Still Undecided

<p>Just checking in the website to see how all the Spring 08 auditioners are doing, I haven't been on since the Spring. My D did not make any MT programs, so she is attending Pace as an undecided freshman starting this weekend, and still in limbo as to what she wants to do in life. We have found that the classes relating to Theater at schools that offer MT are really tight, if not impossible to get into. </p>

<p>She is trying to continue her training by registering for the CAP21 Fall high school program that is offered on Saturdays since she is still 17. Not clear if they will take her, but they said they would consider her. It looks to be pretty challenging with 8 hours of training on each Saturday. They also are beginning to offer a 2 year professional degree in Fall 09, so that might be an option as well to take along side her academic major (if she ever chooses one). </p>

<p>Just wondering what others are doing that didn't make it into a BFA and are still pursuing. Preparing for another BFA audition seems so soon and exhausting for possibly transferring. This time around I think she would target only a few schools and try an early decision - and also go with more of a safety.</p>

<p>Karen, ditto your comments and feelings. Likewise my D wants to audition again only to find that applying as a tranfer student further complicates and limits the process. We are finding some schools, such as FSU, are not allowing transfers except for student's with A.A. degrees from community colleges. But hey, I at least have to try and let her reach for her dreams. As I keep telling her, failure is when you stop trying!</p>

<p>Karen, unless something has changed recently, I don't know of any schools which allow transfers to apply E.D. (or perhaps my brain isn't working today!) Maybe someone else can help you there with a suggestion. It's probably a good idea to check with each school she's interested in. If she's looking for a two year program, Circle In the Square is a very good one and well-respected in the theatre community.</p>

<p>Karen, with the new CAP21 two year professional program that begins in 2009, I very much doubt your D could do that alongside her current academic college degree program. I would imagine the CAP program to be akin to Circle in the Square in that it will be a two year full time training program, which would not be able to be combined with attending a full time college program. It is meant as an alternative to college or is also an option for those who want training after they have attended regular college.</p>

<p>Hello all! Well, I thought I'd join in here. I agree Karenteic, just thinking about another audition season so soon after the agony of the last one is making me tired already! But, D has decided she's going to go for a 2nd round of auditions so we're back to do it right this time! Oy! Just this evening she told me how much more confident she feels about the process having gone through it and knowing what went wrong... both from an audition standpoint and an academic one. The list of schools will DEFINITELY be more varied and the auditions will be spread out as much as possible... AND the material will undergo a drastic change!</p>

<p>The other thing she's doing is auditioning more ( for everything and anything! ) and continuing to do shows in the community.</p>

<p>She was going to go to her safety school, CSUF, but after spending time there, she just couldn't do it. Don't get me wrong, she knows that the department is great, it just that the campus vibe didn't feel right for her. We could see she was unhappy so in the end, we didn't push it.</p>

<p>Anyhow... it's now a question of does she apply as a freshmen or a transfer?</p>

<p>She's taking a few classes at the local CC to try and raise her GPA, but after reading a few posts, I'm wondering if that's the best route to take. She does want to apply Early Decision to one of her top choices so it's back to researching each school to see what their policy is. Oh boy, here we go again! However, somehow it doesn't seem anywhere near as scary this time. Maybe it's partly because this time, I have this website to help early in the process and all you CC'ers for support! </p>

<p>Karenteic: Thanks for the post. If your D decides to try again, I'm sure she will take with her all the lessons from this last season. Just by virtue of having gone through it, our kids are a year wiser and more mature. Can't help but think that will come through in the audition process. If she decides not to and she waits another year that's cool too! We've read so many great stories on this board about the different paths to a dream!</p>

<p>Karenteic, I just moved my D to the Boston Conservatory, and at least one of her roomies is a transfer from a non-MT program...another roomie took a gap year after an unsuccessful audition season and made it to BoCo on her second try. I wouldn't want to relive last year for ANYTHING, but plenty of kids do and get to where they want to be...they certainly are the wiser for their experiences, and that has to help. GOOD LUCK!</p>

<p>I believe that your d would apply as a freshman if she has under a certain number of college credits. I would check this with admissions at each school. It is probably also listed on the school website.</p>

<p>Skwidjymom: Thank you, that's very encouraging! </p>

<p>KatMT: This info helps and is a great start! We'll begin by charting that out with each school. Thanks!</p>

<p>What quick responses! See, that's what I mean. We're already doing better. :-)</p>

<p>Thanks for all encouragement and I'm glad that others are still putting their positive energies together to make another go! My D says there are some performing opportunities at Pace for non majors and her roommate is in the Acting program so she may make some connections. She says she has made 20 friends in the first week and has been rarely accessible by phone - so #1 for me is that she is happy. </p>

<p>It will be interesting to see what path everyone ends up taking and good luck to all that are giving it another shot!</p>

<p>karenteic- sounds like she's having a ball, we have hardly heard from our D and she's been at IWU for 3 weeks! Can she re-audition at Pace?</p>

<p>Hey MTDad777! I'm glad our D's are settling well into school. My D is very excited that Harry Potter (aka Daniel Radcliffe) is coming on campus soon. Harry Potter books were her life and he was her imaginary boyfriend for a while at 12. </p>

<p>I on the other hand am very disappointed today, I did some work to negotiate with CAP21 to see if they would consider her for her their weekend high school program and the man called to interview her and she wouldn't respond. She later told me that she emailed him to let him know that she didn't think she would have enough time on the weekends to devote to the program. </p>

<p>Then she tells me that her art professor was very impressed with some circles she drew and displayed them to the class, so now she is thinking about an art major. From acting to art? I'm trying to edge her toward creative writing with a possible law interest in the future. Lawyers are good actors, right? </p>

<p>I am disappointed though, I'm not sure how I went from no-way to an MT degree, to actually being depressed that she is not continuing on. Somewhere in the middle of the Spring, with the pending auditions, planning, making copies of sheet music/CDs, the practicing, driving in snow storms to upstate New York, spending a fortune on hotels in NYC and applications, coordinating times and the emotional and financial toll, I got caught up in the dream. I became a sort of agent constantly researching, calling and trying to get my D's foot in the door and I really got caught up in that and really feel a sense of disappointment. I know all of you know what I mean and feel my pain - so I'm checking back in a couple of years to see which one of your kids I can check out on Broadway and maybe you can catch my D at an art show. Hee! Hee!</p>

<p>karenteic, </p>

<p>Part of college is exploring and discovering what you want to do in life and being exposed to many things. That is why a BA path is ideal for many students. I understand it is hard for you to shift knowing that your daughter is shifting. I would agree with her that it would be difficult to do a weekend program when she is in college and engaged in all the things there. </p>

<p>About Daniel Radcliffe (my daughter was also a Harry Potter fan).....she is seeing him in Equus on Broadway this weekend with her best friend from home who is coming to visit and my D is treating her as a birthday present. They both were so into him in Harry Potter.</p>

<p>Thanks SoozieVT! A fellow Hogwart-er fan, eh! Not sure about Equus though. You'll have to have your D give us a critique.</p>

<p>Can't wait to see Equus on Broadway! Have my tickets for my visit to NYC next month. I saw the original many years ago because a friend understudied the role of Alan Strang. Very anxious to see Daniel Radcliffe and, even more so, Richard Griffiths.</p>

<p>Not Harry Potter -esque, but another British Isle baby... Billy Elliot is coming and we got tickets to its opening night in reviews. I can't wait!!!!</p>

<p>(I DO love the Harry Potter books, tho. Currently rereading all. Mid-Goblet of Fire right now!!!)</p>

<p>Snoggie, I'm also seeing Billy Elliot (and 4 other shows) on the same trip I'm seeing Equus. I've seen it in London and I hope that the U.S. production is as wonderful as it was there. Even with the hundreds of different shows I've seen over the years, I still count Billy Elliot as one of my most enjoyable evenings of theatre.</p>

<p>Also, the production of Hair which has been at the Delacorte in Central Park this summer, and which had the concert production in summer of '07, will be transferring to Broadway early in '09. I don't know how much of the cast they'll be able to retain, hopefully all!, but for those who will be in the city for college auditions or the Unifieds, this would be a wonderful show for your kids, and you, to see.</p>

<p>Great news about Hair. A few weeks ago, my daughter said that there was talk of it transferring to Bdway but she didn't know it was confirmed. She performed in the same event with the cast of Hair recently and she was excited for them that it might go to Bdway particularly because a friend of hers from Tisch (has graduated), who was in her a capella group, is in the cast!</p>

<p>Susan, I agree that it's great news, and not just because we know a few castmembers. :) The show is one that, in its day, changed the face of theatre, with both its subject matter and its music. Many of its songs have become standards in not only the MT canon but also in popular music. We had a production of Hair in Toronto a couple of years ago, the first professional revival since the original Broadway production. It was wonderful, in the several times I saw it, to see the range of demographics represented in the audience each night. I wish the show much success next year.</p>

<p>Hair is one of my favorite musicals. I saw it when I was growing up. We also took a bunch of kids to a production of it as a birthday party for my older daughter in high school. And I saw it at Tisch two years ago but that production was very different. My kids didn't get to see the show in Central Park this summer unfortunately (I don't think either had the availability to do the lines). My niece saw it before the "official" opening and really liked it. I would love to see it on Broadway. I think it's great that it is going there and the messages resonate well today.</p>