informational meeting they talked about the students doing the showcases. We thought it was great that they offered three different showcases (NY, LA and Chicago). From what I understood, the students auditioned for these showcases separately and were picked by the casting person (not the BSU faculty) for each showcase. If you read the post above by BallStatebill I believe it talks about this. I got the impression that not all students go to all the showcases, just the one(s) they get cast for from their audition.</p>
<p>Do a lot of schools conduct their showcase like that. For me as a prospective junior, i dont know how i feel about going through a BFA program and may not get the chance to perform in the showcase which is a very important and helpful tool.</p>
<p>A litte off-topic, but to thiisinmegan…there are several schools that don’t take everybody to their showcase. Point Park in Pittsburgh is one I can think up off the top of my tired head. It’s a good question to ask of a prospective school, though…and to find out what sort of help (showcase or otherwise) they may be able to offer you when you are about to graduate college.</p>
<p>I am a Junior BFA Musical Theatre student at Ball State University. This year I was the student organizer of our New York Showcase. We begin our Showcase process by having a casting agent from Chicago, New York, and LA hold auditions within our department to cast the Showcase for their respective city. </p>
<p>If a student does not get cast in the Showcase, it is simply because the agent doesn’t see that student being marketable in the city at that time. As a student, I appreciate the agent casting the Showcase because it removes all faculty bias from the casting. </p>
<p>Our Showcases are phenomenal. We just got back from our New York Showcase, which was attended by Sutton Foster, Tara Rubin, and Bernie Telsey. The Showcasers, as well as seniors who were not cast in Showcase had the opportunity to have a private meeting with Bernie Telsey. Showcase is not a be all, end all. Many of my friends who were not cast in a Showcase, have been consistently working since they graduated. Showcase does help students, and we have definitely arrived at a new level, receiving such attention recently, but I don’t think the way it is cast should be a deterrent from a fabulous program. Let me know if you have any more questions. I would be happy to help.</p>
<p>Thanks for all the postings about Showcases. Here is some info about why we do what we do regarding the selection of students. </p>
<p>We believe that the best way to insure that students get the most “real life” experience is to offer our students three opportunities to audition for Showcases in NY, LA and Chicago. This helps us insure that the students who are selected can be competitive in those markets. This is why we employ Stephanie Klapper, Mark Saks, and Erica Daniels as adjunct faculty who make those decisions. As working Casting Directors in those cities, they have the best perspective on whether or not those students can work within the current market. That being said, several students who have not gotten into showcases have enjoyed incredible success post graduation. A recent example includes a 2009 graduate who has been cast at Marriott Lincolnshire and Drury Lane OakBrook in the Chicago area in two musicals since moving to Chicago in October and three current students who created and mounted their own cabaret show in NY last week. Please know that we do not view the Showcases as a “be all and end all” for our graduates…rather, it is one way for students to secure employment after graduation. Other employment opportunities exist for our students post-graduation including the guest artists we bring to campus and the national connections we have through our outstanding faculty. </p>
<p>With all that being said, the Showcases continue to be a huge opportunity for those students who participate. Last week, our 2010 NY Showcase included Casting Directors Bernie Telsey, Tara Rubin, and Jay Binder and agencies such as Bauman, Redanty, and Shaul, Abrams Artists, Paradigm, Stewart Talent, and the Gage Group. Thanks to Stephanie Klapper and also our recent guest artist Sutton Foster, three of our students were called back for the 1st National Tour of SHREK and one of those young ladies is under consideration for the tour, a workshop took place with both Sutton Foster and Bernie Telsey, and all seven of the students who participated have interest from multiple agencies in NYC. I believe the reason for this success (and what has been noted by several industry representatives in attendance) is that the showcases feature a small, yet prepared group of students that are hand selected by industry professionals.</p>
<p>Hungrily reading everything about BSU, hoping it will move the stars for my D from “wait list” to “you’re in!” It’s the only school she really has her heart set on. She visited last spring and immediately said “I feel like I’m home” even at 20 below zero…</p>
<p>Thank you for the great insights into the program. It is much appreciated!</p>
<p>I know this post is old, but I got accepted into Ball State’s MT program for this year and I’ve been doing some research on the program. This post really made me feel more confident in my decision to accept Ball State’s offer for admission. So thanks!</p>
<p>Is there a current BSU student who can give us some perspective in:</p>
<p>In what discipline do you feel the most emphasis: dancing, acting, singing? I know you train well for all three, but every school has a “specialty” and a philosophy on this.</p>
<p>I know BSU has a big techie school…how does this translate for the theatre kids? Do you get extra time and training in acting for the camera?</p>
<p>Are you required to audition for every show? How often is an average student cast (shows per year)?</p>
<p>Are the university core classes challenging?</p>
<p>Is there a dorm where the MT kids tend to room together?</p>
<p>Will this process ever be over so we can get back to our normal lives still in progress??? :-]</p>