<p>by that i mean, cultivate a marketable skill that can become your "day job" which features flexible scheduling. I've heard of everything from restaurant work to dental hygienist to foreign language teacher by-the-hour. Substitute teacher. Stuff like that. Keep your eye out for something to learn that's very marketable so you'll be able to do that when you first graduate..or long after you graduate.</p>
<p>Bittersweet... A college degree is a college degree in the sense that it is a needed step to go to graduate school in any field. I went to a BFA theatre program, and although I still make my life in theatre (teaching on the college level and freelance directing), many who went to school with me have gone on to purse different life paths. I believe we have a few lawyers, a few counselors, even a doctor. Yes, they all had to go on to pursue further educational training (and in some cases had to "make-up" undergraduate coursework that they may not have taken while pursuing their BFA performance degree)... but they were easily able to do this, and are happy with their life paths. When you are 18 years old, you do not know where your life will lead you, which doors will open, what passions may develop as you mature and discover new things... but theatre training is very useful (as Wallyworld mentions above) for many different career paths.</p>
<p>You also asked a question about the differentced between a BFA and a BA degree. Generally speaking a BA degree requires you to take a greater number of courses outside of your choosen major, while a BFA degree focuses more on your major courses. However, some BFA degrees require a large number of "general education" courses (math, science, history, etc..) and BA degrees also vary in the number of gen eds you are required to take.</p>
<p>I firmly believe that people can make successful life in the arts after pursueing either of those degree paths... it is more a matter of choosing the right fit in terms of the school and the program.</p>
<p>I think you'll find the answer to many of your questions on the FAQ link that posted in the first few threads on the Musical Theatre Forum. I'm going to try to put the link here <a href="http://www.geocities.com/musicaltheatercolleges/%5B/url%5D">http://www.geocities.com/musicaltheatercolleges/</a></p>
<p>There is much information about the various programs, BA vs. BFA, audition tips, etc. on the FAQ site. In fact it was set up for people like yourself that are just starting to figure this whole thing out. Also, I found some helpful information on the BA vs. BFA by just doing a Google search. Finally, I found the posts on this thread by Thesbohemian to be very helpful. She entered U. of Evansville in Fall '05, so her postings were more in '04-'05. Check out the beginnings of this thread and especially the '04-'05 stuff and you'll get a real good feel for the non-musical theatre college pursuit.</p>
<p>Spend some good time doing this, and then ask us more questions. At this point you have so many questions, and such basic ones, that it's a bit overwhelming for us to try to answer them all (without writting a 40 page essay).</p>
<p>bitter: if you really have a passion for acting, you love to entertain people, and you're naturally likeable (most successful actors are likeable, even the bad guy characters, likeable sells!) then go for it, forget a back-up plan, focus completely on developing your craft, that’s what it takes!</p>
<p>hehe, i must've not been clear if Appstressin and perhaps others thought i meant to undercut the importance of passion and total involvement! All I meant was, to begin working in acting, most actors need to pay rent, buy food and pay off college loans. So they also need a skill to make a very modest part-time income as brand new college grads.</p>
<p>To me, "backup plan" means the so-called "day job" that supports you as you begin your acting career, post-college, with auditions and some unpaid work as well to establish a name in a new city. Just enough money not to starve as you begin to live as a working actor, post-college. So I suggested restaurants, substitute teaching, etc.</p>
<p>because...I do agree with all Appstressin said about passion and signularity of focus on developing the acting craft. Just don't starve; that doesn't help you as an actor if you get tossed out of apartments for rent nonpayment, etc.</p>
<p>AND, please review old MT threads first...and then parents here will be happy to help with additional questions, bittersweetie. Break a leg (that's a good thing).</p>
<p>WallyWorld. I tought I read elsewhere that you were an IB. I am a Business Prof., so my comment was more tongue-and-cheek. Actually, my son is well-suited to IB, and I would not mind him going in that direction, if he eventually gets an MBA.
RE: LACs - I majored in Greek (ancient), so I understand what it means to have a nonutilitarian view of the world. But I also believe that the study of business in the context of our 'organizational society', a society in which the academy plays an increasingly powerful role, is integral to a liberal education in the 21st century. And though I have not thought it through, I suspect
We have not seen as Many IB firms coming through this year as compared with previous years.</p>
<p>I've searched this thread and the musical theatre unified thread but haven't found what I'm looking for - hoping someone out there can help. My son is auditioning at the Unifieds in SF and LA for a number of acting BFA programs - not MT. What exactly is expected for the singing portion of the audition? Does he need to bring recorded accompaniment, do they have accompanists there, or does he just sing a few bars a capella so they can tell whether he can sing (he actually has a good voice, so it should help him if anything, but he just isn't interested in MT)? Also, for those who have auditioned for colleges, how likely is it that they will ask for additional monologues beyond what the instructions tell you to prepare? He has three moderns (one comic) and a classical. Is that enough? Thanks in advance.</p>
<p>The simple answer is a 16 bar monologue song. Some provide accompaniment and some don’t. Your best bet is to review the audition requirements for each school though. Most want a song but some don’t and some say they “might” ask for it (Julliard for example). I would take some sort of recorded accompaniment and the sheet music to each audition if you’re not sure what they offer. </p>
<p>Same answer for your monologue question. Depends on the school. Some will ask for more pieces than an initial two others will just work with you on the two you offer. He will be okay with four monologues, 5-6 would be better but at this point it is too late to add one for the Unified’s. </p>
<p>Be sure you know where all the auditions are taking place. While the Unifieds take place at the airport Clarion there a many schools not participating in them and there will be auditions all over SF that weekend.</p>
<p>Another resume question:</p>
<p>Should the resume be in anything special, ie. lamenated, folder... and how should the headshot be attached?</p>
<p>Most headshots are 8x10 and the one-page resume is attached to the back by either printing it directly on the back of the photo, stapling or gluing with rubber cement. The 8-1/2 x 11 paper should be trimmed to 8 x 10 so it doesn't stick out all around when looking at it from the front. Since resumes change often as you add new experience, it is usually advisable to print/staple/glue only as many as you need. My D also took extra prints of her headshot and copies of her resume in case they wanted them separate.</p>
<p>Hi, I'm a first time poster, long time reader. I'm a highschool student interested in both musical theatre and regular theatre. I would love to do a summer drama program, but I don't know where to start. My brother did the Tisch summer program, and loved it, but I would like to do something different then him.</p>
<pre><code> thanks,
macattack
</code></pre>
<p>Check out the summer program or pre-college program threads on the Musical Theatre forum. Lots of discussion there about the various options.</p>
<p>macattack; I do not know much about the MT summer programs; we are applying to acting-oriented programs. Seems to me that they differ quite a bit. Some are geared toward final productions (Brown - expensive), while most focus on process with perhaps some finale at the end. Some require an audition; Michigan (only two weeks) and Rutgers. Some are structured as college courses and require out of class work (Syracuse). We are applying to Rutgers, Boston Univ., NCARTS, and one additional - either Brown or Syracuse (both a lot more expensive, as is CMU). Also note that some want transcripts and SAT/PSAT scores. All have web sites that outline their program. Other acting specific programs include Penn, Ithaca, Northwestern, and Wellesey.</p>
<p>thanks, that info helped out alot! These forums are great!</p>
<p>D did NCSA and OSF last summer. Both great programs and good compliments to each other.</p>
<p>If you're a Junior, you might want to choose a program that focuses on helping you develop audition material as opposed to a program with a focus on mounting an end-of-session production. CMU helped my son accomplish that (he's into straight acting/directing, not MT).</p>
<p>WallyWorld: I am still a newbie; who is OSF - or are you referring to Univ. of Southern Florida?</p>
<p>thanks, I found out about the Northwestern program and the Interlochen program, and they both look great. Has anyone ever been to Interlochen? My cousin went and she did voice stuff, and I know that they have a great music program, but I haven't heard anything about their theatre or musical theatre programs? Does anyone have any info?</p>
<p>do a search there's tons of stuff on the musical theatre and acting programs at interlochen.
i went for musical theatre production 2 summers in a row, now i go to the academy. but it has changed my life in many ways. the high school musical theatre production is 6 weeks, and not for beginners at all. some people call it cut throat, but i thought it was wonderfully "hardcore". if you want to get a bfa in musical theatre, the program will kind of show you whether you can actually do it or not. there a few other people on here who have gone to camp, so maybe they can input.</p>
<p>thanks BRbway, the info helped alot. I know this has nothing to do with theatre, but I have a phobia of going to camps and eating terrible food. Is the food decent?</p>