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There is not a lot of discussion about Texas Christian University’s BFA MT in this forum even though it’s on the big list, so I thought that I would contribute now that my daughter is a freshman. Most information will be factual; however, we did interview close to 8-10 current students and alumni in the program before making a decision, so I will include some of their input if there was a strong consensus. My hope is to paint a picture of the program and university for you to decide if it is a match for your student.
LOCATION: TCU sits about 5 miles south from downtown Fort Worth. FW is a charming, historic city with a strong economy, lively nightlife and vibrant theatre scene. It is 30 minutes to Dallas and there are two accessible airports (DFW 30 minutes, Dallas Love, 45 minutes), giving a student a lot of options for flights. It is also a relatively milder climate than some other MT school options. Restaurants, Uber, upscale and mall shopping, as well as culture are nearby. There are a few restaurants and other basic needs within campus walking distance.
CAMPUS SETTING & ENVIRONMENT: It is a stunning 290-acre, park-like campus in a residential neighborhood. The campus makes a lot of the top rankings for its beautiful facilities and reflects a well-funded private university. The maintenance and amenities are exceptional and their top-rated dorms are continually being renovated as well as their state-of-the-art Rec Center. Additionally, their outstanding football stadium, sports facilities and academic buildings are continually being upgraded.
MT PROGRAM SIZE & ENVIRONMENT: There are 43 total students enrolled as BFA MT majors within the entire 4-year conservatory-style program and 33 total students in BFA Acting. My D’s Freshman MT class is 12 students, with a balanced male/female ratio. The smaller program was enticing to her because of the personal attention by faculty and more performance opportunities.
ACTING: The MT program is under the School of Theatre and my D and I have been very impressed with the 4 performances we have seen combined. The faculty has experience in the local professional theatre scene as well as Broadway experience; every summer they run a Shakespeare Festival on campus with professionals and students in the cast. OnStage Blog rated TCU #6 in the country this year for BFA MT programs.
DANCE: There is leveled dance class offerings that rotates each semester in the MT department. My D took advanced tap this semester and will take advanced jazz next semester. There is also opportunity to take classes in their top-ranked dance department, but you do have to audition into some. My D’s schedule is full with 18 units, so she has chosen to take dance in an outside studio for her first year because it works and the price was reasonable. The professional studio is close to campus so she is perfectly happy with this arrangement. I have been told by upperclassmen and alumni that the BFA schedule opens up more after the first year to fit more dance from the dance department.
SINGING: My D currently takes ½ hour private voice lessons through the School of Music each week, which is offered for MT majors all four years. She had extensive voice training prior to college, so the ½ hour is sufficient for her. It is possible to take one hour lessons as you progress into the upperclassmen curriculum. They also have MT Performance Lab twice a week, which incorporates singing and acting.
PERFORMANCE OPPORTUNITIES: First, there are eight on-campus performance opportunities each year, two of which are musicals. Every other year they perform their musical at a larger, regional theatre in town. Additionally, they do the same thing for one of their plays. Freshman are often cast their first year and the smaller program size allows a reasonable opportunity to be cast every semester of their four year program. Students report fair casting in the program and honest feedback during this process,
CAREER DEVELOPMENT/PROFESSIONAL EXPOSURE/ALUMNI. TCU has great accessibility to professional experience for your resume by the time you graduate in order to build a network of references. According to rankings, DFW is the 4th largest theatre market in the country. While on-campus performances take precedence, there are at least 5 equity theatres in the DFW area that are well respected and known in the industry. Dallas Theatre Center won the 2017 Tony Award for best Regional Professional Theatre. The department emails the students with multiple opportunities to audition in-between their on-campus commitments. Additionally, their teachers provide the resources to apply and audition for out of area summer stock professional theater and encourages the students to work with them on their audition material.
Almost every semester there is an on-campus master class or a professional who comes in to give industry advice. While there are alumni on Broadway, students also easily end up in national tours and professional regional theatre. The department is supportive of students who have school schedule conflicts for professional auditions or work on national tours that may overlap. Students and professors come and support their fellow students in the regional professional theatre scene. Many motivated students have graduated with enough EMC points to go equity, if they desire.
Can’t wait!