<p>I'm deciding between CMU and UChicago. I am aware of the TAPS program, the University Theatre (largest student organization on campus) and the internship opportunities (though most are in education or arts managament.) Can any attest to the quality of the theatre education, either as an alum, current student, or parent/friend of either? Thank you so much!</p>
<p>PS - My D and I did a visit there about this time last year (seems like ages ago!). She was/is an aspiring actor. We visited because (a) we were going to Chicago anyway and (b) the school’s website made it appear that they had a fairly robust theatre dept. and acting program. Our experience on the tour: the guide didn’t know anything about it, and when we asked where the theatre(s) were, pointed to the upper floor of a fairly old building that was the student center. When we returned to the Admissions Office after the tour, we looked in a copy of the course catalog and were unable to find any kind of acting program. We then asked one of the Admissions staff. She got a puzzled look on her face, and tried finding information on such a program herself, without success. Two other Admissions staff also tried to find some information, but could not. They did say that a new arts facility was going to be built, but if I had a dollar for every school that told us that . . . We did not pursue the matter any further because the experience was so off-putting, and also because my D didn’t really like the school.</p>
<p>Now, this is not to say that there isn’t any kind of program there; perhaps we just couldn’t find it, or maybe things have , but I would continue to ask the kinds of questions you are asking, both here on CC and directly with the school before taking any action. Frankly, if you have been admitted to the CMU acting program and are serious about becoming an actor, there’s really no comparison. Unless there is some major reason why you don’t want to be at CMU, that would IMHO be the right choice.</p>
<p>Best,
Lucy</p>
<p>I assumed the OP was accepted to CMU as a university and not the BFA in Acting. I could be wrong. But if that is the case, and the student wants to be involved in acting, I would think CMU would not be a good choice given that their BFA program is truly their theater program.</p>
<p>I believe the OP got into Columbia and Vassar, and in my opinion, if she really wants to major in theater, these two would be a better option.</p>
<p>I crossposted with Soozie.</p>
<p>Peggysue, I believe you mentioned in a post on another thread that you would pursue an interdisciplinary course of study at CMU. Hopefully this would permit you to take theatre courses of the same desirability as those that the BFA students take.</p>
<p>From the website, Chicago’s TAPS looks heavy on theory and analysis, and light on performance training. Theatre extracurriculars may be great at Chicago, as they are at many schools. </p>
<p>As I understand it, sometimes colleges are ranked, in comparative guides for students, as being good for theatre solely due to their strong extracurriculars, which can make things confusing.</p>
<p>Having now read some back posts of peggysue’s, I believe she may have gotten into the BHA program at CMU and if that is the case, her concentration within the CFA’s Drama Dept. would be either directing, dramaturgy, production tech, or management, and I think those reading the post on THIS thread may be assuming she was talking of ACTING. It would help if she explains her area of focus…acting? directing? management?, etc.</p>
<p>My son is a first-year at UofC. It’s possible he will major in TAPS, but more likely in political science. Possibly double-major the two. Or major-minor. He is taking his first acting class this quarter, taught by a well-regarded, award-winning Chicago-based director. He is also in an campus improv group, rehearsing 12 to 15 hours a week. (UofC was the birthplace of improv theater.)</p>
<p>You can do acting, directing, playwriting, and history of theater in TAPS. The new fine and performing arts building will be finished in about a year. You can track its progress on a webcam: [arts.uchicago.edu</a> | Logan Arts Center: Webcam](<a href=“http://webcams.uchicago.edu/logan/]arts.uchicago.edu”>http://webcams.uchicago.edu/logan/) Extracurricular theater of many kinds flourishes at UofC–improv, musical, Shakespearean. A professional theater company is on campus–the Court Theater. The city of Chicago is replete with professional theater.</p>
<p>If all you want from your four years of college is training in acting, should you go to UofC? Of course not. Go if you want a stellar education, along with plenty of opportunities for acting.</p>
<p>Thank you all for being so diligent! To clear up any mysteries, I was looking for a school with good theatre, but not an acting conservatory. At CMU, I would have done a BHA program in Dramaturgy and English, and at UChicago I wanted to play around with acting, directing, dramaturgy, arts management, etc. while majoring or minoring in comparative literature/English. For financial reasons, I am choosing UChicago, although I would have preferred CMU. Thanks for your advice!</p>
<p>Best of luck to you as U of Chicago is a phenomenal school!</p>
<p>PeggySue: Wow… good luck to you! We just got back from U of C. My younger D FELL IN LOVE with this university. I wish you the best.</p>