<p>Hi all, newbie here. Currently a senior. I've been accepted to 5 colleges and 3 theatre programs thus far: St. John's (Queens, NYC) for Dramatic Arts, Film, and TV, George Mason (just outside DC) for Theatre, and American (DC) for Musical Theatre.</p>
<p>I'm still waiting on some other audition decisions, but as of now these are my options. I'd always planned on going straight to NYC for college, because that's THE city for acting and music, right? But two of the programs I've been accepted to are in Washington, DC. Now DC is beautiful, don't get me wrong, and I love it there. But would it be better for me to go straight to New York, or take some time to beef up my resume in another city?</p>
<p>At first I wanted to do musical theatre exclusively, and American is the only school that's offered me that opportunity. The faculty and students there were SO nice and nurturing. But while I'm sure the program is wonderful, I'm just wondering if it would do me any good to go to another city before heading to New York. I've heard it's easier to get an equity card in DC; I've heard it has an up-and-coming arts scene; and I've also heard that it's better to start off working in a lesser city first, in order to gain experience.</p>
<p>At this point, I've heard so many different opinions that I'm just confused. Does anyone happen to have some advice that could help me out?</p>
<p>We live in the DC area - there are so many acting opportunities available - film, tv, theatre, events. You can also easily get to NYC for auditions - the bus is about $50 round trip. </p>
<p>You should definitely get into a BFA program to get the proper training…being in NYC is great but NYC will still be there 4 years down the road once you have your BFA and have received your training. Just my opinion.</p>
<p>I think finding the right fit is most important. Choose the program that has the curriculum you want and you can afford. Worry about the equity card later. </p>
<p>But I am only a mom and not an actor. Hopefully someone with some experience will chime in!</p>
<p>I am the mom of two theatre kids, one in NYC, one not. Both are so busy with their schools, there is no time for outside acting. Your main focus should be the training, not worrying about getting equity points. NYC will always be there, who knows where you will end up after graduation. For now, figure out which program you are ready to dedicate yourself to and go from there.</p>
<p>In addition to not having a ton of time for outside acting, DC theatre is also a very small community and its tough to land roles in equity theatres because a) they fill their parts with equity auditions in DC and New York and b) many directors gravitate toward the fantastic talent that already lives here. That said, there are opportunities at non-equity theatres, tv, film , mainly extras. Go with the program you love. You want MT and American wants you? If you like their program, go for it. (Also, most of the MT folks I know who went to Mason majored in voice). New York will always be there, so as the other posters said, pick where you felt was right … and can afford.</p>
<p>I agree that you should focus on the school that is the best fit for you, and affordability may be a factor as well. You may find it worthwhile to peruse the course catalogues of the schools that you are considering to see if they offer the range of acting/MT courses that you are looking for and to discern the backgrounds of the theater professors, particularly to see if they have connections to local theaters. We are from the DC area. As a high school student my S won a lottery slot to a mass audition attended by local casting directors, artistic directors, film makers, etc. He received a reasonable amount of work as a result of that audition, including work that led to other work at a major DC equity theater. It is true that auditions for major roles in DC equity theaters are held in DC and NY. But some of the theaters will look to hire up and coming local actors for some roles. My S currently attends a BFA acting program, has managed to acquire equity credits during his college years, and has considered trying to find acting jobs after he graduates in both DC and NY, although there is a strong possibility that he will land in yet another city. Good luck to you as you decide which program is best for you.</p>