<p>The acting curriculum doesn’t look as in-depth as some of the other schools, (quite a few courses are offered only every other year: and that’s something you should investigate with every school btw). But, it will be an intellectually engaging experience and the connection to the arts opportunities of the city will be more accessible than at Carleton (whose program does look terrific actually!)</p>
<p>Also look into Oberlin and Wesleyan (in CT).</p>
<p>Oberlin has merit aid.</p>
<p>Both of these schools attract and support really creative people and recent alumni have achieved extraordinary success right out of school (among them: Lena Dunham (“Girls”), Oberlin; and Lin Manuel Miranda (wrote and starred in “In the Heights”) and the co-author and Director of “Beasts of the Southern Wild” from Wesleyan.</p>
<p>One of the most interesting up-and-coming young theater professionals (actor, playwright, producer) in our city, a friend of my oldest daughter from childhood, went to Reed College in Portland, then came back east. She’s an intellectual, for sure, which is slightly different from being very smart. Reed is a very intense place, and it was perfect for her.</p>
<p>Kids at selective LACs may have strong intellectual abilities and great ECs, but they can’t be expected to come in with any outstanding theatrical abilities. If you are concerned about having “talented” classmates, you may need to attend an auditioned program.</p>
<p>In addition, with any LAC you have to be careful to check out the curriculum and make sure there are enough performance courses (voice/speech, acting, movement) to meet your needs. Some LACs that have “strong theatre departments” are actually strong in the academic study of theatre, not performance.</p>
<p>That is what my DS has been experiencing looking for BA’s in theater. We both thought Macalester looked great… and he will most likely apply, but we too had concerns about their theater program being more academic study instead of performance. If my DS decides to go the BA route I know he will want a school with tons of theater opportunities other than just a few plays a year. It’s definitely a tough one. We are going to visit Oberlin, Kenyon and Wooster next month… all schools with good theater, but will be interesting to see the different opportunities and classes offered.</p>
<p>^Be sure to talk to students about non-departmental opportunities when you visit! When my D went to Kenyon, the department produced a fairly standard number of mainstage shows, and many kids were cast in (or worked on) senior-produced capstone thesis shows…and then there were several student-run groups that put on plenty of imaginative productions. Add to that a growing filmmaking program and you have a lot more opportunities than might be obvious on the department website or in a viewbook. I’m sure you’d find the same kind of thing at Oberlin (and possibly CoW). There were definitely fewer acting classes–some of her classmates spent a semester in London or at NTI to get a deeper acting experience. On the other hand, it was possible to pursue directing and playwriting at a high level.</p>
<p>Do you want training? Then you need to be in a program with good performance classes, and you probably want to be in shows directed by faculty or grad students. This scenario could result in your being cast in only small roles, but it wouldn’t matter much because the learning would be so valuable.</p>
<p>Do you want to perform, with training a lower priority? A LAC with many student-directed shows could provide marvelous opportunities for you.</p>
<p>^^Exactly, and there’s another consideration that’s rarely (if ever) mentioned on this forum, and that’s whether you want “training” or a broader education. A liberal arts college like Kenyon or the others mentioned by 5boys is not geared toward training per se. As a parent and teacher, I have a hard time separating my own strong preference for a liberal-arts education at this age from my son’s inclination toward an actor-training program. We’ll see where he ends up in April–the decision might be out of our hands! :)</p>
<p>Such good points - thanks for getting to the heart of the issue. DD will have to do some serious thinking and begin to clarify her goals. One option is to start with a broader, liberal arts degree, and pursue more specific training in a graduate program. (And if she is able to get the BA largely funded with merit scholarships, the funds in the college account could potentially be used for grad school!)</p>
<p>NJTHeatreMom, I beg to differ about the potential talent pool of the kids at a top LAC. There will be plenty of kids at these schools who have the ability to get into BFA programs if they auditioned, but chose to go a different route. </p>
<p>At a school like Williams, when choosing from students with similar academic stats and EC interests, assuming that other factors like geography and diversity are not a factor, don’t you think they are going to pick the student with the stronger arts resume? And don’t forget, a school like Williams accepts arts supplements, which can be a video of the student acting.</p>
<p>My point was that the student choosing a place like Williams over a BFA does not necessarily mean that the peer group will be inferior in talent to an incoming class at a BFA. There will of course be a mix of talent and background in theatre classes because they are open to all, not only majors, but my point was that if a school has a strong arts program and a high barrier to acceptance in which extracurricular achievement (note I didn’t just say “participation”) plays a sorting role, then it will be a strong peer group in a variety of ways.</p>
<p>I absolutely do recommend taking a look at the curriculum to see how much it offers in the way of performance opportunities – which was one of the reason I suggested looking into the frequency of course offerings at an LAC, because it can be misleading to see a wide variety of performance courses if it doesn’t indicate that at first glance.</p>
<p>We are planning to attend a student production of the Crucible at Williams. Afterwards, I’ll post my wholly uneducated and uncultured assessment of the undergrad talent level.</p>
<p>Thread is SO great!! Lots to think about and digest right now. My S has not closed any doors and will probably do a mix of auditioned BFA’s and non-auditioned BA’s with great theater programs, and like Times said, the decision may be made for him. The hardest decision for my S is not whether he wants to perform, he does. He is just having a hard time right now wrapping his head around the fact that he will have to give up all of his other passions, granted not as strong as his passion for theater, but enough that he is considering NOT giving them up and going the BA>MFA route. He loves singing, poetry, improv, writing, literature, physics…etc. I think he is also VERY young to have to be making this decision. </p>
<p>The other issue is the competitiveness of the whole BFA thing. I want him to have a few schools that he really likes that he will for sure get into… and right now he has no desire to apply to any non-auditioned BFA safeties. His plan is to only apply to the BFA’s that he likes the best and to a wide range of BA LAC"s and see where the cookie crumbles. A LOT can change by this time next year. He is just applied to Northwestern Cherubs’s and BUSTI. I think if he gets into one of these he will have a MUCH better idea of whether he REALLY wants to go the BFA route right out of HS.</p>
<p>arwarw I agree that there are going to be some very able kids at an LAC. For example, my son has a close friend at Mount Holyoke who is an extremely fine actress. (Perhaps not coincidentally, she has done at least one high-caliber summer training program). </p>
<p>The thing is, the number of theatre kids with significant abilities and commitment at any one school, during any one year, would vary widely. </p>
<p>It is possible for a student not to be very good at acting and still get many starring roles in high school productions. He or she could be a great singer, have a great personality, be extra motivated, etc. The artistic resume would thereby be most impressive, and definitely help with BA admissions, but it could be misleading. </p>
<p>If training, combined with a guarantee of able and committed classmates is a priority, an auditioned program is the way to go. A conservatory-style, performance-oriented auditioned BFA isn’t the only option. There are other programs that involve an audition later than freshman year. There is something like the Theatre Arts BFA at BU that allows for more liberal arts. I’m not sure whether there are any auditioned theatre BAs. If not, maybe there should be!</p>
<p>^“I’m not sure whether there are any auditioned theatre BAs. If not, maybe there should be!”</p>
<p>James Madison University & Fordham are two auditioned theatre BA programs. I believe that UCLA and USC may be as well. Emerson and Point Park also have auditioned BA options. I am sure there are others as well. :)</p>
<p>With regard to estimating undergrad talent level based on a show…</p>
<p>Even with a son who is a senior in a BFA program, I don’t feel I am personally very well equipped (i.e.based on my individual observations), to judge whether a theatrical production is “good” or not.</p>
<p>I only know whether I enjoy it and/or get something out of it.</p>
<p>My son and I attended a local community theatre MT production together not too long ago, and I thought it was delightful. He protested that it was so badly directed! Another similar show struck me as coarse and buffoonish, but he commented that it was well done.</p>
<p>His program does a great number of productions. They have guaranteed casting, and the total comes to something like 35 or 40 shows a year.</p>
<p>My son says that some of these productions are good, but he admits that many are not really very good. I asked, “Why aren’t they very good?” and he replied, “Making theatre is hard. People take risks, and they fail. That’s what’s learning’s all about.”</p>
<p>NJTheatreMOM, that’s a great story, and definitely confirms my belief that your son’s program is one of those that educate as well as train their students. He is lucky to be there (and it sounds like they’re lucky to have him, too).</p>
<p>Mountainhiker, JMU (James Madison University, in Virginia) is an auditioned BA. It’s my understanding that University of New Hampshire will require auditions next year too; their program is currently a BA and I assume (but don’t know for sure) that it will continue to be a BA.</p>
<p>"My son says that some of these productions are good, but he admits that many are not really very good. I asked, “Why aren’t they very good?” and he replied, “Making theatre is hard. People take risks, and they fail. That’s what’s learning’s all about.”</p>
<p>I LOVE your son’s statement! Taking risks, failing, and trying again. So exciting!</p>