<p>any opinions on theatre programs at any of these LACS?
Hanover
Kalamazoo
Lake Forest
Centre
Chatham
Cornell College (Iowa)</p>
<p>any advice would be great!</p>
<p>U of Evansville's program has an excellent reputation, but is not a conservatory program per se if that is what you are looking for - by that I mean the training isn't quite as intense and exclusionary as a conservatory but a little broader. It provides excellent training but is also by some considered to be a program that is a stepping stone to a graduate program - and some of its students do get into the top programs (Yale, NYU, etc.). Again, the training there is considered excellent and very strong and the programs offers good opportunities to act in plays that consistently win or rank highly in competitions/festivals such as the Kennedy Center /American College Theatre Festival. I think the auditions for plays are even open to freshman and sophomores, which is different from most conservatory programs. They are also generous with scholarships which is always a plus. My son did not end up going there but has several friends that did/do and they were/are all very happy there and with the training they received - but most feel the need to continue their training at a graduate program. Hope that helps a little.</p>
<p>Opinions on the following as compared to College of Santa Fe-Fordham, Pace, Manhattanville, other than the obvious NY/Santa Fe differences. Thanks!</p>
<p>Opinions on the following as compared to College of Santa Fe-Fordham, Pace, Manhattanville, other than the obvious NY/Santa Fe differences. Thanks!</p>
<p>I'm a graduate of the North Carolina School of the Arts and the school prepared me to move right from Winston-Salem to NYC. One thing to consider for all you up and coming actors. The focus at NCSA was so intense because we, the student actors, had no distractions living in that small southern city. We ate, slept, and breathed the theatre for four years (BFA). The school set us up with auditions for Shakespeare festivals and Repertoty theatres during summer break. By the time we were seniors we were ready for our NYC Consortium auditions in front of over 200 casting directors and agents, which is a big plus if you are really looking for a career in the theatre. Fishbowlfreshmans list of schools is as acurate I have ever seen. I might add to all that after I finished NCSA I studied with Maggie Flanigan (Rutgers) for two more years. Miesner Technique. That is what all NY casting agents and directors want to see on a resume. Specifically because with all that training sometimes a young actor comes off as "too polished" and needs to loose a little of that over training, if you will. Miesner technique is the major focus for most NY actors and most of these schools have started to incorporate Mr. Miesner's technique into their class schedules. Choosing the right school is difficult and often times the school chooses you. To all of you the best of luck on your training and careers.</p>
<p>SUMMER PRE-COLLGE ACTING
Hello: I am the father of a S (he has posted using my site under Ian S.) who is a HS Junior and is planning to apply to Theatre Performance programs, both BFA and strong BA. As my S has stated in previous posts, he has been heavily involved in sports and just decided to seriously pursue acting - coaches not pleased. He just beat-out 20 guys to get a key role in the spring musical. He was shocked to find out that he has a nice voice, though he will not let us hear it, and he makes us leave the house when he practices - hey, he was a hard-nosed all-county linebacker. He has been taking evening acting classes, and, on the advice of CC, we have decided to apply to the top pre-college theatre (acting) programs. To preface my question. My son can go to certain colleges at little cost if they have a tuition exchange agreement with my college. Programs on that list that ALSO have pre-college programs include Syracuse and Boston University. So my question is this; should we shoot for these summer programs because (assuming my S. performs well) they are high on our wish list for eventual admission, or is it the case that it does not matter? The North Carolina Arts, Michigan, CMU, and Rutgers pre-college programs look good.
In a previous post my S. asked whether it would be better to leverage his fencing and football background by attending a Stage Combat program instead. You suggested that, given his lack of experience, he should attend an acting oriented pre-college program. Your advice makes a lot of sense. Also, I went to the stage combat sites recommended, and there are plenty of ways to get certification. Thanks for your suggestions,
Another question. Assuming that he has a decent audition, how competitive is it to get into pre-college theatre (acting) programs like Syracuse, BU, Rutgers, NC Arts, CMU, and Impulse? Is it as competitive as getting into their degree programs?</p>
<p>The pre-college programs in all of these schools are a great way to see if the our year BFA is a good match for them. Also, if they go to the pre-college course and get accepted into the professional training program, when they start school they will have some leverage with the faculty that already knows their work. That's how it was at NCSA? The summer courses are no where near as rigorous as the actual program and when the actual accepted candidates get to school, they are often a suprise to the summer programmers because the talent level is so excellerated. Also, not all summer candidates get asked into the PATP (Professional actors training program) and that can be quite a dissapointment. Just a thought as you go through the process of deciding what is best for you and your S.</p>
<p>How competitive is it to get into the theatre performance pre-college programs? Rutgers and IMPULSE seem pretty competitive, as they require auditions. Rutgers is close and we like the program, but we have little sense how hard it is to get in for a male. BU, Syracuse, and NCARTS, other programs on our list do not require auditions and it seems like applying early is helpful. Any feedback would be appreciated.</p>
<p>I had a quick question. What is the difference between school that specialize in drama, and schools that specialize in Theatre. For example, UCLA calls it school of Drama. But Other schools say school of theatre. Is there a difference or is it just preference?</p>
<p>ActorEric:</p>
<p>Functionally, there is no difference, at least for schools in the United States. </p>
<p>There was at one time a prejudice in some universities against teaching Theatre. It was considered a "trade" by faculty, who thought it should be taught at schools like the American Academy. Drama, however, is a form of literature, and therefore could be studied at the university level. The prejudice was deep enough that even real trade schools used "Drama" in their names--the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts (RADA), the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, for example. The word "Arts" was added to make sure that students understood that they would be learning how to practice the art form, not just studying dramatic literature.</p>
<p>As for universities, in England there is a fairly clear distinction between what is studied at academies and what is studied at universities. If you want to train as an actor, you go to a 3-year academy, like RADA, LAMDA, Central School, etc. There is no formal actor training in (most) British universities. In the United States, however, some of the oldest theatre programs are in Drama Departments--Catholic University, the University of Georgia, for example. Even relatively new schools, like the University of California-Irvine, have "Drama" rather than "Theatre" in their names. This is particularly ironic in the case of Irvine, since they have one of the strongest MFA Acting programs in the country.</p>
<p>Incidentally, I think you were thinking of UCI when you asked the question; UCLA's school is called "Theater, Film and Television".</p>
<p>More than you needed to know, I suspect. There really is no difference, in this country, in most cases. But it's still a terrific question, and worth asking if you apply to a school with a Department or School of Drama. They'll probably think you're perceptive to have noticed. I do.</p>
<p>Hope this helps.</p>
<p>I have another question. My life will most likely end up in L.A where i'll be doing the "Acting thing." However, this will take place in about two years. Right now I'm attending a community college and am looking for well established Theatre schools. I've been in dozens of college plays from my university and local theatre. I want a school that is very prestiges as well as studies the specifics of acting onstage. The schools I have in mind are:</p>
<p>UCLA
USC
UCI
SUNY
NYU
Julliard
Northwestern
Carnagie Mellon
Bosten University.</p>
<p>I would appreciate it very much if you could help me narrow down my choices as I'm very perplexed on what college to apply. I e-mailed every college and they all seemed to say the same thing. I would appreciate if I got your guys opinions. Thank you.</p>
<p>need some insight a little bit older (21) with some community college(but our arts program is the best in the area even going against major universities here in the south texas are) and community theatre(most of the actors are character actors who livein this area as well who do films and when not doing films are doing plays with each other(san antonio......sorry in a hurry...thats where I am) I am quite late though to begin my preps learnin 2 new monolauges after a couple years of not doing anything at all. I have them selected but am I kidiing myself trying to get prepared last minute for an audition next weekend....I know I have appeal and talent and I am going to have a unique appeal towards smu I am of mixed race(black and white) I grew up in white upperclass household and speak very properly(when I say that I mean I sound like a white guy..yeah its a big joke with my friends) and love literature and am a big fan of british film in fact my favorite actors or the ones I am influenced by are jim broadbent, david thewes, and russel crowe....I love deep stories and complex characters.....and I know they will be able to see my eagerness and my desire to not only craft my energy and talent but my desire to use my experience there to grow.....(sorry got a bit off topic read many of what you described schools were looking for and wanted to kinda give you an idea) I though do not want to scheduale an interview with them a week before hand and not be ready by the next week or do an unprepared monolauge...and I am quite anxious about the whole thing........anway I'll stop typing my thoughts any ideas folks of the smu audition process and any tips..I also have a couple of questions as well
I have selected a eugene o neil mono (marsden from strange interlude) and I keep getting drawn towards other dramtic mono's as well...should I do one if it can do it well or should I truly grab a comic monolauge too to show range
I have been looking at some others
jane martin- the boy who ate the moon
jane martin- jack and jill
and a couple of others any thoughts would be welcome and please forgive me for the erratic unorganized, way I wrote this post.
thanks</p>
<p>Most college programs want a contrast in the pieces that you do. Some will ask specifically for one comedic, one dramatic.... some will ask for one contemporary, one classical (in this case it is a good idea to have one of these pieces be more comic and one be more serious). If I remember correctly SMU is a BFA program? Where the audition is required? If so, the more contrasting your material the better. Also, make sure that you know your material "cold". Many schools will work with you in the audition and ask you to make adjustments. This can be difficult to do if the material is not solid.</p>
<p>Best of Luck!</p>
<p>Don't laugh. Don't laugh. Can anyone tell me how to do a good, solid theater resume. And should I attach the headshot, scan it on..etc. I'm auditioning for NYU by the way. Please help and remember, don't laugh. No one has ever taught me how to do a good resume.</p>
<p>There's a couple of threads on the Musical Theatre thread that deal with resumes and headshots in detail. Go over to the thread and do a search. </p>
<p>Also, my S found the resumes posted by seniors at Carnegie Mellon U. on their website to be a helpful example. For auditions, try to keep it to one page and staple/glue/scan the headshot on the reverse side. For application supplements, my S was more thorough and used two pages for the resume. </p>
<p>P.S. It was a good question</p>
<p>P.S.S. My S doesn't do musical theatre, but we hang out on the MT thread because there's much more traffic and discussion there. They talk about all kinds of topics that carry over to the dramatic/comedic acting (non-MT). Stuff such as audition preparation, Unified Auditions, selecting safety/match/reach schools, and so on.</p>
<p>Mackie: My S, a working actor, tells me that when you list your dramatic roles, don't tie yourself to chronology.
He says to sort by production company with the most prestigious on top. That means, for example, that a Community Theater production always trumps a high school production...UNLESS the Role in the H.S. was a lead which could make it superior to a small part in a community theater.
He does a 3-column list with production co. on left, name of his role(s) in center, name of play far-right.
Assume they know every character and every play you might list.
If it's a newly-written play, you might want to add (lead) or (lead supporting) after the name of your role since there's no way they could know that otherwise.
No question is silly, only people who are too uptight to ask are the sillies.</p>
<p>Thanks you guys!</p>
<p>mackie:</p>
<p>here's the resume structure I see most often in LA:</p>
<p>name with physical stats, then list out:</p>
<p>film: </p>
<p>"show title" "role" (such as star, guest star, lead, or supporting) "company"</p>
<p>then repeat for TV and Theater</p>
<p>then list out training</p>
<p>then a few lines about special talents such as crying on cue or vocal range and that's it.</p>
<p>auditioning for college can't be much different than pro auditions so don't worry too much about the resume/headshot because it's all about the audition!. Nail your audition!</p>
<p>I love the way you guys are so thorough in your responses. Thank you.</p>
<p>mackie, a more unconventional thougt for you:</p>
<p>if you're not headed to one of the top acting schools (and you want to be a film actor) you may want to consider going to a college in the LA area (there are a bunch of them other than usc and ucla) for your liberal arts educatiion while taking private acting classes and coaching for your actor training. The private coaching/classes available in LA for TV and film acting are excellent. expensive but so are 1st tier colleges such as usc and ucla (44k and 25k-more if you're out of state, respectively).</p>
<p>college is important but not the only resource if you're interested in pursuing dramatic arts seriously. plus the LA entertainment business is a "small town" so the sooner you start building positive relationships in the industry the better and a lot of the private coaches know the casting directors and agents. btw: you'll hear this a lot, "it's a business" and it's true, so even though you're young put on a pro attitude at all times, be early and be prepared!</p>