Theater/Drama Colleges "Part 9"

<p>See NYU, Tisch, Drama with studio placement in Playwrights Horizons.</p>

<p>For Directing check out: Carnegie Mellon, UMichigan and NYU. You can study directing at other top schools but there is no set directing major, rather it's theatre studies...look @ BU, SMU, Northwestern.</p>

<p>Especially at Carnegie Mellon, many of the directing students will go into film and television. The graduates of the undergrad directing program have a very high success rate, mostly because they are not tunnel visioned on directing for the stage and because the skills they learn are helpful in a variety of jobs within the Industry. Therefore, grads have gone on to become not only directors in theatre, film, and television, but also casting agents, talent agents, producers, and studio execs in NYC and LA.</p>

<p>Due to the nature of directing, I'm sure the skills learned at ANY of these programs will be conducive to these careers, for as a director you need to know acting, design, script analysis...and the list continues. I only mention Carnegie Mellon as I am the most familiar with it.</p>

<p>Hope this helps</p>

<p>Best MT Programs (in no particular order)</p>

<p>Carnegie Mellon
CCM
OCU
Syracuse
NYU
U Michigan
Ithaca
Boston Conservatory</p>

<p>Best Theatre</p>

<p>Syracuse
Boston
AMDA
Julliard
NYU
Yale</p>

<p>Thank you icekiss45 for including AMDA in your list. I was impressed with this program and know a few who are currently attending and like it very much. I think AMDA is slowly regaining their reputation for excellence that they enjoyed in the eighties and early nineties. All programs see high points and low points, including the so-called "top 10." If you look at AMDA's graduates, they have the highest success rate- including those working on Broadway. Sure they accept many more students, however look at the pool they are drawing from: the hundreds of very talented students who are turned away from universities who only accept 10 - 15 people into their program. </p>

<p>What it boils down to is that all of these programs basically teach the same things. No performer was ever denied a Tony because they didn't go to CCM or BOCO. From what I've learned on these boards it really doesn't matter. Go where YOU feel you will flourish, where you will be happiest doing what you love. Study the greats and learn all that you can. Those with drive, passion and skill will succeed wherever they are planted.</p>

<p>thank you! go where YOU feel confortable, not where anyone else wants you to go. I personally and a fan of Syracuse, only because I feel confortable there. AMDA is a great program, but i dont like conservatories, for me.</p>

<p>University of the Arts has a great program as well and is right by Philadelphias theater district. It is a young program but you can get really great training</p>

<p>I would personally have to recommend my own school, Webster University St. Louis. Amazing theatre conservatory, teachers, and students make it a great theatre school.</p>

<p>Kiwee</p>

<p>I was impressed with what I saw on Webster’s web site. It looks like a good program. What year are you?</p>

<p>Two questions that came to my mind.</p>

<p>1) Since they offer both an MT program and straight acting, do the non MT students get “less” of anything than attending a school that does not offer an MT program?
2) The audition requirements stated monologues only from works post 1930 and specifically stated no Shakespeare (I guess that was for those who did not realize that the bard was prior to 1930). That seemed odd to me?</p>

<p>Thanks Wally</p>

<p>I'm a freshman next year, and am not actually in the Theatre Conservatory myself. I'm an Art History major, but I do have many good friends in the conservatory. From talking to them, I know that the non MT students and the Mt kids have a lot of the same classes and the same workshops together, and that they have the same opportunities availiable to them as the MT kids (ie: voice lessons, music classes, etc since these are all elements of non musical theatre as well) As far as the audition requirements, a friend of mine who auditioned for the MT program had the same query and found that the admissions staff thought that there is so much Shakespeare out there in movies, etc that people could just study that and give a cookie cutter audition. They want to see YOUR talent, not Kenneth Branaugh's, and so they would like for their prospective students to choose something that isn't quite so mainstream. They do, however, have classes, etc, where they work on Shakespearian theatre, so it is definately not a Shakespeare free environment! Webster is a great school and everyone I have talked to in the Conservatory is very happy there. Not to mention, it's a VERY affordable option compared to some of the other schools that people have been mentioning on this thread. If you have any more questions you can email me at <a href="mailto:pinkmartini177@hotmail.com">pinkmartini177@hotmail.com</a> and I'll try my best to get the answers for you from my friends. :)</p>

<p>Since everyone is posting on this thread now, there should be a link to the eight parts of the Theatre/Drama Colleges Thread to maintain some kind of continuity. Anyway, there it is. :)</p>

<p>Thanks Fishbowl that makes good sense. Wonder what you think of Webster?</p>

<p>I don't know a lot about Webster and don't personally know anyone who goes there or has even auditioned for them. See the recent posts on the Webster University section of the MT forum and decide for yourself if you'd be comfortable with their attrition rate. I wouldn't, but you have to take the good with the bad at any program and none are perfect. :)</p>

<p>Hey. I'm pretty new here and have read as many of the posts and threads about theatre schools as possible...but I was wondering if there's a post somewhere or if anyone has any information about schools with good BA programs that don't also have BFA programs...I've heard Northwestern, but I'm definitely going BA and have heard to beware BFA students overshadowing the BA kids. Eventually I will likely want to get my MFA but I'm reasonably talented and incredibly passionate about theatre and don't want a compromised theatrical education just because I also have 9342002 other interests.</p>

<p>Im going to throw out two schools that no one else would likely mention that are worth a look. Not especially prestigious but some hidden gemness to them.
The University of Washington (in Seattle)
The University of California @ Santa Barbara. </p>

<p>UW Pros; Strong MFA program so undergrads especially on the tech side get to work with an advanced program. It overshadows a bit but not on the BA side more the BFA. Beautiful campus.</p>

<p>Cons: Dead center of a large city and Rain (did I mention the rain?)</p>

<p>UCSB Pros; You could argue one of the most beautiful campuses in the world (my alma matter) Two miles of its own Pacific Ocean beach, palm trees 80 degrees and sunny nearly every day not much humidity, Spanish style red tile buildings everywhere, you get the point. Just look at the picture <a href="http://www.ucsb.edu%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.ucsb.edu&lt;/a> Facilities are top of the line and brand new. They have a prop shop that most professional companies would die for.</p>

<p>Cons; you do the full undergrad gen ed program. Fairly competitive admission because it is a popular place to go. In spite of its party school reputation you will get a good education.</p>

<p>Those previously weren't even on my radar, so thanks.</p>

<p>Gladly,</p>

<p>UW Theater department (I want to say that they do 11 shows a season) Seattle has a thriving arts community. ACT, fabulous sympony and one of the top operas in the country.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.artsci.washington.edu/deptdetails.asp?ID=24%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.artsci.washington.edu/deptdetails.asp?ID=24&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>UCSB I talked personaly with two successfull professional stage actors who went through UCSB's program with nothing but good things to say.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.dramadance.ucsb.edu/drama_overview.php%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.dramadance.ucsb.edu/drama_overview.php&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>I looked into Santa Barbara...but I already had 9 schools, and mostly I didn't want to take the SAT II..but I liked the sound of it. For me it would have been my top safty type, since I wanted a bfa.</p>

<p>I know this is out of place somewhat but since everyone in here seems very well informed regarding schools and their prestige in the arts, could anyone suggest what would be the best school (as a transfer) for FILM?</p>

<p>*I will be applying as a second-year transfer.
*I need excellent finaid (received $30,600 University grant from UChicago for freshman year, I need something equal to it)
*Desire such a transfer because UChicago doesn't have a quality program -- I want all-around training in film editing, directing, cinematography, screenwriting, etc. I want every aspect so I can make a decision on what branch of the film industry I would like to pursue.</p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

<p>Hi there. My name is Kaylyn, as my username states. I just found this site trying to find some of the top theatre colleges. Well, I was curious. I'm a born and raised Floridian so I would like to attend a college in Florida, or at least the south like Georgia, SC, or NC. I want to major in Theatre production under sound design or stage managment. I would LOVE if there was a way to put in both, but I haven't found anything like that yet. I wanted to go to UF, but they don't have anything of what I'm looking for. UCF sounds nice, but I want a place I can get my best education and that may be it, but I want some other decisions as well. I couldn't get anything from FSU, I guess the site is going through modifications or something. But, anyway. I just wanted to see if ya'll had any suggestions. I'm hoping to transfer after I receive my AA at the local community college; I'm still a high school senior at this point working on college hours.</p>

<p>Thanks for reading my long thread thing.</p>

<p>Kaylyn</p>

<p>I am interested to know opinions/thoughts on the top international conservatories of which I know little about. </p>

<p>The ones I have looked at are </p>

<p>Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA)
London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA)
Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama (RSAMD)
Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts (LIPPA)</p>

<p>A couple of observations so far;
At RADA there is no stage time until the third year. Housing looks like an issue as they all appear to be non residential schools. For call backs you have to travel. LIPPA has only been around for 10 years (as opposed to RSAMD created in 1847 and RADA in 1904)</p>

<p>How do these schools compare to top US conservatories?</p>

<p>How do these schools compare and contrast to one another?</p>

<p>Are there others worthy of a look?</p>

<p>Anyone know anybody who has auditioned and or attended one of these programs?</p>