<p>
My daughter attended last year. It was a mix of CMU faculty and non-CMU faculty. At the end of the program everyone gets to audition before a CMU panel. As far as I know, one girl, MT, was accepted directly into the program from the summer session. They may have also accepted students from dramaturgy and/or directing.</p>
<p>Oh-- and my daughter really enjoyed the program and found it very useful!</p>
<p>Times3, rumor has it that my D dominated your S in stage combat :-)</p>
<p>^^ Hahaha that’s hilarious! It must not involve brute strength! :D</p>
<p>^^ At 5 ft and 85 lbs, obviously not …she’s slippery and crafty</p>
<p>Oh heavens, she’s even tinier than I’d thought…let’s just say there’s a BIIIIG weight difference there, and I’ll continue to pray that he doesn’t fall on her! If she needs a secret weapon (which I doubt), let her know that a swift kick to his left ankle will bring him to his knees…and probably take him out of football for the year, thus freeing up many weekends for auditions. Hmmmm…could be a strategy… Well, I hope somebody videotapes this for us!</p>
<p>My daughter is at CMU and its a mix of current faculty and guest faculty with guest faculty out numbering current faculty. </p>
<p>She’s really enjoying the program. She had a small reservation that the talent level might be uneven given there are no auditions to get in – but its been the exact opposite of her expectation with a very high level of talented and passionate kids. </p>
<p>And, as someone noted, acting kids take movement and MT kids take dance.</p>
<p>Well - I’m glad other parents are hearing from their kids at BUSTI. My son is supposed to be emailing me (can you believe I don’t have texting capabilities!), but since the rooms don’t have internet, I’ve only received one email that he sent from a public computer. Just said that he LOVED it and is in his element. He’s texted his sister a bit and it has all been positive.</p>
<p>Would have loved to hear how he did at stage combat - he was really looking forward to that!</p>
<p>Marbleheader, I’ve gotten a few texts (one raving about the Museum of Fine Arts) but other than that, nothin’–and basically no commentary about the program–hoping that, as has always been the case with my older kids at camp, no news is good news! Also, my S doesn’t have his internet set up but, like yours, has used a computer somewhere on campus. Are you planning to go for the final performance on the last Friday night (August 3rd)?</p>
<p>In the “girls” tower, the internet is up and running, though it wasn’t available for the first few days. Apparently there were log in/password issues that have been resolved. Obviously daughters are more communicative when it comes to texting, so we stay in fairly close touch with ours. My D continues to rave about the classes, all of them!</p>
<p>Yes - girls are different. Our D just finished her freshmen year - and I almost wished she didn’t call as much - LOL! Glad to hear the raving continues!</p>
<p>We are going to the performance on Friday. From what I read, they don’t put on a typical play, but more of an experimental piece. I love those kind of things!</p>
<p>Times3 & OddDad - are your kids planning on auditioning at the end of the program? S planned on it, but I am wondering how he is feeling now, being surrounded by - no doubt - lots of talented kids. I really hopes he does, if only for the experience of auditioning for a college panel. BU is at the top of his list, and if he wants, he can audition again. But he may not feel “ready”.</p>
<p>Marbleheader, re: auditioning at BU this month, I’m not sure what my son will end up doing. We had kind of figured he would only do it if it were just a “practice” audition–we’d heard they could do it on that basis and receive feedback, then audition for real in the winter. But it certainly would make our lives easier if he could get it done now. I’d also assumed he wouldn’t be even close to ready…but it sounds like he is actually making some progress with at least one monologue. So I’m going to leave it up to him, I guess. BU is a stretch for him academically–not impossible, but a stretch–and I hope the faculty there will give him advice about whether he should audition and when. It does seem early, but it’s also tempting. Guess this is one of those times when we hand over the reins to the kids and their teachers and hope for the best! Stay tuned…</p>
<p>Marbleheader & Times3…my D is headed like a freight train towards the formal audition later this month at BU. She never considered it to be a trial run. How well she will be prepared for it is a different matter. She has had two very good pieces in place for several weeks now, but I have questions about how much practice she has managed and will have in the next two weeks. She says she will have plenty of time. Of course, we’ll see. But, she is a stubborn kid, so I have no doubt the official audition will happen.</p>
<p>Our son didn’t even have a monologue picked out, but he’s kind of a last-minute type of guy, so I wouldn’t be shocked if he did audition, and I would also understand if he didn’t feel ready. Luckily for us, we are close so it isn’t a big deal to go back in to do the real audition. I’m glad they give them the option of doing the trail-run audition, tho.</p>
<p>Academically, S is a strong B student, not the AP junkie that our daughter was (she is at Wesleyan). He really will have to get in any theatre program on the strength of an audition, so that is why we are looking at auditioned BFAs. Non-audition programs will actually be a little more difficult, because then we’re back to just the strength of his academics. That is why I find the whole theatre admissions process daunting! I think we are going with URI as his safety, since it is a non-audition BFA and he should be able to get in academically.</p>
<p>Well - good luck to the kids if they do the audition. The feedback is so important.</p>
<p>It’s so interesting to read this whole conversation. I just got back as a student from BUSTI and I can honestly say it was an amazing eye opening experience! For those looking at it for next year I highly recommend it! It is five weeks of very intensive work in various types of acting and performing, although a heavy focus on Grotowski’s impulse work and movement based acting, (which has changed my whole technique as a whole) also incorporating various other acting styles such as Meisner, Stanislavsky, and a handfull of others giving the actors a “toolbox approach” so they can draw from what technique works for them.</p>
<p>You work with both the staff at BU and the students as well as some outside guests so you get a bunch of people from different backgrounds. The weekdays are planned out as you have technique classes in the morning from 9-12 (singing, stage combat, voice and movement on a rotating schedule)<br>
Lunch break then</p>
<p>On Monday from 1:45-5 you have Audition technique with a new teacher each week so you get to work with just about all of the faculty
and on tuesday-thursday you get your main acting class for the day.</p>
<p>Break for Dinner and from 7-10 you have your ensemble theater class!</p>
<p>It’s a busy schedule and the weekends are just as crazy schedualwise but it was an amazing summer and I feel so much more comfortable in myself as an actor and as a person after doing this program! So for those looking for a program I highly suggest you check it out!</p>
<p>Another summer program that students might want to consider that is shorter than the 4 or 6 week college programs… The Teen Shakespeare Intensive at the Actors Movement Conservatory in New York City. It runs in July. My D has attended for three summers. (She started at age 14) This is a three week program. The artistic director Janice Orlandi is an adjunct professor at U Arts. She is wonderful with the kids and they adore her. The program covers techniques such as Chekhov, Meisner, Linklater, Williamson, mime, stage combat, rasa boxes, etc. It helps the kids see if they like working all day every day in studio. The program does use Shakespeare. If you don’t like Shakespeare you won’t like this!
Obviously since we attended three times we loved the program. It is quality instruction with great teachers with the added benefit of NYC. (Students are housed in dorms on 88th st.) Here’s the website… probably wont be updated for 2013 until next spring. Message me if you want more info or the program contact info.
[Teen</a> Shakespeare Conservatory](<a href=“http://www.actorsmovementstudio.com/teen/index.html]Teen”>Teen Shakespeare Conservatory)</p>
<p>josh703 - I’m glad you enjoyed BUSTI. My son got so much out of it, and talking to the kids after the performance on Thursday, everyone thought highly of the program, the instructors, the activities and even the city itself. </p>
<p>Enjoy the rest of your summer, and I hope you get to use all your new acting techniques soon!</p>