<p>Im interested in doing theatre in college. Would you recommend davidson as one of the colleges I should look to apply to? I looked up davidson in Collegeboard's 2008 College Handbook and it does not list visual/performing arts as one of the popular majors so I am a bit worried.</p>
<p>The Royal Shakespeare Company has close ties with Davidson.The RSC does residencies on campus.The English Department,needless to say,is very strong.</p>
<p>Shakespeare:
the RSC residency at Davidson has, sadly, reached its end. The English department does still have a very good (but very competitive to get into) Performing Shakespeare class with Dr. Cynthia Lewis (a well-known Shakespearean scholar) every other year.</p>
<p>Theatre department auditions:
Auditions are not limited to majors. This is GREAT if you are not a major but want to be involved. However, it means that being a theatre major is no promise of being in shows. Type-casting abounds. </p>
<p>Other campus theatre:
There is a small grant for non-theatre-department shows available, and some are occasionally done. The theatre department often acts unhappy about non-department theatre, and no faculty members ever attend.</p>
<p>Theatre faculty:
The theatre department at Davidson has only two doctors, making it much less prestigious than most of the other departments on campus. The department also has some level of cattiness and favoritism. I personally witnessed in class a professor comment on a student's family's financial situation (and she did so incorrectly) and harass another student about his sexual orientation. If you are wealthy, expect personal phone calls to your parents about how you are doing; if you are not, expect snide comments about how you have to work to make money ("and so what are you doing in theatre?", they ask).</p>
<p>*Note: Many students swear that the theatre department are wonderful, kind, caring people who are amazing at their jobs. Treatment of you varies wildly. </p>
<p>Curriculum:
If you are intending to be a professional actor, I don't think the Davidson theatre department alone is enough preparation; you have to be willing to seek out training over the summers.</p>
<p>HOWEVER, I highly recommend the liberal arts education of Davidson College as a whole!</p>