Theater/Drama Colleges Part 12

College Majors Theater/Drama Majors
141

<p>No, no, you are misunderstanding. I don’t believe I ever said (and if I did, I apologize, as I did not mean to) that more kids audition for acting than audition for musical theater. I don’t think that is true at all! In general, at programs where there are both musical theater and acting BFAs, more kids audition for MUSICAL THEATER. In some of those programs, kids who audition for the musical theater program are accepted for acting. </p>

<p>I gave an example upthread (I think … I also post on the MT forum, so perhaps it was there) saying that when my D auditioned at UArts, for instance, there seemed to be about four times as many kids trying for musical theater as there were for acting. Of course, this is just one audition on just one day at just one school, but it serves to illustrate what I am talking about.</p>

<p>The reason that kids who audition for MT can be accepted into the acting program is that, as part of their MT audition, the kids have to do monologues. In the case of a student being accepted for acting from the MT pool, that kid apparently so favorably impressed the auditors with her acting skill (and did not as favorably impress the auditors with her singing or dancing skill) that she is accepted as an actor.</p>

142

<p>To clarify–For some schools, all MT applicants are considered also for the acting program (if there is one). Acting applicants, of course, are not considered for the MT program as they do not sing and dance. (NOTE: We know of one student who auditioned at CMU for acting. His resume showed that he had a good deal of experience doing musicals. He was asked to audition also for the MT program, i.e. he was asked to do the singing and dancing. I think this is unusual, but it happened.)</p>

<p>On the other hand, there are some schools that offer both MT and acting BFAs, but you must specify which you are auditioning for, and the applicants are kept completely separate. That means if you audition for MT you are not also considered for acting.</p>

143

<p>Hi all, I’m an NAU Theatre Performance major looking to transfer to Boston.
I think BU and Emerson are a bit out of my league, but does anyone know any other good performance schools in the Boston area? Any help would be really appreciated!!! I’ve found this site to be actually more helpful than my advisors, unfortunately…oh well.</p>

144

<p>chrissyblu: Here’s another approach to an acting education that might be something to consider. More than a few young actors go this route, even if they can get into Yale drama. </p>

<p>Go to any college in NYC or LA to get an undergraduate degree but take lessons from private acting coaches/studios. The level of quality and support at the good studios is remakable. At the same time audition, get an agent, and get work. Many serious actors don’t wait to graduate to start their professional trade. And keep in mind it’s more a trade than an art.</p>

<p>With this approach you pick a college you like and can get into but you don’t even major in acting. You get your training at private lesssons and if all goes well, on the job. Every good acting coach and director I know says the best training is the real thing. And I know more than a few.</p>

<p>My d did this in LA with a great deal of success, as well as making great friendships, and excellent connections (casting, producers, directors) along the way, for someone so young. She did it in high school but was not taking drama at her high school. She’ll use the same approach in college and in LA because that’s where her agent is and that’s where casting is. she does use professional private acting instructors/coaches.</p>

<p>BTW: if your d ends up at SF state I can recommend a gifted director/acting instructor who teaches year round at his studio in the city. Your d can get a Yale education for 300 bucks every 10 weeks, he’s the real deal, got his MFA in directing at Yale!</p>

<p>And most importantly this approach with the right support (transportation, good coaches, supportive agent, etc.) is fun. One of the concerns about a 4 year undergtraduate drama degree is a person can loose the fun of it grinding out school productions for 4 years.</p>

<p>think of acting like carpentry. does a carpenter go to carpentry school for 4 years or do they learn the trade on the job!</p>

145

<p>Your post is a wonderful thing to consider. My S worked with professional actors in a production this past summer, and the five cast members had five different “educational” backgrounds. One had an MFA from Yale, one taught at a school frequently mentioned here, one had an undergrad degree in literature (or something like that–not acting), one dropped out of a liberal arts college program never to return to college, and one had just graduated from high school (my S). All were excellent, received rave reviews, and (except for my S) had agents and worked in NYC and LA (shows, TV) and in regional theaters. Needless to say, the advice they offered him was as varied as their backgrounds. In the end, he wanted the “college experience,” but he IS at a program that values (encourages) work outside, in the “real world.”</p>

146

<p>ktmom, I think I may have been misunderstood. I actually think the odds to get into a BFA in Acting are better than to be admitted for a BFA in MT generally speaking. I think the toughest odds of all are for a BFA in MT and even harder if a BFA in MT applicant who is female. While I do think the odds are hardest for MT than for Acting, there are a few BFA in Acting programs at the tippy top that have extremely low odds, similar to the odds for MT programs. </p>

<p>As others have said, at some schools, you can only audition for the MT or the Acting program and not be considered for the other one. At some schools, that offer both, if you audition for MT, you can also be considered for Acting. An Acting applicant is not considered for MT though because the Acting applicants only do monologues at their audition.</p>

147

<p>I think the reason so many kids audition for MT rather than the acting programs is that many got into it through youth theater, and youth theater is about 98% musicals. So kids are doing what they know. But colleges are not 98% MT; they tend to be at most 50% MT, 50% theater (usually less MT.)</p>

148

<p>Hi all-</p>

<p>I’m a young actor wanting classical theater training. I have just gotten off the phone with the Artistic Director of a classical company and she told me about all sorts of BFA programs (specifically those at the Guthrie/U of M and Julliard). When I talked about my first choice (Vassar), the response was polite but not particularly enthused. </p>

<p>If acting is definitely what I want to do, specifically classical acting, am I making a mistake not trying to get into a conservatory? Do MFA programs take BA degrees seriously? And finally, what schools do you recommend for their work in speech, movement, and classics?</p>

<p>Thanks very much.</p>

<p>Gaines</p>

149

<p>Hi, Im a freshman at a JC in my area stalling for time LOL. I have done lighting at my high school for the last 2 years and really gained a passion for it. about a week ago i realized that i want to pursue theater after finishing up a community show. I was hoping someone could give me some suggestions for schools that are good with lighting design. the two main qualities i want in a school is a GOOD amount of experience and connections in the industry. I care more about the quality of the program then the prestige of the school.
I have HEARD that cal state fullerton has a good technical program but i take things with a grain of salt. any thoughts on fullerton?
thanks</p>

150

<p>Gaines,</p>

<p>A BA is fine as a route to the MFA. The sole/most important criteria for MFA admission is the audition. Several Yale MFA faculty told my D that the breadth of a BA is desirable in an actor. </p>

<p>A BFA is intended to train a student to begin working upon graduating, so depending on the BFA and MFA programs, pursuing the MFA after the BFA could turn out to be pretty much of the same.</p>

151

<p>Hi everyone,
I have tried to read many of the previous thread #'s and frankly, my eyes have about had it! Wonderful information but I have a very simple (stupid) question. Do the B.A. in Acting programs have auditions? I am thinking about schools like Northwestern, Brown & Vassar. And am I correct that all the B.F.A. Acting programs do have auditions?</p>

152

<p>I don’t think you have to audition at NW, Brown or Vassar at the time of freshman entry to college, but please check! I believe (without checking) that they have a “non-audition major.” The question to ask is: is it a non-audition situation both at the point of entry to college AND at the point of declaring a major, usually end of sophomore year.</p>

<p>You are making great progress. It’s time to Look up the theater dept. major, college by college, and call the Theater Dept of each, to confirm. Even a mom could make such a call, as I think a secretary in the department could answer that one readily. That’s a good idea if you’re narrowing it to those 3 schools, which btw have strong reputations for their acting programs as well as their academics. </p>

<p>I want to make a general answer but am wary of it. </p>

<p>It really is a huge mud-puddle of info to wade through. My sympathies to you at this challenging time…</p>

<p>will PM you also</p>

<p>Concerning your 2nd question, even that is tricky and I don’t want to generalize.
For example I have a kid at a university that requires declaration of the arts-specific major prior to university admission; reviews a portfolio (comparable to the audition requirement for actors); trains with the intensity of some BFA programs, AND YET grants a B.A. degree, with the major in the arts-specific field of endeavor. So there’s one with a major/audition requirement of entering freshmen, yet it’s a B.A. degree.</p>

<p>I’m guessing, though, that “most” if not all B.F.A. programs would expect an audition (for actors) or portfolio review (for writers, directors, visual artists) before admitting any student. They invest a lot of training and want to make sure there’s some basis in talent before they begin to train. </p>

<p>By contrast, someone who chooses an acting major in a B.A. setting might have the general desire to study Theater, for a host of reasons. It is a great lens for studying the liberal arts, just like English, Religion, Philosophy. Someone might want to be a Theater Major because they love theater, and then go on to Law School or business. In that sense, there’s no reason to audition a Theater major within a B.A. program, in MY opinion anyway! And as expressed by some of these departments who want to hold the territory that says: Theater is a field of study with many possible outcomes, not only professional practice post-B.A. </p>

<p>My favorite factoid (and favorite actress) is Meryl Streep, whose undegrad degree is from Vassar. She went on to Yale for an MFA. The rest is history…
I could rattle off other fine actors who have undergrad degrees as B.A. Matt Damon went to Harvard, for example, and wrote his break-out movie script as a senior project there. To be fair, other famous actors – or steadily working actors – never attempted college, are college drop-outs or have degrees from colleges off the top-100 charts of USNWR.</p>

153

<p>Thanks for all the helpful info paying3! I had tried looking on the NW and Vassar web sites and hadn’t seen anything about auditions, but figured I had missed something! :wink: I have one son who lives and breathes theater and would love to major in theater with an acting career to follow. His father, however, is not a firm believer in a theater major, and has stated that he will not pay tuition for such. :slight_smile: However, my kid is coming from an ultra-competitive independent (academic) high school, and might have the academic credentials to be admitted to one of these schools. I think his father (who went to Vassar with Meryl Streep) might be persuaded to change his mind for one of these schools.</p>

154

<p>Depending on the school a BA program may or may not have an audition for the Theatre major… it even can depend on the concentration within a specific schools… for example James Madison University, where I teach, requires an audition for the Musical Theatre concentration, but not the Theatre Concentration, although students in both concentrations take the same acting classes, and other theatre classes…</p>

<p>In general we have more students in the Theatre Concentration who choose to double major than Musical Theatre (mainly because of the number of credits required… 42 required for Theatre and 58 required for Musical Theatre)… but there are students in both concentrations who choose to double major. Has you S considered a double major at any of the schools you mention above (which, by the way, all have a strong reputation for theatre training… probably in the order in which you listed them above…)?</p>

<p>Just as there are some BA programs that do require an audition, there are some BFA programs whic do not… there is no general rule of thumb for all schools, so as paying3 suggests, it is important to contact each school individually.</p>

<p>GOOD LUCK!</p>

155

<p>Thank you KatMT,
I think that DS would have to double major because of DH’s current inflexibility about paying for a “Theater Degree.” :slight_smile: I figured that the three schools I mentioned were such highly regarded academic schools that I might be able to get my spouse to agree to the theater major. Of course, DS needs to understand what he has to keep doing academically in order to be admitted to non-audition schools. (He’s a junior.)</p>

156

<p>You may also want to look at skidmore, muhlenberg, hamilton, bard, and denison. They all have good theatre programs, and are a bit less academically competitive (although still competitive) than northwestern, brown, and vassar (vassar, bard, and skidmore might be about comparable in terms of selectivity). Good luck :)</p>

157

<p>Momof3sons…
I echo the advice to check with each school. However, there are some generalizations for the sake of this discussion that could be made. Most BFA in Acting programs DO require an audition to be admitted and you are admitted directly into the program and must commit to it. </p>

<p>The majority of BA Theater programs do not require a commitment, nor an audition to be admitted and it is like applying to any other major in a liberal arts context…you apply undeclared and can specify an interest area but are not bound to major in it and are not admitted directly into the major but declare it after one or two years. For instance, this is true at Brown, Vassar, and Northwestern, three GREAT schools for theater, that you mentioned (I have a D who attended Brown). There are many other fine options where this same holds true…Examples he may wish to consider: USC (though they also have a BFA program too), Brandeis, Boston College, Connecticut College, Skidmore, Yale, Muhlenberg, UNC-Chapel Hill, Indiana, Kenyon, Swarthmore (where your older son attended I think), Middlebury, Emory, Cornell, and many others. </p>

<p>However, there are some BAs that do require an audition (but this is not as competitive typically as BFA programs) to be admitted and thus a commitment is involved in appying directly to a program. But the BA has more flexibility than a BFA and may allow for a minor or even a double major. Examples he may wish to look into are: American, Fordham, UCLA, and others. </p>

<p>There are some schools where you start out as a BA but have the option after a year or two to audition into a BFA track if desired, such as at UColorado-Boulder, Tulane, Hofstra, UC Santa Barbara, or Chapman. But at Chapman, you actually have to audition as a freshman just to enter the BA track as well. </p>

<p>I hope this helps.</p>

158

<p>soozievt,
Thanks for the very helpful post. This will come down to S’s ability to be (academically) admitted to the more competitive schools on that list and his ability to convince his father to pay for a theater major, :wink: which he’s more likely to agree to at one of the more academically demanding schools. </p>

<p>The option of a B.A. in Theater was something I hadn’t realized was a viable one until this week. I’m almost embarrassed to call myself a CC junkie. :rolleyes:</p>

159

<p>A BA in Theater is extremely viable. I know many talented kids who have the ability to get into a BFA but who have chosen a BA path which is another way to enter this field. Also, one can do a BA and eventually get an MFA and your son could keep that in mind. </p>

<p>You know, to enter a BA, he is not really declaring a major and so there is no need to emphasize that aspect with his dad. Once he is in school, and if he opts to major in Theater, whether or not he minors or double majors in anything else, his dad may come around. So, I would de-emphasize the major at this point with his dad as there is no commitment to it upon enrolling. Hopefully, once in college and he is an adult, this decision of his academic focus will be his to make. Remember that a theater major can go into any career field or graduate school, like many other liberal arts majors eventually do. Remember that your son will need a balanced list of schools in terms of his academic odds of admission. Find schools strong in theater (I named several but these are not the only ones) and then have him apply and see what he wants to do when he gets there and his dad may come around once he is happily engaged in a fine college and pursuing his interests. It is still a liberal arts educuation and he’ll earn a college degree.</p>

160

<p>Fantastic thread! Spent quite some time reading through it and gained a lot of info.</p>

<p>Can anyone recommend a good college with a liberal arts education but with also a good theatre program, especially stage managing or tech? I’m definitely applying to NYU Tisch, and SUNY Purchase, but they seem to be more like conservatories…</p>