<p>My rising high school senior is very interested in theatre directing. She has directed and acted at her high school, trained at summer conservatory at ACT and is currently participating in Northwestern's summer theatre Cherubs program. She is less interested in a conservatory as she wants to study other subject areas so a LAC is more appropriate. She also would prefer not to be in a large city as nature, hiking, the "organic life" is very important to her. Her weighted GPA is 4.29, ACT is 27 (will be taking again this fall -- as with many arts kids her english was 33, but math brought it down). Suggestions would be so helpful. Thank you!</p>
<p>Is she interested in a smaller school of a larger school? IS there an area of the country in which she might like to live?</p>
<p>A college with a strong theatre program where students have lots of directing opportunities would give her the more well rounded background it sounds like she is looking for:</p>
<p>Yale and Brown both have acting student theatre groups where students get to produce and direct, but they are both in cities (and of course a crap shoot in terms of admissions :))</p>
<p>Skidmore, Bennington, Sarah Lawrence, Vassar, Williams, Wesleyan, and Muhlenburg are all smaller liberal arts schools that she may want to look at.</p>
<p>I teach at James Madison University in VA -- we have a Theatre Concentration, and a very active student theatre group that produces 10 - 12 student directed productions per year. We are a larger (16,000) undergraduate focused university. I suggest to the students who come in with a strong interest in directing that they may want to pursue a double major with theatre in English, Art History, or Media Arts and Design.</p>
<p>Best of luck to your D.</p>
<p>:)</p>
<p>hi!</p>
<p>i am also a senior going into directing and the two strongest directing programs ive found are carnegie mellon and webster university in st. louis. cmu is better academically and probably connections wise, but both seem like awesome schools from my visits.</p>
<p>good luck to your daughter!</p>
<p>KatMt, Thank you for your well informed reply. What is your feedback about the educational difference at a LAC for undergrads (i.e. Skidmore, Wesleyan, and the other schools you mentioned) vs. a more focused conservatory approach (CMU, Northwestern, Tisch UCLA) for students who are very serious about theatre directing? Our concern is that our daughter, based on her academic stats, may have a better chance getting into an audition based conservatory as the equally selective LACs require higher standardized test scores and gpa's.</p>
<p>hmmm.... most of my personal experience has been with directors who have either gone the LAC or University route with a BA in Theatre, and then attended a MFA directing program, or who attended a BFA program in another area -- such as performance or design -- and then attended an MFA program in directing, or who worked as a performer/ choreographer [in the case of musical theatre] and made the transition from performer to director. This is not to say that there are not some very good undergraduate conservatory directing programs, I just personally do not have direct experience with these programs or graduates of these programs. </p>
<p>I believe that Webster, NCSA, and DePaul offer BFA options in directing.. Ronit also mentions CMU... all of these programs would be considered highly competitive in terms of acceptance. I am sure there are people here who have more experience than I with these types of programs and can make additional suggestions. </p>
<p>When looking for a program I would suggest looking for a BA in theatre or a BFA in directing that has a well rounded course of study -- exposing students to a wide range of topics both inside and outside of theatre. In my graduate studies in directing and work as a professional director I have found that a knowledge of art history, literature, and history have all informed my work as much as my knowledge of theatre, theatre history and performance techniques. </p>
<p>When I was applying to graduate schools in directing I was 28 years old... I found that I was pretty average aged for acceptance to directing programs (when I was in graduate school I was the youngest in the directing program while I was there, although there had been grad directing students younger than me in the past, and I do know other directors who were a little bit younger when they went to graduate school in directing). Most programs seemed to not really consider applicants who were not at least 25 and had a few years out working professionally (in some area of theatre, with at least some directing, and/ or assistant directing experience outside of college). </p>
<p>When I was in graduate school for directing there was an undergraduate student who entered the university knowing that she wanted to direct. She pursued a BA in directing with a double major in English. She assistant directed faculty and graduate student productions (she AD'd for me at least once), took undergraduate directing and theatre classes (because she stayed a fifth year... and is very gifted... she was actually able to take some beginning level graduate directing classes in her fifth year), and directed her own small projects. When she graduated she was able to secure some internships working with prestigious companies in NYC and at regional theatres as an Artistic Associate and an Assistant Director... she also produced some of her own work in NYC. None of this work payed particularly well -- if at all. Now she is in her late 20s and has been hired by some colleges and small theatre companies to direct, and is trying to start her own company. I believe that her plan is still to possibly attend an MFA program in directing at some point down the line. With the range of her experiences (and because she is a very good director :)), she should be able to get into a very strong MFA directing program if she so chooses... she may also decide to keep plowing ahead with her company, regardless I have not doubt she will continue be successful. She choose to go the BA route because she felt it was the right path for her... others may have made a different choice. </p>
<p>From my observations it seems that in general there are not many theatres that will hire a 22 year old director to direct (I am the artistic director of a summer theatre, and while I do sometimes hire younger directors to direct our children's theatre productions, I honestly have to say that I probably would not hire a director right out of college [or even a year or two out of college] to direct our mainstage productions.) Most young directors spend quite a bit of time doing internships, assistant directing, etc. Most of the directors I know who work professionally either have a graduate directing degree, AND/ OR have spent a number of years working their way up the ranks as an assistant director to established directors while producing their own work (or directing projects for small theatre companies, often for no pay), AND/OR have worked for years as actors, dancers, choreographers, and made the switch from performer or choreographer to director. </p>
<p>So, my feeling is that regardless of whether a young director chooses to pursue a BA in theatre (or another related area) or a BFA in directing, they should be prepared to continue their training (either as an assistant to more established directors, or through graduate study) well beyond undergraduate training, and should also be prepared to wait a while before people pay them regularly to direct. Directors usually get work by people knowing them and seeing their work, or because someone that the theatre knows and trusts recommends them to the theatre, or because they have developed a new play with a playwright and when a theatre company picks up the play they hire the director too. It takes time to establish these types of connections. Training at a prestigious BFA program could help start these connections, but I think ultimately there are many paths to a career as a director (as there are many paths to all careers in the arts). </p>
<p>In your OP you mentioned that she wanted a more well rounded college experience. I would suggest looking at match and reach schools that will give her the kind of academic experience that she wants and allow her many opportunities to learn and be involved with all aspects of theatre, including (of course) directing. Your Ds stats look strong for admissions to a good LAC or University. I know she would be competitive at JMU where I teach... she looks to also be competitive at schools like Skidmore, Muhlenburg, Kenyon, Sarah Lawrence, Vassar, Hamilton, Gettysburgh, Smith, etc...</p>
<p>All the best to your D! Feel free to post or PM me with more questions!</p>
<p>Thank you so much for such great feedback KatMT!</p>
<p>Hi Studiomom - I have a rising senior son who sounds very similar to your daughter in terms of interest in directing BFA, strong acting conservatory background, etc. However, he’s okay in a large, semi-urban setting. He’s very interesting in Northwestern (not a directing concentration, however); we see that U Michigan has a BFA in Performance Studies with a directing concentration. Any advice? Where did your daughter end up? My son wants advanced coursework in directing, acting and related subject, not just an opportunity to direct student-run productions. Semi-conservatory with a chance to take some LA courses would be ideal. Thank you!</p>
<p>Animom, if you have questions about the UMichigan BFA Directing program, shoot them my way and I can try to answer them/forward them to someone who’ll know the answers!</p>
<p>I think Studiomom’s D ended up going to Oberlin. </p>
<p>Animom – you may want to look at the Theatre Arts BFA at BU. [Theatre</a> Arts (BFA) College of Fine Arts | Boston University](<a href=“http://www.bu.edu/cfa/theatre/prospective/undergraduate/theatre/]Theatre”>http://www.bu.edu/cfa/theatre/prospective/undergraduate/theatre/)</p>
<p>Fordham has a BA Directing program – <a href=“http://www.fordham.edu/academics/programs_at_fordham_/theatre_department/prospective_students/training__curriculum/directing_major_69142.asp[/url]”>http://www.fordham.edu/academics/programs_at_fordham_/theatre_department/prospective_students/training__curriculum/directing_major_69142.asp</a></p>
<p>^^^I second Fordham’s Theatre BA in Directing as a great program to consider but being it is smack in the middle of NYC the closest you’ll get to nature is Central Park! They only take 1 or 2 students for the major though so it is a real mentoring program with lots of hands on experience.</p>
<p>Thanks to you all… we’ve been mining the websites and are learning more. Here’s an update and questions:</p>
<p>Michigan is now on the list. Do you know how many directing students enroll each year? Whether it’s a close-knit group and integrated with the acting students? Facilities? Any inside scoop is most welcome. We’ve heard that there is a new head of the theater program and that she’s supposed to be wonderful. </p>
<p>BU is also on the list - my niece (son’s cousin is beginning her junior year in the BFA program, so we have tons of information on it (she loves it). </p>
<p>Coincidentally, Oberlin is already on the list - one of three LACs he’s applying to (Sarah Lawrence and Bard are the others). He loved the theater profs and students he met there. </p>
<p>Carnegie Mellon has a directing BFA - does anyone have info? I’ve seen a lot on CC on the acting program but less on the directing. DS has not heard the kindest words about CMU, unfortunately - so he’s wavering. </p>
<p>We haven’t looked at Fordham yet but will now do so - thanks for your suggestions! Not sure that NYC is the best environment for DS, but we have lots of family there and visit often, so he should be able to make a reasoned decision about that. </p>
<p>Thank you for the excellent and rapid advice!</p>
<p>dear Animom, I am coming from this process from the other end. my son graduated from nyu, playwrights horizons, as an undergrad director. he loved the program, and has had numerous plays produced in NYC. My S. Is now at Carnegie M. As a masters in Directing. he is a Wells fellow, and has had his way completely paid at CMU. CMU has amazing resources and I know he used an undergrad Directing major as his asst. On a show that went up in NYC this summer. CMU has a pretty amazing program. he met many amazing colligues at NYU but I think has learned more at CMu. Good luck!</p>
<p>Sent you a PM, Animom.</p>
<p>Look at ithacas theatrical studies ba. The campus is teeming with opportunity for student shows and there is a directing concentration. Plus the surrounding area js the finger lakes, famous for great hiking, vacationing and camping. </p>
<p>Sent from my DROIDX using CC App</p>
<p>camge - thanks for your insights. Fabulous to have CMU paying for his master’s degree! be-somebody and rpraderio - thank you as well. All good options, and now the list is expanding!</p>