For those of you with opinions and/or experience, which is better to pursue, when time is limited for high school students? Should kids spend their after-school hours primarily taking lessons and doing a school show when possible? Or would it be better to audition for community theater and school, participating in as many performances as possible, and therefore not be as consistent in dance class, voice lessons, etc.? Is there an obvious choice which makes kids more attractive when auditioning?
Regardless of my opinion…I think my daughter is about to find out an actual answer to this for her. (it has indeed been of benefit in the auditions and acceptances she has had so far) .Her freshman/sophomore year at her high school was great, had nice roles in several productions. She decided to sacrifice doing some shows and focus on training for the past two years. We were advised, a couple of years ago, that this would be the best path. Fortunately, her training program does host periodic performances and showcases to keep them on stage. It is nice to say " I was the lead in all of my school shows, and this and that in my community theatre program". However, how can the auditors know if that was even a good program. (like…was she the only one who auditioned, are you in a competitive area, etc) There are a lot of leading actors/actresses from high school that are surprised by the level of competitiveness for spots in these programs. According to our friends who have gone through this process already and whose kids are in top college MT programs, some of the auditors in the rooms for auditions did not even look at their resumes. Maybe they did later.
We are fortunate enough in our area to be surrounded by a great group of students/parents. stellar vocal ,acting .and dance coaches. We have all seen some of their friends who chose to forego dance classes, voice, acting class, etc for school shows all of time become a bit panicky when this madness begins.
A think of her instructors put it this way: " a SHOW, should be just that…SHOWING what you have learned" .Bottom line answer to @MTmom019 question likely is, as with all things… a nice balance. Nothing works the same for everyone…
Training.
Training. I agree with @mom4bwayboy. Acceptances are based almost entirely on your child’s performance at the audition, in the room. High school show/community theatre productions MAY improve your child’s acting/dancing/singing, but probably not a whole lot. Training, on the other hand, will. I think this is one of the hardest things for the kids to do, b/c they WANT to be on stage, and they WANT the social aspect of being in a show. But whatever is going to make your child perform better in that audition is what they should go for. And 99 times out of 100, that’s the training (so long as you get good training).
I think there is an interesting continuation of this idea into college programs, casting philosophies etc…
Ok, fine…training…LOL! I was just afraid to be too vehement about it and start some kind of CC drama…
I am having this very discussion with both my college and HS sophomores! My HS sophomore is about to make some tough decisions about HS shows vs training. My HS sophomore is leaning far more toward picking up some additional training (dance and additional private voice) and passing on some HS performance opportunities. In her circumstances I think the additional dance and voice training will be far more useful than another hs production. My college sophomore is looking at doing an acting intensive on top of sunmer work. He wants to be sure he’s working on his perceived weaknesses now in order to help him 2 years from now. For me, it is interesting how this discussion has morphed!
Training. Hands down. After participating in lots of community theatre throughout middle school, our D took a different approach in high school. She opted for serious dance training and voice 2x/week with acting/MT programs in the summer. This meant she couldn’t participate in her high school’s phenomenal show choir or in most of the school’s top-notch musicals. It was very hard at times because nearly all of her friends participated in them and she missed out on a lot of socializing because of her dance and voice commitments. It also made it impossible to participate in solo and ensemble competitions because she wasn’t in the school’s music program. She made up for it by competing in other voice and monologue competitions as well as attending intense summer acting programs. Was it worth the sacrifices? Was it the best strategy? Well, we don’t really know yet. She’s applying to BFA and BA programs now and we haven’t gotten any answers yet. Both of her voice teachers discouraged her from participating in choir because of the potential for learning bad vocal habits. This was really okay with her because she felt she would learn a lot more by putting her time and energy into focused training. Although it was very, very hard at times, she learned to navigate socially and seems happy with friends from dance, summer programs, and school. Finally, she has grown tremendously as a competitive dancer and has enjoyed every minute of it, knowing she won’t ever be able to dance this much again. Also, I might add that her strategy of killin’ it in dance wasn’t just about getting into MT programs because, honestly, you don’t have to dance that well to get into most MT programs. For her it was about positioning herself for a long career in performing arts, training hard in all three disciplines (while her body is young and wiling to learn those things) so that she could audition for all kinds of different roles once she gets out of college. Again check back with me in 10 years and I’ll let you know whether it was a good strategy. :):)
It occurs to me that the trouble with encouraging intensive training during high school is that it suggests earlier and earlier commitment to a career in musical theatre or performance. I find it troubling that kids of 14 or younger are channeling their energies into a career goal so young, often to the extent of skipping other high school experiences. Full disclosure–I have two kids who ending up choosing this path, but we made a conscious effort to make sure they were also involved in other activities and sports, as well as being fully engaged in high school (both academic and extra-curricular). I have the same concerns with performing arts high schools – consciously or subconsciously we (parents, coaches, and teachers) are telling young kids that they are already on a certain track, encouraging them each step of the way. I’ve known students from performing arts schools who felt very confused and conflicted during and beyond the college application process. To varying extents, they perceived that the only acceptable goal for them was to keep on and succeed in the performance track, thereby fulfilling the promise their parents and teachers saw in them. Some got to college and then decided they had other interests, transferring out of MT. My point is that the earlier and more heavily students and families invest in performing arts (classes, training, summer camps, etc), the more entrenched they become and the harder it is for them to break out, even if they feel they lag behind their peers, don’t have the right “look”, or question their own “talent.” I like to see high-schoolers enjoy a broad range of activities, rather that putting all their eggs in the MT basket.
In the case of our D, there was no stopping that performing arts train. It all came from her and it still does. She was exposed to all kinds of activities and sports throughout the years including competitive soccer, figure skating, and gymnastics. She loved them all!! Then in 5th grade she discovered her voice, 6th grade she was cast in her first play, and it was like a steam roller… She decided against a performing arts high school because it would’ve required her to choose a major – either acting, singing, or dancing, and she didn’t want to choose to focus on just one area in high school so we helped her cobble together her own program. She’s worked very hard in both her arts training and her education and it has all come from her. It wasn’t sad or limiting. It is who she is. How this plays out in the future is anyone’s guess. She has no idea what opportunities will present themselves, either in terms of a college program or in job offers later on. But she’s known what she has wanted since age 11 and we have supported her, like many on this board.
It’s always hard to choose what to do once you reach high school if you are a theatre kid & whether you should participate in school shows etc or concentrate on extracurricular training. I don’t see why you can’t do both , unless your schedule at school is too packed.
My D attends an arts high school for musical theatre so there is no option of whether to audition for shows or be in choir. It’s required. That being said she is not able to audition for community theater which she misses. However she technically gets her “training” in school as she has dedicated voice lesson, dance and acting. There’s no time to do additional classes. Now…had she went to her local regular high school instead, I would not have made her forgo school stuff in lieu of training. I think it depends on how active your high school is. She would have been in show choir & the theatre dept while still taking private voice and dance from private instructors. I wouldn’t have made her not do school shows though. I feel like that’s part of high school, participating in the high school experience with your friends etc. I have caught myself lately getting so caught up in college prep that I’m missing my daughters junior year. It’s transferring onto her too and I’m backing off. She needs to enjoy high school. It’s so fleeting!
My D does want MT as her college degree as far as she knows today…lol. I will say the kids at her school are going both ways. Some are going for MT after graduation but not all by any means. A lot of kids are in arts schools because they just love their discipline & the small environment. They end up going to college for sciences or English or nursing! That’s just our arts school experience. Some schools might be more pressure for the kid to keep in their discipline. Our school emphasizes that the education you get there is great for whatever field you end up pursuing. My D has a friend who is going to tech school to be a mechanic!
Thank you for your replies! I love reading and hearing your perspectives! We have found it so hard to know what to do, and many of the points each of you mention are ones that we struggle through. It’s also so hard not to second guess choices. I’m very appreciative of your time and thoughtfulness.
Isn’t it possible to do both? My daughter took acting lessons and participated in community theatre.
My kid did arts high school - and outside theater (during the school year) would have been really challenging. She was generally involved in two shows at the same time (one that rehearsed 3-6, and one that rehearsed 6-9) she did work with other theaters during summers. As far as “normal” HS experiences- for my D- that was normal. Just as her urban campus is a “normal” college experience- for her. She didn’t really think about/plan for the next phase (college) until junior year of HS, that’s not what the PA school was about for her- it was simply an opportunity to be engaged with her interests.
double post
We thought Senior year was going to be a culmination of 9 years paying dues in a program D loved. She was supposed to have leading roles in all the shows, be President of the drama club, and collect Senior awards for Drama. Instead, she chose to audition for, and ended up attending a prestigious arts school Senior year. She knew performance opportunities would be limited, but the training unparalleled. It was the right choice for her, she grew tremendously as an artist, and she had a lot of success during the college audition process. All of our kids will have different opportunities based on location, circumstances, or just plain luck. I do believe that achieving a good balance of both technical training and actually performing on stage is ideal.
In my opinion, being a good/trained dancer is one of, if not the, best notches to have on your belt as you head into auditions.
Every single MT girl I’ve known who had good success with MT BFA acceptances - were always great dancers. Not just actors who move, but honest to goodness DANCERS.
;
(Now back to watching the nail biter in Iowa!!)
Oh what the heck. I’ll add more.
If my fingers are busy here it will stop me from flipping CNN, MSNBC, and FOX to see the #s from Iowa. Crazy night!
My D did only HS theatre for her first three years - she supplemented with lessons on the side, but for those 3 years, she only performed in high school.
I had two schools of thought … one, was that you were only in high school for this very short window of time and to take advantage of being a kid and being w/ your peers for as long as possible. The second, as we inched closer to college, was HOLY COW! HER HS THEATRE DIRECTOR IS A LUNATIC … I NEED TO GET HER OUT ASAP!
So for her senior year, our community theatre welcomed her back with open arms (she performed there a lot in elementary school) and she did 4 shows back to back senior year - 3 as an actor, one as an ASM. And I have to tell you, she learned far more in that year than she did in 3 years of high school. Working with different directors, different actors, different music directors … she was just a sponge.
I definitely think it’s a personal choice because you only have one high school career and being a well rounded person is a great thing. On the other hand, doing community theatre + lessons can make one a much better performer.
The gist of it is … I really have no idea.
(49.8% v 49.6% … yowza!)
I think this is a great question, so I’ll add my humble opinion. As most topics discussed here, I think it really depends on the student. My D did mostly community theater early in high school then made the decision to commit to the HS - partially to stay connected socially, wanted to just “be a high school kid” (Large public high school)
It lead to a number of leadership opportunities in ensembles, choirs, drama, directing, etc., that really add an extra dimention to her resume. She’s been a strong mentor to underclassmen, and the school faculty, and other parents have been so grateful - knowing she could have ‘checked out’ of high school programs for other ‘outside’ opportunities.
I’m certain what she is taking away from these leadership roles will be helpful in life regardless of what happens with MT.
She did, however, make a conscious decision not to audition for shows in summer, and used summers to focus on training. Like many others, D has been performing since she was young and has dozens of shows under her belt. She is now very attracted to college programs that focus on training the first year or two.
If a student caught the bug a little later, it might still be helpful to get some additional audition experiences and performing credits…not for the resume, but for the experiences…working with others, taking direction, etc. I also agree that you can do both - a mixture of shows and training can be managed easily in moderation.
I think a key thread running through most of the comments above is that while there may be some great reasons to occasionally choose shows over training (social growth, fun, leadership, etc.), don’t do more school shows for the sake of a resume. Most college auditors will firmly say that training trumps resume, and many kids will have dropped all school shows from resumes even before they graduate, both from high school and from college. And as is said here often, school casting is often not at all predictive of future professional success.