<p>Hey- I'm a high school junior looking at the theater dept. at NU.</p>
<p>For anyone who can answer...
Are there a lot of productions every year?
What are the quality of the productions?
What is the theater space like?
Is there a lot of talent evident in the productions?
Are there many musicals along with straight plays? If so, what are the musicals like? Are there good voices?</p>
<p>For anyone who is/knows a theater major...
How intense is the theater major at NU? More/less so than other majors? Are the theater majors hard workers?
Are most theater majors wannabe performers, or are they just pursuing theater as an interest within a broader liberal arts education?
Do theater majors feel as if they are getting training to become professionals, or just learning, in general about theater? (sorry to repeat above question...)
Any knowledge of alumni working as actors/actresses?
Are there opportunities to take voice/dance classes within a theater major?
What's the music theater certificate like? </p>
<p>Thanks so much for any info!
Danielle</p>
<p>The list of Northwestern theater alumni is quite impressive. (<a href="http://tbird.ugadm.northwestern.edu/transfer/facts/alumni.htm%5B/url%5D">http://tbird.ugadm.northwestern.edu/transfer/facts/alumni.htm</a>) They're commonly refered to as the "Northwestern theater maffia" because they're supposedly everywhere in Hollywood and New York. They are very supportive of young alumni beginning in the business.</p>
<p>There was an entire episode of "Joey" about how great Northwestern's theater program is and how much the alumni helps their own. I'm sorry you missed it!</p>
<p>crypticism- have you seen any musicals at NU? what'd ya think?</p>
<p>Sorry, I haven't. I've never been there during the school year.</p>
<p>Dizzy,</p>
<p>I am not familiar with the field but I talked to an NU alum (theater) who got his PhD at UCLA said it was "intense" at NU. </p>
<p>Look also at <a href="http://www.nuea.org/%5B/url%5D">http://www.nuea.org/</a></p>
<p>The winner of the Best Musical at 2004 Tony, Avenue Q, was directed by NU alum Jason Moore. Another NU alum, Stephanie D'Abruzzo, was nominated for
Best Performance by a Leading Actress (Aveune Q).</p>
<p>thanks for the website Sam Lee- very interesting!</p>
<p>bump! (just in case any new members happen to have info...) :)</p>
<p>You MUST do the National High School Institute, Theatre Arts program this summer!!!!!!</p>
<p>It's incredible.</p>
<p>Check it out: <a href="http://www.northwestern.edu/nhsi/Theatre.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.northwestern.edu/nhsi/Theatre.html</a></p>
<p>And let me know if you have any questions.</p>
<p>Yup, you should definitely apply to NHSI. :)</p>
<p>Thanks guys!! I think I'm definitely going to apply. Do you guys know anyone who applied to the musical theater extension? I know you have to send in a tape... does it have to be a professional taping? Or can I just make it myself?</p>
<p>Haha I was really interested in doing the NHSI but the almost $3,500 tuition for the program when I should be having a summer job and saving up for college just sort of ruined it for me.</p>
<p>Hey, franklinbrown, can you tell me more about the NHSI theatre program? I think I'm going to appy for this summer. What is it like? The students, the teaching, a typical day?</p>
<p>A typical day runs from 8 AM (well, 7 if you count breakfast), and rehearsals last until 10 PM. Then we stay up until 2, singing, journaling, memorizing, and working on stuff for the next day. Seven days a week. Theatre heaven. The teachers are incredible - the top in their fields. I had an elective in solo acting from a guy who wrote his own one-man show. It's about to go up on off-Broadway. My friend's acting teacher wrote schoolhouse rock. The teachers, in essence, are incredible. </p>
<p>The students? They are my chief inspiration - and I mean that in the present and future tense, not just in the past. I still speak to fellow "cherubs" almost every day. They are my best friends, and my role models. They are truly exceptional professionals - real artists. They are passionate, giving, supportive, creative, hard-working... you couldn't ask for more.</p>
<p>By the way, Butterfly, there are scholarships...</p>
<p>that sounds awesome! thanks!</p>
<p>guitarheels,</p>
<p>The program is very intense phsyically and emotionally, but it's an incredibly supportive environment. The talent of both the students and the faculty is mind blowing.</p>
<p>You should absolutely apply. </p>
<p>socalbutterfly,</p>
<p>Don't let the high price stop you from applying. Scholarships are available (I got one), and the experience is well worth it.</p>
<p>I was a journalism cherub, so I can't tell you too much about the theatre program specifically, but I will say that the overall NHSI experience is amazing. You should definitely apply.</p>
<p>So it's understood that NU has a terrific theatre program..based on what's been happening onstage</p>
<p>But what about what happens behind the scenes?</p>
<p>I'm big on theatre lighting and I've been doing it for years at my high school
I'm constantly doing things in our school's theatre so I can't imagine living a life without spending at least one day a week backstage</p>
<p>Does NU have many oppurtunities to do backstage work?
Is it anything serious and not a complete joke?
Or perhaps is it so incredibly popular that it's almost impossible to get involved with something like that?</p>
<p>julz, I'm also interested in backstage work, so I've been investigating it at Northwestern. I know a lighting designer in the graduate program there, and from what I gathered from her, the grad students get the best design opportunities (mainstage shows and whatnot), so the undergrads are mostly assistants for those shows. However, Northwestern has a huge number of productions going on during the year--both student-run (50-80, according to the website) and department-run (8) --so it probably wouldn't be difficult to latch on to some tech work. My alum interviewer was a RTVF major but told me that since she also expressed an interest in theatre, she got a lot of offers to work on shows. Also, the shop and performance facilities are pretty nice and well-equipped; I can personally testify to that.
So from what I've seen and heard, tech there isn't a joke, even though it may not be as emphasized as the acting program. Just think of it as less competition ;)
Hope that helps.</p>
<p>"the shop and performance facilities are pretty nice and well-equipped"</p>
<p>I second that!</p>
<p>wow, well those two posts completely just made my eyes light up..heh
that's the best I've heard from any of the school's applied to
the only other schools that were really stellar in theatre were Brown and NYu
it seems difficult for anyone to get involved in theatre at NYU unless they're at an art school..and Brown..well I visited Brown and anything that was associated with the theatre came off as very unprofessional..and no one seemed to know much about it..cept that there were plays every so often and they are very often quite decent <em>shrugs</em></p>
<p>so yeah, it's a relief to hear such comments coming from Northwestern, it makes me want to go there even more =]
at least some school out there appears to my dorkish tech tendencies, heh</p>
<p>thanks all</p>