Rutgers vs. UNCSA

College Majors Theater/Drama Majors
1

<p>I still have not heard from UNCSA but I thought I would put together a “vs.” thread with Rutgers since I am down to that in case I get in. </p>

<p>The main acting technique taught the first two years at RU is Meisner from students of William Esper while you also study Meisner at UNCSA with someone that actually studied with Meisner and another that studied with Esper plus you get a Stanislavski teacher from Russia where she was an award winning actress and some other teachers that teach Chekhov and Strasbergy sounding things from old school Juilliard graduates. </p>

<p>You get Williamson and Suzuki at RU while you get a unique movement approach that seems to have a lot in common with Lecoq (lots of mask and red nose) at UNCSA taught by Robert Francesconi who everyone I spoke with says is a genius. </p>

<p>RU is geared exclusively towards meat and potatoes contemporary and classical straight acting while UNCSA puts a lot of emphasis on musical theater training and spends a lot of time on Commedia dell‘Arte. </p>

<p>UNCSA does musicals while Rutgers does not.</p>

<p>Rutgers has a year studying at the Globe in London with England's best and brightest while at UNCSA you stay in Winston Salem, NC for the duration. </p>

<p>UNCSA showcases in New York and Los Angeles although the students have to raise the money to go to LA while RU only does one in New York.</p>

<p>UNCSA admits about 30 students with 20 boys and 10 girls that split into two sections for acting classes while RU admits 18 split about evenly between the sexes who are in the same class for the duration. </p>

<p>RU is a huge university with a huge selection of academic subjects you can take on Tuesdays and Thursdays while UNCSA has few academic offerings that more than one person I talked to said were a joke. </p>

<p>RU is a huge university in the Northeast while UNCSA is a small stand alone conservatory in the Southeast.</p>

<p>Most RU students move off campus sophomore year while you have to live on campus the first two years at UNCSA.</p>

<p>Everything else seems about equal to me. Can anyone else add anything? Are there good reasons to disagree with parts my assessment?</p>

2

<p>I wouldn’t base it so much on the specific techniques taught because a) both programs sound phenomenal and b) you can always pick up different technique classes during the summer and after you graduate. I would decide on the importance to YOU of: being in musicals; academics; campus environment; and study abroad (although this you can also do during the summer with another program or post-grad).</p>

3

<p>Thanks. That studying elsewhere during the summers is something I had not thought about. I need to find out if you are even allowed to do that. I know there is a UNCSA graduate that has a blog on Backstage that took a summer class in Los Angeles but that was with a faculty member who also has a studio there and she got some kind of scholarship to do it. </p>

<p>Study abroad just to be abroad isn’t as important to me as the possibility of spending a whole school year studying with the faculty at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre. That, the lack of mt, and the better academic choices are the main reasons I am leaning towards RU right now besides me being in there and not UNCSA yet. haha</p>

<p>I forgot to add that UNCSA has a good film department and RU does not although you can stay in “The Brunz” during the summers and audition for indie films in the NY/NJ area if you get good headshots and an Actors Access account. </p>

<p>I also forgot to add that RU has a MFA with the big main stage parts reserved for them while UNCSA does not although it doesn’t seem to matter much because you are only in that casting pool as a senior at RU.</p>

<p>Am I right about all this? Sonoftranquil? NYQ12? Other students in the programs? Are you out there?</p>

4

<p>I was walking down the street back home when I thought I heard my name called away from a far away place…</p>

<p>Hey, tenyearplan, I heard your call and I have arrived. </p>

<p>I usually don’t like to involve myself in threads like these because I don’t want to appear as a spokesperson for my school, but I’m glad to give you my input.</p>

<p>First off, congratulations, I’ve heard Rutgers is a really amazing program. I’m from New Jersey and I wanted to go out of state, so I never applied there nor do a really know a whole lot about the program besides that it’s very meisner based and you get to go to london, but based on your post you already knew that. </p>

<p>You’re research on UNCSA is very impressive and well put, haha. Really. </p>

<p>Firstly yes in your first year for acting you work with a Julliard Graduate, a successful theatre and film actress who studied at the Neighborhood playhouse, and a Stanislavski teacher from Russia whose former teacher worked with Stanislavski himself. At your time here if you are accepted and attended you would also work with an amazing voice faculty including a teacher who studied at the acclaimed central school in London and teachers of the Linklater voice technique who have studied with Kristin Linklater herself. And yes, Robert Francesconi is a genius. Our mask program is a 3 year progression from movement, to verbal improv, to black face hood, to character mask, to neutral mask, to half mask, and finally to red nose. I cannot even being to explain what these classes are like, but they are just as much beneficial to one’s acting as they are fun. And trust me, I never thought I would have this much fun in a class. </p>

<p>We usually put on one musical a year. Most people only end up being in 1 musical during their time here but many factors go into it. I wouldn’t say that we really have a huge amount of musical theater training. Starting the spring of your 1st year you start singing classes and you only take one singing class per term. You will however, be taking a dance class every term as well. But I wouldn’t say that this doesn’t consider us in the “meat and potatoes” of classical training. UNCSA’s curriculum is very similar to that Julliard, which has dancing, singing, mask, etc. A major classical aspect of our program is our Stage Combat program, which I believe is the most in depth of it’s kind. By the end of your stage combat training here you become certified in weapons by the society of american fight directors. </p>

<p>Although there are no study abroad opportunities during your time at UNCSA you can do anything you want during the summer, and that includes studying abroad, I hope to do that this summer. </p>

<p>And yes, the academic programs here are not rigorous, however we really are so busy with our acting work our arts classes are definitely in high priority. We have arts classes 10-6 every day, rehearsal 7-11 once your in shows, and with outside projects we can sometimes be rehearsing till at least one in the morning. </p>

<p>I think this is a good start but I think pending your acceptance to UNCSA you should definitely visit both schools and look further into each program. I encourage you and anyone else deciding to do this with all the schools you are looking at. Visiting, if possible, is really the best way. I knew instantly I wanted to go here once I visited, I could just feel it. </p>

<p>If you need any other information on UNCSA or anything else feel free to PM me.</p>

5

<p>Ah yes! One heard the call! Thanks!</p>

<p>I am glad someone could make heads or tails of that ridiculous, nonsensical run-on sentence I started with about the acting teachers. I looked back at it and was like, “Oh no.” :)</p>

<p>I did not mean to sound as if I thought UNCSA is an mt program that doesn’t get into the meat and potatoes of classical training. I would not have applied if I thought that. The alumni doing that speak well for it. It just has some time devoted to mt and that is something I have no future with because my ceiling as a singer pretty low. </p>

<p>I wish I could visit anywhere but I am about to start rehearsals for a play that will probably keep me busy into May.</p>

<p>Thanks again!</p>

6

<p>For the UNSCA Drama intensive (summer) I just got online and applied. Do you know info about their precollege program ?Is there no audition? I was shocked to be accepted (pay your deposit) just like that. Did I sign up for the wrong program? Can anyone comment on their experience?</p>