<p>On our campus visit that was done by a student she told us that most if not all roles were given to the graduate students. This makes me a little uncomfortable about having my D attend there. Anyone else have this experience or know if this is true?</p>
<p>We didn’t visit UCI when my S2 was applying 2 years ago, but we did get information at the admitted student event at UCLA’s Theatre School that all design assignments (set, lighting, sound) would go to the grad students. It was explained that the UC’s were cutting back on productions due to budget cuts, and as a result, there were less opportunities for undergrads. !! They stressed that their acting/design UGs were getting excellent training (in class), and that performance opportunities were, therefore, not a prime focus. It was enough to make my S2 seek out a school with a healthy number of productions, a healthy budget for shows, plus no MFA program. hehe. But, I think this is a matter for each student to consider. It could be argued that spending a lot of focus on performance may undermine the tender nature of great training, where experimentation can be encouraged.</p>
<p>I think UCI should be taken off our list…it’s really our safety school but think a state school with no MFA would be better.</p>
<p>Here’s an answer to this question from a current UG who has been cast in at least one mainstage show. Although, it’s difficult it is important to note that many are cast and some in their Freshman year so it’s certainly not impossible.</p>
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<p>The mainstages really don’t make or break your experience at UCI. They are awesome and great fun to be a part of, but you can still have an exceptionally rewarding experience at UCI without being cast in one. One thing I truly love at UCI is the great variety of classes and opportunities open to students (who choose to pursue it). UCI greatly encourages students to create their own opportunities, put on their own shows, and try their hand at any part of theatre. With the incredible faculty, awesome classes, and freedom to explore and stage your own work, no one focuses on whether or not they were cast in a mainstage. An education is about way more than stage time - and with all of the workshops going on, there’s always another audition! And, just to be blunt, casting in the real world is going to be way more difficult then being cast in a UCI mainstage - might as well get used to it!</p>
<p>While my D did not apply to UCI ( which, BTW, I would not count as a safety school as admissions is quite competitive) she did apply and was accepted to UCLA’s theater program. She chose not to attend mostly because of budget cut concerns and cuts in the number if productions. While it is true that “real-world” auditions do not guarantee any roles, this is not real-world-yet! You are paying for an education that includes training in you chosen field. In this case, being on stage is a crucial part of that training. While her out of state, state school (Penn State) did not guarantee casting, the small class size made it so that there were numerous opportunities to be cast in a main stage productions as well as many other productions. Most of the programs she applied to did offer similar opportunities. While CA schools do offer some great training, it is becoming more and more limiting due to CA budget cuts.</p>
<p>Bisouu could Cal State Fullerton’s BFA work for your daughter as a safety?</p>
<p><a href=“404: File Not Found - College of the Arts | CSUF”>http://www.fullerton.edu/arts/documents/Catalogue/Theatre_Dance.pdf</a></p>
<p>Yes it could. CSUF is 3 blocks from my home (walking distance) LOL We visited the department and she hated it. I am going to try and talk her into giving it another shot. The director of the program was not at all welcoming, was curt, and unwilling to show us around. He said that classes are impacted, students rarely graduate in 4 years and really very negative. BTW so was the secretary. She left feeling defeated. We thought for sure this would be a perfect safety school. We understand that UCI is not a safety school, but she has a better shot since it doesn’t require an audition.</p>
<p>Wow- not very encouraging to hear that about CSF, although I have heard those same comments from others. YOu might check into the programs at Sonoma State and at CS Northridge. I don’t know a lot about either but know students from each program who were very happy. My older D graduated from Sonoma- not in theater- and absolutely loved her time there.</p>
<p>One last CA school idea from me that I thought might work for my son.</p>
<p>[Degree</a> Programs](<a href=“http://www.redlands.edu/academics/college-of-arts-sciences/undergraduate-studies/theatre/1959.aspx]Degree”>The Page is Unavailable | University of Redlands)</p>
<p>It is probably true the “most” roles go to graduate students but that in no way means you won’t get stage time. The is a large public university with hundreds of drama majors and no entrance audition so it’s also reasonable to assume that a good number never get cast, but many do. The training is excellent and the interaction with the grad students has an upside for those who are talented, ambitious, and know how to seek out opportunities. In addition to the half dozen mainstage shows there are countless student run productions, workshops, etc. Success in this program requires a smart, motivated student who can figure out how the machine works and find a place for themselves within it. That’s tremendous skill in itself, but it’s not for everyone.</p>
<p>I will throw out that I have a friend attending SDSU as a theatre major, and she absolutely loves the program. It isn’t one that is heard of very often, but she has had lots of performing opportunities, and is only going into her sophomore year. It may be worth checking out.</p>
<p>Feeling much better at this being another option for my D. We will keep this one on our list.</p>