<p>Anyone have any input on the theatre department at Middlebury? My son was waitlisted there and now has to determine whether or not to stay on the list. Accepted at BU Emerson, Fordham, and waitlisted at Skidmore (his first choice). Will stay on the waitlist at Skidmore but now has to decide if he should also continue to pursue Midd. He wants a strong theatre program but isn't necessarily planning to major in theatre. He likes the academic challenge and the "prestige" of Middlebury, but we don't want prestige to really be a factor. Would love to know what others know about Middlebury vs. the other schools mentioned. Thanks!</p>
<p>I am a junior theatre major at middlebury so take heed: Midd has a phenomenal theatre department. I cannot speak to how it compares to departments at other schools, but our professors are as brilliant as they are idiosyncratic, and we get intimate exposure to both their brilliance and their idiosyncrasies. I did not come to midd planning on majoring in theatre but now it is my whole life and I would not wish for any other. There are two faculty-directed shows every semester and the faculty is committed to their students and to their art. The close-knit nature of the department (faculty, staff, and students) breeds conflict and frustration sometimes but ultimately is beneficial, fostering a sense of community which I imagine is akin to that of a real-world theatre company. We are learning from great professors who sometimes have trouble communicating but who all have deep strengths that they are excited to share with us. There are resources and support for students to stage shows independently as well, enabling us to put to the test the skills and views we’ve built in the classroom. Theatre students bring extreme levels of talent to the table. Theatre at midd is a HUGE commitment and your son should be open to the likelihood that he will end up majoring in theatre. Most theatre majors are double or joint majors with another subject, but not me - and that’s the way I like it. I am very passionate about and focused on what I am doing and plan on working in theatre when I graduate, which I will most likely be able to do thanks to the wide net of alum connections that the department casts, and the strong references I will have after working closely with many of the department faculty. The department also brings in extremely high-quality theatre for us to see - since January alone we’ve had a reading and workshop with the playwright Dael Orlandersmith, and an earth-shattering performance of Terminus by the Abbey Theatre of Ireland, in addition to a department trip to New York to see Geoffrey Rush in Diary of a Madman. I hope your son chooses to stay on the waitlist and gets in to Middlebury because nothing’s more exciting to us majors than fresh talent and enthusiasm!</p>
<p>Can anyone shed light on the music scene particularly chamber and orchestra?</p>