Performance Resum

College Majors Musical Theater Major
1

<p>I realize this is not a MT question, though it could be applied to MT also. I am applying as a vocal performance major, and one of my schools requires a performance resume. I have no clue how to organize/divide it or what to do. If anyone could help, I'd greatly appreciate it. here are some of the things I've done in high school, if it helps.</p>

<p>All region choir-9-12, 1st chair 12th
All state choir-11th
Solo contest-Division I
Volunteer Cantor/choir member at church
School choirs(should I list these or not?)
Special skills-Speaks French, basic IPA knowledge, violin</p>

<p>Any other ideas of what to put on there? Thanks for your help!</p>

2

<p><a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=90243%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=90243&lt;/a>
<a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=66105%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=66105&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

3

<p>I have a small question that I would like some insight on...</p>

<p>I was told once that when making a theatre resume, when you're listing parts in shows, you should designate in parantheses your supporting and lead roles. I was just wondering what people think of this and if they do it or not.</p>

4

<p>Also, If the resume is optional, and I don't have a very impressive one, should I leave it out, or is that unwise</p>

5

<p>i'd say include it anyway. when you're auditioning, the people hearing/seeing you will be able to tell exactly where you are training-wise with or without a resume, so i wouldn't worry about your resume giving away a big secret. if anything, not having one could seem unprofessional. just my opinion.</p>

6

<p>seasonofluv,</p>

<p>I wouldn't recommend that</p>

<p>List the name of the show, the name of the role you played, the theatre where it was performed and if you have room, the director</p>

<p>Good luck with your resume. It's an important part of the package but your audition is the most important part!</p>

<p>xxx,Mary Anna</p>

7

<p>How far back do you go on a resume?
We currently have a category that is selected school and community theatre and in it we include only lead or significant parts, but at what point does something like Amarilysis drop out.</p>

8

<p>I would go back as far as 9th grade for school and community theatre and back as far as you can for any professional credits</p>

<p>xxx,Mary Anna</p>

9

<p>We were told to list pivotal/turning point roles only if you do decide to include grade school and middle school shows you were in. For example, a challenging lead that allowed you to really grow and expand your range, or where you had a sign. number of solos, or dance solo, for example, where it is obvious what is needed to pull it off. I am not sure you need to worry too much if it is all on 1 page. As often stated here, most people need additional pages to list school honors, leadership positions, work experience, & repertoire in voice solos done in public or on other instruments. I think the theatre resume should be chronological from most recent at top, on down.</p>

10

<p>Thanks for the info.</p>

11

<p>FWIW, I would be very careful before sending any videotapes unless you are extraordinary. Once sent, the ad. comm. will send the tape to the Dean of that particular area. If you are not extraordinary, that can hurt more than help. A resume is a great idea as a supplement to the app. My D just filled one out for Amherst, and included a resume as well. List all performances; and if there are any in which you stood out or had a big part, let them know. Good Luck!</p>

12

<p>Should I put dancing and singing on the resume or just theatre experience</p>

13

<p>YES! put in on.</p>

<p>xxx,Mary Anna</p>

14

<p>I have been told to list how many years of lessons for singing and dance along with the instructor/studio, but not concerts. Even if you are going into reg drama and not MT it is always a plus to have extra training in those areas and can show commintment to the art, and show that you are versitile.</p>

15

<p>BroadwayBret,</p>

<p>First of all, don't obsess too much over the resume. The audition is what really matters. As long as what you put on the resume is accurate and organized in some logical way, it should be fine.</p>

<p>Things may be different in the MT world but, for a standard vocal program, a performance resume is basically a list of the important performances in which you have participated, emphasizing any major roles or solos that you have had. It answers the questions What?, Where?, When? and With Whom? It does not need to duplicate information that is included on the application, but gives you a chance to add a little sparkle to your package.</p>

<p>For instance, I would not include a line like "Garland HS Choir - 9, 10, 11, 12" if you already included that among the EC's listed on your application but I would include things like:</p>

<p>Tenor solos from "The Messiah" by G. F. Handel, Garland Baptist Church, December 14, 2004 with Garland Baptist Church Choir, Peter Wilkinson, director.</p>

<p>Tamino in scenes from "The Magic Flute" by W. A. Mozart, recital by students of Ms. Janet Carruthers, Garland, TX, October 27, 2004.</p>

<p>Improvised scat solo in "John the Revelator" arr. by A. Armstrong, Central Regional HS Auditorium, Wylie, TX, March 3, 2004, with Region 4 Honors Chorus, directed by Mr. Herbert Mulligan.</p>

<p>Nathan Detroit in "Guys and Dolls" by F. Loesser, Garland High School Drama Society, February 10-17, 2004, directed by Ms. Sarah Adams.</p>

<p>Gala Concert, Hayes Auditorium, Houston, TX, November 9, 2003 with the Texas All-State Honors Chorus and Orchestra, directed by Mr. Cedric Axeworthy.</p>

<p>and so forth...</p>

<p>If you were not asked for a separate repertoire list, you could include highlights from that as well, even if you only sang the pieces for your voice teacher.</p>

16

<p>Mary Anna,
I would love to have your take on the importance, overall, of the resume in getting a spot at a top musical theater school. I keep hearing that the single most important element is the audition, and that frankly makes sense.
However, it is apparent that the applicants also have to provide a resume, and that makes me ask this question (you can tell by now that I am always asking questions!):
* would a person with a weaker audition but a resume that includes some Equity and professional productions, for instance, be considered over a person with a very strong, impressive audition but only community theater and/or high school shows?
Or is this not something you can venture an opinion on?
This question is purely hypothetical at this point. I am just curious what you (and anyone else here who has an idea) thinks.
Lisa</p>

17

<p>NotMamaRose...I wish I know where I posted about that before but I know I did somewhere :D. The resume does not get you IN. The audition (along with the academic application) does. However, if you think about it, someone who has trained in all three disciplines, has done production work, has auditioned a bunch, etc......has gained SKILL in doing those things. So while the actual credits are not as important, by gaining these credits ALONG with training, the student is bound to have acquired some talent/skill. Also, schools will look at what your previous training has been. Have you just taken chorus or have you studied voice lessons? Have you taken dance, which styles, how many years? and so forth. They may have only ten slots to offer but may have 20 kids who are talented or worthy enough of those slots and then they likely are looking at the entire "picture". College admissions is not exactly like casting....the audition is a bit but it is not simply a talent contest. They are looking at all aspects of the person. Why else have recommendations? essays? resumes? You have to "pass" the talent benchmark in the audition, no question but then they are looking to admit "people" and again, it is not like a talent contest with the winner type thing. Also a student may have what it takes to be admitted but since there are more kids who have "it" then they must choose between them. Maybe they have five ingenue sopranos but they don't want five of those so you must fit a slot or need in the class....that part is out of your hands. You have to fit the program a bit too. </p>

<p>Believe me, you do NOT need professional credits to get admitted. Very few who get in have these. Surely few are Equity already. Most DO have what you are talking about....school shows, community theater, summer youth theater program shows, and the like. Some may have bigger regional theater but that is not a make or break thing. I think someone who has only played ensemble and never a part, has a different set of experience in their background. I think for those who have not been able to stand out in their school or hometown area, it will be a tougher road in a bigger field of national applicants, many of whom were stand outs in their home towns. </p>

<p>Your question about the person with the weaker audition but more professional credits being preferred, my answer is very doubtful. A weak audition is a deal breaker. </p>

<p>Again, if someone has some good credits, it stands to reason they have been acquiring skills through the experiences. It also stands to reason that they may be "competitive" in a field of applicants because when they had to audition to be cast, they were getting cast repeatedly so they have that benchmark to be able to say, I have met with some success when auditioning amongst other talented people. If someone is auditioning a bunch locally and not being cast, that person is not as competitive as the one who is getting cast. So, the resume basically speaks for itself. If you have credits of any sort, then you've been gaining skills and you have been chosen to be cast repeatedly so perhaps you are reasonably competitive amongst others with talent. </p>

<p>I would NOT get concerned now with building certain TYPES of credits....like...oh my, we must get some regional theater credits, not just school ones or some such. Not at all. </p>

<p>What I think is that the student needs to have training in voice, acting and dance AND some theater production experience of ANY type (school, community, professional, summer programs). You learn in training but you also learn in production work (kind of applying that training). Just get any experience and stay immersed in the field if you love it. In terms of production work itself, I have always felt that both youth and adult productions have value for different reasons. In youth productions, often you can play a significant part where you learn lots in the role. In an adult production, often youth have smaller roles (unless it is Annie, Oliver or other significant youth roles) but they learn so much by being part of a quality show (and what that entails) and how to act in a professional manner and way other aspects of being part of such an experience. </p>

<p>Susan</p>

18

<p>Susan, thanks so much for the (as usual!) comprehensive and understandable answer. So far in my D's "career" <g>, she has only done school shows, summer theater camp shows and community theater shows, though she does take part (as an ensemble member) in a company (that hires Equity performers and other professionals for the leads) that produces Gilbert and Sullivan operettas each summer and loves all of it equally. (As someone who is not in any way, shape or form a performer, I find it puzzling that an actor would love being a lead in a school or community theater production equally well to being one of a crowd in the ensemble in a more pro. production. But that's the way it is. She loves it all and, in fact, feels she learns more sometimes watching pros at work. Go figure. <g>)
What you say makes me realize that the road she is following (concentrate on training and doing the productions that she loves and enjoys and feels she benefits from) is the right road, if there is such a thing. After all, it's not just about the destination: it's about the journey, right?
Lisa</g></g></p>

19

<p>NotMamaRose, it sounds to me that your D is doing all the right and good things. It doesn't sound all that different than what my own kid got to do. In fact, your D has MORE because your D is in a performing arts high school and we don't even have those here. Your D is in a professional theater company's productions and we have very little professional theater in our region, particularly during the year, not in summer (my D is not home in summers). We have various levels of community theater from the smaller one in our town to a very big major one in a city in our state. You make do with the theater resources in your own area. So what if the opportunities here are not what they are where others are, ya know? We don't even have drama classes at school or what I read or know about that other theater friends have in other states/areas. You find what you can, create opportunities, and keep up training, doing shows, etc. (did I mention driving??? LOL). </p>

<p>Your D's take on show experiences is just what I was mentioning earlier.....in youth productions, a kid often can learn lots and play a significant role but in adult productions, they'll have a smaller role usually but learn lots from being in what is sometimes a higher level production experience. Just being a part of that is a learning experience. It is not so much the part. My D loves both experiences for different reasons. This past summer, my D was the lead in Jekyll and Hyde, a youth production at a theater camp and went straight from that to a local summer professional theater production of Bat Boy where she had two small parts, plus ensemble. While she felt more challenged in her role in J and H and loved it more, she definitely got a lot out of being part of a professional production that had some Equity actors in it and a director from NY, etc. and they actually gave her a solo in the opening number. Each experience was worthy for different reasons. She got something out of both, just something different. Also being in an adult professional cast, there is a level of professionalism that must be carried out off stage too and it is not just a bunch of kids. It can be different and it is good to be a part of that. </p>

<p>Susan</p>

20

<p>As a member of a small local opera company that sounds similar (or perhaps identical) to the one NotMamaRose describes, I know what a pleasure it can be to work with the pros and learn from them. It is a particularly valuable opportunity for aspiring performance majors, most of whom will be doing ensemble work in their first year or two in college anyway.</p>