This is a bit random but I was wondering if anybody knows about San Diego State’s Musical Theater program? I was accepted to the BA in theater and I am seriously considering going there since it is close by, I just do not know much about the program itself. Any insight would be great!
@beepbeeplettuce6 We have a friend who goes there. She has a lot of opportunity there. Originally auditioned for a BFA program but after audition results did not pan out for her went to the program at SDSU. They were worried that it would not be what she was hoping for but has been cast in 5 different shows, has been invited to be in a directing class and many other opportunities. She is really thriving there. The things that seem to be missing from what I can see in their curriculum is a depth of voice and dance because they have voice and movement but only seems to have two classes and from my conversations with my friend that seemed to be where her daughter thought she was lacking in training opportunities. I know they have a dance major and they may only allow dance majors to take those classes because auditions are required. Good luck, it has seems like a great option!
@Ontheverge Thank you so much! That response really helped me out, I’m the only arts kid in my family so we are very new to this whole college audition/ “what are good mt schools” thing. 
@chenggang @HAHCx4 Thank you for that. It is comforting to know a little more about the school. I’m having to get over some of my rules such as distance from home in state vs out of state. Deep breaths.
@HAHCx4 and BTW, my kids, since they were little have been active in the area theatres (professional … there is one) and community. I know at U of M, they can be in area shows as well (and might be required to…). We love them all. Even the one in Mississippi, right across the state line.
It’s been significantly upgraded since I graduated there in 1999. We visited last year for the Foreign Language competition. VERY nice!
@chenggang very cool! I have been to Memphis several times this past year to see one of my kids in shows there. LOVED the area!
Where are the FSU people?!
Through CC I’ve been able to learn TONS of info on many programs, except FSU. I know Michele is on here, and she is a great resource, but I’m looking for FSU MT moms, dads, current and/or former students for the questions I don’t want to bug Michele about. If you’re out there, please message me! Thank you so much!!
@chenggang Did your kid grow up doing theatre in Memphis? When I grew up, there was no youth theatre. I did shows at Playhouse on the Square, Theatre Memphis and some at MSU and Southwestern (now called Rhodes) when their shows called for youth and teens. Barry Fuller (the Aussie actor/director who played Scrooge for many, many years for Christmas Carol at Theatre Memphis was one of my favorite directors and learned so much from him. In the 80s, I was part of The Red Balloon Players, a “traveling” children’s performance group while was at U of M (then called Memphis State). Some of the best Shakespeare I have seen (even now, years later) was performed at Playhouse on the Square (when it was in its original “in the round” location). I am very happy U of M finally has a musical theatre program!! Wish it had been there in the 80s! LOL
@hbdaughter they release in waves and every wave so far has been on a thurs/fri and are supposed to be the last three weekends of march… lucky you already got yours!
@onette YES! I moved here with my husband and we have raised 4 kids since 1996. My youngest DS played Billy Elliot and my youngest DD played one of the ballerinas in the Regional production at Playhouse on the Square and my DD played Annie there as well. All have been in Peter Pan there too!! Theatre Memphis - yes!! Barry Fuller was in Beauty and Beast with all of my kiddos… we LOVE him!!! He is still actively performing 
Now, we have children’s theatres, DFT in DeSoto as well, Hattiloo and a few other smaller ones starting up within the past years in the communities around Memphis. REALLY exciting!!! If anyone needs recommendations for the area or the school (I only took one class…should have done more) or would like to me to meet them and show them around, please contact me! We have made fantastic strides these past years with HSMTA’s (May) and Ostrander awards for Rhodes and U of Memphis and couple of other colleges competing (August is the award program).
Small world @chenggang ! My D was in several shows at Playhouse including Peter Pan this year.
@chenggang There is an OSTRANDER AWARDS??? Oh my goodness. I feel so old and so proud of him!! WOW! Jim Ostrander has an award named after him! I shared the stage with him many times…I think my favorite was Sweeney Todd at Rhodes in 1983 that was supposed to have George Hearn reprise his Broadway title role (and Barry Fuller directed!). He got called away to do another show (as I recall, La Cage Aux Folles?) and Tony Garner took over the role. That was probably the favorite show I have done in my entire life. Did you know of Tony? And Barry Fuller is still performing?? WOW!! He must be…wow…I’m 58 and I was “young” when he was “old”…so…LOL! I do miss the old Playhouse on the Square. Seriously, some of the best theatre in my life was experienced there. Their production of Twelfth Night made me fall in love with Shakespeare. The first time I saw Dreamgirls it was there. I know the arts was taking a “hit” in the late 80s (when I moved to Texas for my third theatre school opportunity) and the economy had really dipped. Arts was being cut out of budget programs throughout the state. I taught school theatre briefly in the 80s there but the teacher salaries were not able to support basic living at the time. I started the first “children’s theatre” program Memphis had then called “Creative Children’s Workshop” and with two other theatre directors and teachers, we ran it in the summer for two years. It basically was my dream to have a “creator” style program where students could write, direct, build and perform their own productions. Usually devised from literature (page to stage). The first year, we did “Where the Sidewalk Ends” by Shel Silverstein and it was an amazing experience. Some of the students wrote original music. I moved to Houston in 1989 to attend UH Theatre - primarily because of TUTS and Alley Theatre and what I saw going on there. I got to intern at Alley for many of Gregory Boyd’s productions and also work with Edward Albee at UH and it was an exciting time. Unfortunately, I ended up doing theatre as my extracurricular…and have had a non-theatre day job since (which affords me the ability to volunteer and donate my time). But that is incredibly cool that your family knows Memphis theatre (and my roots)!!!
@beepbeeplettuce we are in southern CA and also applied to SDSU theatre (she got a yes for acting). From what we can see they have a solid program, but also have grad students who help provide leadership in terms of directing and other aspects, and have heard they get some of the focused training, so I would ask about that. There’s some great YouTube videos of some of their productions that are very impressive. Also, their on campus housing is the most expensive of all the schools we had on our list, so much so I gasped. $18k/year I believe that includes the meal plan, so just a flag.
@StanfordAI2019 congrats on ECU! Can I ask how and when you were notified? By email, portal etc? We are still waiting about MT. Thx.
@Prairie So true. This virus is having so many effects. Part of the reason for consideration of a gap year though is because my son has a full tuition scholarship and I just want him to have the best quality 4 years. But so many unknowns right now. Don’t know if he can defer. Don’t know if they will be at home/online because of the virus some of next year etc. For him that would not be a good learning environment at least it’s not right now and he already knows his classmates.
@SingerDancerMom it’s just an impossible situation. I love the school I think he’s choosing but won’t be happy at all if online (not a good option esp. for him and theater in general) and will be nervous sending him knowing the virus still out there esp. since school not that close. After all the prep and all the auditions this was supposed to a time of celebration. And our kids (and us) are getting robbed of that on both ends, their senior celebrations and the beginning of their freshman year. ?
@Shel325 I have the same concerns. I wish they would just close campuses completely until there is a vaccine for this virus, let our kids finish their senior years in person and then have a TRUE college freshman experience. This is so surreal and sad.
Also, re: ECU, my daughter got an MT acceptance through email on Saturday. They said they were sorry for the delay which was due to the changes as a result of the virus.
@Shel325 – email for us as well. Good luck!
Does anybody have info on Southeast Missouri State BFA?
@songgirlsmom
anyone have an idea of when BoCo MT is coming out?