<p>Thanks --But i did a search on the whole thread and though I've found references, I can't find the info I'm looking for about Rutgers or Purchase for that matter. What is Rutger's reputation and how good are they at helping graduates find work? Is Purchase indeed dying? </p>
<p>Thanks!
D</p>
<p>This isn't about Rutgers, and I apologize, but Ive noticed that there is a limited amount of information on the University of Minnesota/Guthrie Theater BFA Actor Training Program on this forum. Im a rising junior in the Program, and thought that Id share some of my experiences there.</p>
<p>Information on the Programs philosophy and mission statement can be found at <a href="http://www.guthrietheater.com/FORARTISTS/ProfessionalActorTraining/tabid/96/Default.aspx%5B/url%5D">http://www.guthrietheater.com/FORARTISTS/ProfessionalActorTraining/tabid/96/Default.aspx</a>, and <a href="http://www.theater.umn.edu/undergraduate/bfa.php%5B/url%5D">http://www.theater.umn.edu/undergraduate/bfa.php</a>. They are as true in practice as they are on the page, I have found. If there are any specific questions about that information, I will gladly answer them, but thought I would limit this posting to my individual experiences.</p>
<p>I think one of the most important elements of the Program is the ensemble nature of the training. Every year, a class of about twenty students is admitted (sometimes lessmy class has 19), with an equal amount of boys and girls. The class stays together for the four years of training. The individuals learn how to work as an ensemble (to my mind, one of the most powerful and wonderful things about working in the theater), to support each other both personally and artistically. I dont mean this to sound sentimental and hunky-dorythat doesnt mean every class gets along all of the time, merely that they know how to work togetherbut its an extremely important element. When someone comes into this program, they come in with a group of others that they will be with for the duration of their trainingeach person on their individual path, but with a commitment to the group.</p>
<p>The curriculum is comprised of four elements: acting, voice, movement, and academics. Freshman year acting class focuses on the actors most fundamental tools: creating an environment, listening and responding, pursuing an objective, etc. No particular method is espoused, but the Meisner technique was particularly central to the training during my freshman year. Near the end of first semester/beginning of second semester, the various tools one has been taught start being applied in scenework. Generally, about three scenes are explored during the year. In the final months of the year, a final scene is assigned, and performed in a public presentationthe only performance during the freshman year. All of these scenes are modern and contemporary, only going as far back as Chekhov. </p>
<p>Voice class is taught by the resident vocal coaches at the Guthrie Theater. Freshman year voice class focuses on opening up the free and expressive voice, expanding breath capacity, identifying and releasing areas of tension, developing proper alignment, and developing vocal support. Linklater and Rodenburg technique are employed, as well as an introduction to Fitzmaurice and Roy Hart. Once the basic tools of vocal production are learned and in the body (as the teachers are fond of saying), various texts are introducedranging from Japanese haiku to Nerudas sonnetsto apply those tools. Its important to note that this technique class is not divorced from the acting classstudents are expected to apply their acting work to the voice projects, and vice versa. Edith Skinner speech work is also introduced.</p>
<p>Freshman year movement has four components: African dance, Yoga, circus skills, and Lorca movement. Lorca movement is taught by the Guthries resident movement coach, Marcela Lorca, and focuses on releasing tension, improving alignment, incorporating breath with movement, and grounding the body. A free and expressive physical instrument is the goal. Again, this class in not divorced from the core skills taught in acting and voice. African dance and yoga further the integration of body and breath, and again develop groundedness, as well as a sense of rhythm. Circus skills encourages risk taking (in a safe environment, of course), and the testing of ones physical abilitiessome of the skills taught are juggling, tumbling, balancing, trapeze, and Spanish web.</p>
<p>Sophomore year acting class shifts to the exploration of classic texts, specifically Shakespeare. Students learn Shakespearian rhetoric as well as the intricacies of his poetic form (iambic pentameter, etc), all as it applies to the speaking and acting of his plays. The goal is to be able to play Shakespeare dynamically, with clear and muscular speaking and a close relationship to the text. That last phrase sounds odd, but theres no other way to put itrespect for the word, the playwrights text, is tantamount in this program. Students layer all of this work onto the skills learned freshman year, in order to perform Shakespeare in a technically skilled but still human way.</p>
<p>Voice class shifts from vocal production to speech work, and Edith Skinners Speak With Distinction becomes the students bible. Students learn how to speak Standard American Speech for the Stage (a sort of neutral accent). It is important to note, though, that students are not merely taught how to make pretty sounds for sounds sake. They are taught that the specific sounds a playwright chooses to use are clues to that playwrights intention and to the specific state of mind of a particular character. In shortstudents learn how to use a text as a roadmap of how to perform the playwrights play. Dialect work is also introduced, and in my year we were taught the Standard British dialect, as well as doing a project on a dialect of our choice. Finally, near the end of the year, there was a return to vocal production work as we explored the Suzuki techniquea Japanese technique used to develop grounding and incredible vocal power. This was in preparation for the work on Greek plays done in the junior year.</p>
<p>Class with Marcela Lorca continues in the sophomore year, this time incorporating text, and exploring character movement. Classes in Ballet, Jazz, partner dancing, and stage combat are also introduced.</p>
<p>I cant give a practical perspective on the junior and senior years because I havent gotten there yet, but here is what I know. First semester of junior year, the students study abroad in London, furthering their training in Shakespeare and other classic texts with teachers at the Globe theater, the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, and others. They study LeCoq technique at the London International School of Performing Arts. Returning from London, the focus of the training shifts from the acquisition of skills to the application of those skills, and students spend more time in rehearsal and performance than in the classroom, as is the norm in the final years of most training programs. Classroom work is, of course, not neglected, and students have more specific instruction in the Roy Hart vocal technique as well as audition technique and the Alexander technique, among other things. Near the end of the year, the Guthrie Theater commissions a playwright (or two, or three) to write an original play (or two, or three) specifically for the class, to be workshopped in the coming year and presented in the final showcase senior year.</p>
<p>Senior year is focused almost entirely on performance, as well as preparation for the real world of a working actor. In addition to the original play(s) mentioned above, there is a mainstage show, as well as a collection of classical scenes to be presented in the final showcase. Last years senior class also did a studio production of two Shaw one-acts, and an act of a Chekhov play. Various casting directors, agents, and representatives from some of the countrys most prominent regional theaters are invited to attend the final showcase in Minneapolis.</p>
<p>(sorry this is so long)</p>
<p>I know I havent really mentioned the performance opportunities during the four years. There is not a fully produced (ie costumes, lights, makeup, etc.) play until the senior year. Until then, the class presents a number of projectsplays presented without production values, but focusing on the actor and the text. As mentioned above, students do not perform freshman year except for the presentation of scenes at the end. Sophomore year there is an American realism project and a Shakespeare project, and Junior year there is a Greek project and a Commedia project. The senior year performances are outlined above.</p>
<p>The relationship with the Guthrie Theater grows stronger every year, especially with the completion of the Guthries new three-theater complex on the Mississippi river. Every Monday there is a seminar at the theater with a particular Guthrie artist, be that an actor, director, designer, dramaturg, stage manager, etc. The goal is not only to further the acting training with working artists, but also to have a working knowledge of how a major American regional theater operates. Beginning junior year, students are allowed to audition for mainstage productions at the Guthrie, and many are either cast or serve as understudies. Students are required to see all of the Guthries mainstage shows (and do so for free, of course). Many first-year students usher at the Guthrie to make some extra money. Most of all, this relationship with one of the worlds major theaters gives the student an opportunity to see great actors in action, and represents the great tradition of the theater that they, as young actors, are inheriting and will expand upon.</p>
<p>Finally, I feel like I should say something about what the graduates are up to. This is a new program (only three graduating classes, so far), and I know that there was some concern over whether graduates were actually getting work or not. In short, they are. In addition to the many graduates working at the Guthrie (two just played Hamlet and Ophelia in Hamlet last season), graduates have worked/are working at the Oregon, Utah, Milwaukee, Georgia, Great River and Texas Shakespeare festivals (among others), Wisconsins American Players Theater, all of the major theaters in Minneapolis (including the Tony award winning Theatre de la Jeune Lune and Childrens Theater) the Chautauqua Theater Company, Playwrights Horizons, and off-Broadway, among other places. In short, not to worry, the graduates get worktheyre well trained, and make good connections during their four years.</p>
<p>Whew! This is fantastically long, so Ill stop therebelieve me theres more I could go on about, but Ill leave that up to any questions people might have. And I should also add that these things are a reflection of my experiences and obvervations during my two years of training in the programnot the official word, and not the official curriculum. Its still a new program, after all, and still changing and evolving. The one thing I am quite sure of, though, is that it is one of the top undergraduate training programs in the nation, producing young actors that are skilled, passionate, intelligent, and ready to do meaningful work in the theater as well as other mediums.</p>
<p>raphael:
I applied to Purchase this past winter and can attest to the dreariness of the campus. It's all lumps of dark brown brick that seem to be arranged randomly, with no attention to accessibility or aesthetics. It is also poorly maintained-- tons of mold, decay, etc.
However, the quality of the training is excellent. The program seems supportive, stimulating, and nurturing. It's very intense, and the faculty will only admit students who they see as able to handle this intensity. In my opinion, its approach to training is very similar to that of Juilliard. The school has a big reputation in the industry, and graduates are well-represented in film, television, and theater. Even if money were not an issue, Purchase would still be a wonderful choice. It's some of the highest quality undergraduate training available, at a workable price.
Good luck to you and your son on his college search-- he sounds like he'll have a wealth of options to choose from when the time comes!</p>
<p>gc03;
[quote]
Sorry this is so long
[/quote]
</p>
<p>I am very appreciative of the detail. This has to be one of (if not the) best posts I have ever read on CC. Bravo! Why am I not surprised to have such a lucid and well written explanation of the details of what I perceive as an excellent program by one of their students? I have had some limited contact with the director of your schools acting department and it was first rate. The very limited discussion of your schools program on CC has been very positive. </p>
<p>
[quote]
The relationship with the Guthrie Theater grows stronger every year, especially with the completion of the Guthries new three-theater complex on the Mississippi river
[/quote]
</p>
<p>The Guthries reputation cannot be denied. I have seen some fabulous theater there but its been a while . cant think of the name of that park with all the weird statutes. I would really like to see the new complex.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Many first-year students usher at the Guthrie to make some extra money.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Foreget the money.. excellent house experience! Another no brainer.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Students are required to see all of the Guthries mainstage shows
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Thank God! I thought I was the only one that had that idea. That seems so obvious yet many programs with professional company affiliations dont do that. </p>
<p>
[quote]
this relationship with one of the worlds major theaters gives the student an opportunity to see great actors in action, and represents the great tradition of the theater that they, as young actors, are inheriting and will expand upon.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>So well put! Thank you for such a great post. </p>
<p>The only question is that based on your info.. when I read the schools list of performances for any given year that only seniors are on stage? Yet juniors can audition for the Guthrie? Is that correct? How do you and your classmates feel about that? Where I am coming from is that having no public stage time freshman year or even Sophomore year is one thing but nothing until Senior year is another.</p>
<p>Wally World,</p>
<p>I may not have been clear about the stage time during the four years. Students give their first public performance at the end of freshman year (a collection of scenes), two public performances sophomore year (an American Realism project and a Shakespeare project), two public performances junior year (a Greek project and a Commedia project), and a number of performances senior year (including a fully-produced show on the University mainstage, and an end-of-the-year showcase).</p>
<p>All of the performance projects (excluding the senior mainstage and showcase) are performed at the University of Minnesota's Rarig Center, which is the main theater building. They are not part of the University Theater's regular mainstage season, and are produced with limited production values (since they are process oriented, actor-and-text based projects). They are open to the public and free of charge.</p>
<p>The senior mainstage show is the first show that the class does that is fully produced with lights, costumes, etc. It opens the University Theater's mainstage season, which is mostly comprised of shows produced by the B.A. department.</p>
<p>The senior showcase is performed at the Guthrie's studio space in the new three-theater complex. It is also fully produced.</p>
<p>Yes, students are allowed to audition for the Guthrie starting their junior year, but Guthrie shows are seperate from the BFA projects.</p>
<p>Does that make sense and answer your question? I realize it's a little confusing. There is ample stage time throughout the four years. Let me know if I can clarify more.</p>
<p>Thanks for such a great description of the program at Guthrie! It sounds wonderful. But my son is being stubborn about this - perhaps he'll change his mind - and only wants schools in NYC, close to NYC (eg Rutgers), and Boston (eg BU & Boston Cons.) He really likes big cities, and he likes the east coast. We lived in the midwest for many years and moved to the east coast 3 years ago, and he's had a very positive experience and wants to stay put here. He wont' even consider CMU...</p>
<p>Aljabeel,
Thanks for the feedback about Purchase; I guess if you're that busy, maybe the environment won't matter so much... Did you end up getting accepted? Where did you end up deciding to go and why? (If you've already written this, could you direct me to the spot?) Thanks--</p>
<p>Rutgers! Anyone know anything about it???? Also anybody familiar with BU? </p>
<p>Other NYC options? Thanks!</p>
<p>Hey guys,</p>
<p>Okay so I've been reading through this entire thread(eyes want to bleed now...) and I haven't seen anything about Stephen F. Austin's theatre program. A friend of mine sent me this website <a href="http://www.allartschools.com/find/results.php?program=theater-design-technology-degree-programs&st=TX&submit=Find+a+School%5B/url%5D">http://www.allartschools.com/find/results.php?program=theater-design-technology-degree-programs&st=TX&submit=Find+a+School</a>
because it searches for colleges with state & majors and such.
I am a techie, and I don't do acting at all, which was kinda hard reading through all this when most of it doesn't apply to me.
I will be attending the local community college in a week because of cheaper tuition, and I am going to be taking a a Introduction to makeup class. This is my first year of college and I want to leave this town immediately when i can afford it. I did technical work at my highschool for a couple years.
I live in Texas, and I don't want to leave Texas, because of the tuition costs. I wanted to know if y'all knew of a college in Texas that had a decent technical theatre program. And whether or not Stephen F. Austin State University is one of them. If its theatre program is 'up to par'.</p>
<p>I would appreciate any response, and I appreciate y'all taking time to read this.</p>
<p>Sincerely Yours,
Allyie</p>
<p>gc03;</p>
<p>No, that helps a lot. Thanks for the clarification. So who are the students giving those performances to freshman and sophmore years? </p>
<p>Again, where I am coming from is the balance between study time and stage time. Are you happy with that balance?</p>
<p>Wally World,</p>
<p>All of the projects are open to the public, so anyone can come to see them. Obviously, parents come to see their kids perform, as well as other students in the program, the program faculty, and people from the Guthrie. The shows are advertised around the campus and audience is brought in from there, as well. </p>
<p>I'm completely happy with the balance of stage/study time, as are all of my classmates, to my knowledge. The typical BFA student day (including rehearsal for projects or for class) runs from around 9am to around 11 pm, so there really isn't enough time to do more shows, unless we sacrificed classtime. I certainly wouldn't want to make that trade, and I don't think anyone else would, either. Since the projects are an extension of the classroom work, a time for us to apply what we're learning, both things are of equal importance.</p>
<p>And since casting in every show is guaranteed (the faculty chooses each show specifically for the needs of the class, and casts each actor "prescriptively"--according to what that actor needs to work on), there's no competition for parts or stress about not being cast.</p>
<p>While Yale may not have a preprofessional undergraduate acting program, it has by far the best undergraduate campus theater "scene" in the country. There are hundreds of undergraduate productions per year, dozens of performance spaces, and the money to fund them flows like water. They also have a significant amount of advising, not to mention resources at the graduate school, which is by far the #1 theater program in the world.</p>
<p>Graduates do extremely well and move on to the elite circles of drama - has anyone ever heard of the "Yale Mafia"? It works for undergraduates as well. Don't take my word for it - visit and you'll see.</p>
<p>Of course, there is a significant amount of "sour grapes" among theater wannabees when it comes to Yale, given that the real problem with Yale is getting in. I don't blame these people -- Yale is the most selective undergraduate program in the country. So if you think you're very talented at theater but are a slacker academically, your chances at getting in are slim. In that case, you can always try later on in life for the MFA, but keep in mind the undergrad admission rate is about 8% while the MFA's is much lower!</p>
<p>Im attending AMDA in the fall. I just wanted to know, what exactly did the people, you know, say about the school? Im just curious to know what im in for. As in are they in AMDA housing, if so how are the facilities. I've heard mixed things.</p>
<p>Thanks.</p>
<p>Hi everybody! </p>
<p>Well I finally got into college hahaha! I'm attending the University of Washington where I'll be majoring in Drama. It only has a B.A. program but I don't mind a general education along with theatre. Seattle has an amazing theatre scene and I can't wait to work on the stage again! This first semester I'll be taking Drama 101 and English Comp 111. As the year goes on I'll have to add science and reasoning to my drama classes, oh no! Haha. I remember this time of year where I sat down writing down everything I knew about the top theatre schools and doing research, research, research! I hope all the new seniors will have a great experience like I did, and in the end it doesn't matter if you got into a BFA program. You can always do your MFA at schools like Yale :D When I first saw UW I never thought in a million years that I would apply there, let alone attend! Your ideas and hopes for a school will change so be flexible and have a good time in this college process!</p>
<p>There hasn't been much first-hand input from Juilliard students on this thread, but there was a current student posting and answering questions on the MT forum around a year ago. Here are links to what she had to say ...</p>
<p>I have been intruiged by the posts in this lengthy thread.</p>
<p>I am a parent of a theater major going into his junior year of college. As a high school graduate, my son was accepted to the Tisch School of the Performing Arts at NYU, UCSD and Pepperdine, among others.</p>
<p>After investigating the matter, it became clear to me that, based on upper level course prerequisites, and other factors, the likely trajectory in the NYU BFA program was essentially one year of general education blended with three years of conservatory training, mostly in studio.</p>
<p>Pepperdine has an audition requirement for the acting major, and extensive breadth requirements for its BA, including a required junior year research thesis and oral presentation/defense in the student's major field of study.</p>
<p>UCSD was ranked as one of the top three graduate programs by US News, but had no audition requirement or acting major at the undergraduate level. As one would reasonably expect at a large state research university, the faculty was simply not interested when my son visited the campus after he was admitted. Yet, Revell college to which he had been assigned also imposed substantial breadth requirements which I believed were valuable.</p>
<p>On the financial side of the equation, NYU offered no financial assistance whatsoever. Pepperdine offered a partial scholarship, and as California residents, UCSD was very reasonably priced. NYU was at least twice as expensive as a UC, and 50% more expensive than offers we received from Pepperdine and other pretty good private schools like Santa Clara.</p>
<p>I was not excited about the thought of my son putting his mind in a theatrical pencil sharpener at NYU the age of 18. I have always felt that we learn the most from conducting our own research, writing our concoclusions and making an oral defense of our written work (which by the way is the guiding principle at Oxford the oldest operating university, which requires a weekly written paper and oral defense).</p>
<p>Personally, I thought UCSD would be the best place for him, so I offered to share my savings over NYU with him if he went to UCSD (50% in cash or 100% towards the grad school of his choice). I told him I would pay for Pepperdine or Santa Clara, but he would need to work every summer and contribute 1/2 to the cost of tuition. I told him that, if he went to NYU, he would need to graduate with debt in his name in an amount equal to the incremental cost of NYU over Pepperdine or Santa Clara. Finally, from what I can tell, based primarily on the advice of his long time drama teacher, he chose Pepperdine.</p>
<p>Now that he is going into his junoir year, I am very pleased with his choice, and his development. It is absolutely clear to me that the breadth requirements, the discussions and papers in small classes and the anticipation of the junior thesis have helped him grow and develop, made him a much deeper critial thinker, made better able to analyze the art and message of theater, and make him a better actor.</p>
<p>Nevertheless, not a week goes by when I don't wonder whether my leading did not negatively impact his future as an actor, when I read all the press about how hot the NYU program is in articles such as the recent edition of Newsweek.</p>
<p>Only time will tell.</p>
<p>valuedad,
Sounds as if you are very pleased with the education your son has received (I'm similarly pleased with the education mine has received at NYU). Although second guessing is human nature, it helps neither of us to do so. Smile. You and your son followed a reasonable logical process, arrived at a great match, both academically and financially. There's no such thing as controlled studies, complete with placebo control groups, to help us figure out the best match. You've helped your son get a great start in accomplishing his goals. What more could you or he ask?
Peace.</p>
<p>He can still do grad school. An MFA carries more weight anyway.</p>
<p>
[quote]
not a week goes by when I don't wonder whether my leading did not negatively impact his future as an actor
[/quote]
</p>
<p>That may be the outcome of your process (which is why you bring it up). Not because you chose Peperdine over NYU rather two choices you made;</p>
<p>First, you chose breadth over depth. Since time in the day is a zero sum game, you (or your son that is) gets both the advantages and disadvantages that come with that choice. You certainly can argue that conservatories dont turn out well rounded graduates yet, most people would agree that for most students it is the path the carries the highest likelihood of becoming a working professional. We have argued about the exceptions in the past and they do exist yet if you study the backgrounds of actors at the top theater companies in the country there is a pretty constant theme. </p>
<p>Secondly, you used logic in an illogical exercise so words like "equation are incongruous to the exercise. I can certainly understand the temptation. My D could have a full ride to a respectable state school a two hour drive from home. Yet their theater program is unremarkable. So, she will likely end up at an expensive place a long way from home. Thats because acting is what she does, its who she is, if she is not around actors, studying acting or acting she is not who she is. There is little logic to that it just is what it is. </p>
<p>Of course none of your choices preclude your son from being a professional actor. My studies indicate that a person coming out of the Peperdines of the world who go on to work as respectable professionals either have amazing God given talent or get an MFA (or both). And if you want to talk logic, in state tuition to UCSDs MFA is a bargain with little compromise.</p>
<p>WallyWorld:</p>
<p>I'm puzzled by your statement that; "if you study the backgrounds of actors at the top theater companies in the country there is a pretty constant theme".</p>
<p>I would submit that there is very little correlation between acting success and undergraduate attendance at conservatories.</p>
<p>Indeed, during the application process I spoke several times with the former dean of the Yale drama dept. (who is the brother-in-law of one of my grad school classmates). He told me that while he was there, the MFA program disfavored applicants with undergraduate degrees in theater, and preferred applicants with other educational and life experiences.</p>
<p>I would be interested in reading how you reached your conclusion</p>
<p>I think this is a very interesting discussion, and thought I'd add my two cents as someone currently in acting school.</p>
<p>As a high school student, I was determined to go to a program that had little or no academic focus--in other words, a conservatory in the true sense of the word. I knew what I wanted to do with my life, and thought that academics had no bearing on my growth as an actor. In high school, I neglected my academic classes, and even attended a performing arts boarding school for a year so I could have even more theater focus. In short, I spent the bulk of high school with theater tunnel-vision; I didn't care about anything else.</p>
<p>Entering college (at UMN/Guthrie, which has a strong conservatory aspect, but also a good deal of emphasis on academics) I was completely prepared to ignore the academic side of the curriculum and do just enough to get by. I didn't even care about the experiences of college life. I only wanted the acting training. </p>
<p>I soon discovered, though, that an actor's ability is directly related to his/her life experience. It makes sense--actors are called upon to bring life to the stage in all of its facets. The more life they know, the more they can bring to a role.</p>
<p>And I've found that the academics are much more important than I anticipated, not because an actor needs to be especially brilliant academically, but because he has to know the world he lives in. The academics help to expand your knowledge of the world. They enable you not only to define your point of view, but also to know others'. They teach critical thinking, specificity, and respect for literature and history. </p>
<p>The above in itself, of course, does not an actor make. The specific actor training is just as important as the above, especially if that student wants to have a career on the stage. But it explains why many training programs might prefer older students with more life experience, or with an undergrad degree in something other than theater</p>
<p>In the final analysis, there's no formula for it. The amount of training (or, for that matter, talent) an actor has does not directly correlate to how often he/she is employed. Personally, though, I think it's important that an actor have both a well-rounded education and life experience, as well as strong actor training, if only for the sake of the quality of work being done on the world's stages (and screens, etc).</p>