<p>This is a re-post of something I wrote a while back - it might be helpful:</p>
<p>I think one needs to establish some parameters before asking the question:
What kind of experience are you looking for? A traditional college experience on a traditional campus, concentrated MT only experience, a trade school approach? Does it matter to you the size of the institution, the size of the program, the size of the community in which you would be located, the area of the country? After these questions are answered, the assessing the quality of various MT programs becomes more narrowly focused and therefore, perhaps, a less daunting task.
Once you decide on a type of program – university, BFA, conservatory or non-degreed trade school – you will have narrowed down your list by quite a bit. If location and size of program are salient issues to you, you can, again, pare down your list. Sadly, affordability is also typically a large player here as well – although, do not automatically eliminate big ticket schools as there are often good sums of scholarship monies available to ease the pain a bit.
Now that you have an idea of what you are looking for, here are some things I think are helpful in evaluating an MT program.
This is a triple threat business. Anyone that is remotely connected to the current market (for the past decade actually) will tell you they need to cast multi-talented folks. This means you need to have a program that has an equal value across the board in acting, singing and dancing. There are a surprising number of schools that have good, old reputations that have not yet acculturated to the new reality of the industry. One way to assess a programs commitment to triple pronged training is to simply look at its required elements and optional offerings and see if there are adequate courses offered in all areas. Voice should have at least one hour per week of private instruction. Dance should offer courses with multiple levels in specific dance for MT, jazz tap, ballet (a touch of modern is fine - but typically not as salient as the others), other courses might include ballroom, partnering, period, etc. At least one dance course per semester is minimal. Acting should offer some basics, at least two contrasting styles of method and then other courses in elocution, mime, comedia, classic Shakespeare and so on. Many good MT programs require virtually the same acting tract as what they require of their BFA Actors. By the way, there should also be course that prepare students for the business end of show business. I could go on and on listing various permutations of course work – the point is, look at the catalog and make sure there is a balance in requirements and/or electives. By the way, every program would love for you to be a triple threat – but that is unreasonable – most quality programs are pleased if you are strong in two and seem remotely teachable in the third.
Mentorship is huge. Check out the current, full time faculty that will be working with the students over the course of their college career. A committed faculty person who inspires a student to be better than they ever thought they might can be the difference in the lifetime success of a student. This can only come from full time, all the time involvement. So, check out the number permanently appointed full time faculty assigned to MT. This is an indication of the school’s commitment to the program. Any program that subsists on a diet of part time and guest faculty probably raises a red flag. Please do not misunderstand, programs should bring in occasional guest directors, choreographers, designers, to augment an already strong full time faculty to bring in new ideas and perspective – but not to substitute for elements lacking in its own base faculty. Also, concerning faculty – check who is current on faculty (not who was there and has since retired or moved on), check that the faculty have good resumes – for example - a director or choreographer – do they have professional MT SDC credits? Check that the faculty claimed actually teach/direct at the school. One program I know claims a quite famous person on their faculty and if you check their resume of theater and movie appearances it is quite clear that “faculty” has never taught an entire semester at the school – ever.
Finances, not your own, the school’s. It is sad to say this but in these days of financial meltdown, emphasis on hard sciences, and political attacks on educational funding in general you need to check how well funded the program you wish to attend is now and might be in the near future. Sad to say, but budget cuts have consequences. The overall economy affects all schools and political budget cuts especially hurt state schools. New York, California, Florida, Michigan, practically every state school is facing huge cuts in funding. This can hurt the programs you might be looking into – check comparative numbers of adjunct faculty from past years and now, check if performance opportunities have been at all limited due to budgets, BIG check to see if full time faculty who have retired or moved on have been replaced by new full time hires.
Connections are good. Does the school have a steady stream of working alumni? By the way, how have the alumni in just the last couple of years fared? Are there business professionals like agents, casting directors, composers, producers, talent agencies aware of and care to engage students from the program? Many schools have a number of industry professional in for workshops and/or auditions. This is the most effective way for contacts to be made and maintained. I have had many of these types of folks tell me that they prefer school visits to senior showcases. This is not to say senior showcases from a top tier school is useless – it is simply to say the school visit is more effective in securing work.
Performance opportunities are important. Someone earlier posted a number of productions that high quality programs would produce. I think the intention was good, but I would say this – check the number of performances opportunities as compared with the number of students in the program. Also, are undergraduates competing with graduate students for lead roles? How fully realized are the productions? Are freshmen allowed to be on stage? It is not the number of productions but the size of casts, the number of good roles, and the level of support. Also, are there professional opportunities and/or internships available in the immediate area of the school?
Some things would be good to know – but schools are not going to provide you with the information, for example, dropout rate – the rate of students dropping out of a program could be an indication that they did not feel they were getting what they needed from a program. Some things are good to know but not a deal breaker, example, do the students generally feel enthusiastic about their program – probably YES – but there is an element of “hooray for my school” and/or you get to a new place, make six friends, and everything is great! Conversely, if you look, I am sure you can find individual students who will deride their schools – they are typically students who feel their talent has not been adequately acknowledged and have not been cast in the roles they thought they should have been cast.
I have found that most quality programs are very demanding of a student’s time and do cut into the time that might be spent on other social and educational activities. Someone suggested that programs that give or make you have time for outside activities are better. I agree that a person should be well rounded and have diverse pursuits – but many excellent MT programs are very demanding on one’s time.
Along those lines, someone else suggested inquiring as to the “dynamics of casting” – I think this is a mistake. I always thought I would understand casting better when I got to the other side of the table – not so! The dynamics of casting are an ever changing quicksand that shifts beneath one’s feet – any attempt to apply logic will typically only end in dismay. Yes, there sometimes “favorites”, but more often there is only the appearance of favorites. Checking the composition of the cast as to MT majors is a good idea – except that I would argue the presence of non-performing arts majors in a college production indicates that there were not enough talented MT majors to populate the roles. If talented non-majors are getting into shows – it kind of makes you wonder what the BFA training is accomplishing.
However, yes, do see a production at the schools you are seriously considering. I say this with a grain of salt; you need to be aware of the level of that production in the school’s hierarchy of productions. Is it a fully mounted , well funded production with their “A” people; or it might be a low or no budgeted production intended to give “B” performers a chance to get on stage and improve their craft. Also, do not be swayed by the show itself. Student’s might be overly swayed by a production that seems exciting like “RENT” or put off by a less exciting “SHE LOVES ME”….look at the quality of the performances, direction, choreography.
Do you like the area, the campus, the “feel” of the department? Do talk to faculty and students – you have to live with these people for four years.
I thought I could do this – but this is an epic task with indefinite permutations.
I will leave it here. So these are just some and inadequately explained ideas….wish you well on your journey….</p>