The second year acting teacher is horrible. He is no longer capable of teaching students what he knows. Instead, he creates an environment plastered with trepidation, suppression, and his elated egomania - putting his ego to battle with with the student’s egos (which in any serious way - do not exist). He is somewhat perverted and all the way manipulative. There are not only a few, but hundreds of dedicated acting teachers in New York that are willing and able to teach Strasberg’s methods to artistic, eager young students (I’m being taught Strasberg by one right now and the work is SO ALIVE and liberating), and they should allow these wonderful theatre educators in! He is a cruel, strange man who uses his classroom time to purposefully repeat his WAY too personal encounters, his ego feeding off young student’s open-eyed interest, and for years and years on end, has sent students into a downward spiral, making them battle their sense of self, question their desired dreams, and left them in emotional loops. After hearing one too many horror stories as a result of his teachings (artists starting antidepressants, artists saying they’re not talented and don’t want to act any longer, artists saying he touched them, artists saying they had reoccurring nightmares of him, artists saying they are afraid to act in front of him, and the famous “He is ruining my life”), I think it’s time Purchase put deep care and deep thought into who is teaching, not just what is being taught.
Well my daughter toured Purchase and fell in love with it today of all days for the Acting BFA program. This post totally freaks me out. Anybody?
@layalamom My D is a second year BFA Acting student. I emailed her the content of the post and asked her for feedback. There is another Purchase student, @actorboy27 who sometimes checks in. Hopefully, he will respond with his experience.
My son applied to the Purchase Theater Tech BFA but didn’t complete the process because he heard that the program was very cut–throat and competitive from other students he knew who had attended the school. Not all of them were in that program, so his information was somewhat of a hearsay nature. He opted for a different SUNY school and is in a program that he says is very collaborative. A cut-throat environment would be good for some students (like me) but disastrous for others (like S17).
As for the specific professor named, I tried to find him on Rate My Professor but wasn’t able to. However, I am old and my Internet skills may not be the best.
Regardless, I wouldn’t choose or disqualify a school based on one anonymous post on the Internet. I would, however, do research into the department and professors of any school my child was applying to.
Thanks so much @artskids. Loved the school and the BFA program so much. My D’s face said it all. Then to come home to this. It sure gave me pause. Some context would be helpful. It could be a personal chemistry problem or a grudge but because of the emotional intensity involved in actor training this kind of thing can happen and does. it’s also so tough to keep a sense of proportion during this process. Not helpful for the poster to just spit it out and disappear but it sounds like it could be a student? Don’t want to dismiss such serious claims in any way though.
Thanks again …
and thanks @techmom99 . We were posting in tandem.
It is emotionally intense but both most of the kids we know in Acting/MT BFA programs, including my own kids, report that about their respective programs.
It student is accepted into the program, they can do another visit and try to discuss the teachers with other students, and get a feel for “the hardest teacher” story.
@shakespeareMAMA – I am confused… are you, or have you been a Purchase student? Have you had a negative experience, or have you only “heard” about others? That context is important
In 2014, when my kid was accepted to NYU and got her studio placement (Adler) I came on CC and asked for input. One member reached out to me via PM to warn me that her son had experienced some problems there - which she felt the university had not dealt with effectively. It gave me pause - after all, we only want to think the best about the place where our kid will end up… but in the end, it was very much what D wanted, and therefore what we/she chose. D ended up loving Adler, and feeling tremendous support (as well as “tough love”) there. The member who reached out did so in good faith (they have occasionally posted negatively about NYU, but never put out what I would consider a “rant” like the one above)… but their experience was not ours. Therefore, @laylamom - the OP’s experience (if they had it) might not be yours
I’m very concerned about this thread. This is the first post by the OP. I know nothing about the program or the individual named, but I would be wary.
MODERATOR’S NOTE:
I have edited the name; this website is called College Confidential, not Rate My Professor.
Layla is what we wanted to name our D, but she is the only one of our kids that was born in the afternoon.
Hi. Please ignore this post. This was an old entry, not entirely written by me, that was just posted and I’m having a lot trouble understanding why it was posted so long after. Over a year ago this was written, I have been trying to delete the post but it won’t allow me. I am working with the CC admin to delete. Purchase is a good program but I am not equip to comment on it either way. This is not entirely true information and was not written by me. Dismiss information in comment, although it seems difficult to, working on removing it now. I dont know why this has been posted, and the account name is false. Confusion being investigated.