Just wanted to open up a current discussion for those who have questions about the WSU MT program. I’m no expert - just a mom whose S will be a sophomore - but there are a few others with WSU connections who haunt this forum and are happy to answer questions. I’m a little leery of opening this thread, since my screen name seems to consistently be the last one listed as a poster on older threads, but I figure there have to be at least a few folks out there who are curious about that “lesser known” program in southern Ohio. Ask away.
One experience I really wanted to share with anyone interested, was my impressions of the freshman and senior showcase we saw a few weeks ago. Both were performed in the D Lab, a small theater where are kinds of student work see the light of day - or perhaps more likely the dark of night. . .
The freshman showcase is totally student-produced, no faculty input (a student from CCM was accompanist). MT students did songs (solos and duets) and Acting majors did scenes and monologues. A few did self-written pieces. I might take issue with some of the pieces selected by the students, but it was terrific to see them starting to make decisions about “who” they are and the acting choices they made in projecting their characters.
The senior showcase was loads of fun and again, mostly student-produced. This was not a “polished” presentation that had months of rehearsal and “professional” direction. Parts were somewhat workshopped in master classes and a faculty member helped with making cuts of songs, arrangemnets, etc. To me, what really stood out was how well each student’s personality was embodied in their characters as they performed. You got a good sense of who they where as individuals. The audience could feel that they “knew” these people (I personally have not met any of them). Yes, there was some tremendous singing, and good dancing, but it was their engagement with each other and with the audience that made the whole thing a joy to watch. I have been to showcases at other programs with very talented, skilled performers, but that “spark” was missing. These kids had the “it”.
While WSU has some very skilled dancers and dynamite singers, it is the acting training that I think really sets them apart. In every show we have seen there you get a real sense of why EVERY character on stage is making the choices they do. Pretty dancing and lovely singing are nice, but I get the feeling that the WSU kids are well-trained in how to tell an honest, heartfelt story. The seniors were even able to do this in their very short snippets of the showcase. The students also achieved this in the regional premier of Sondheim on Sondheim (same whirlwind weekend). S is very happy with this program and feels that his growth as an actor in two short semesters has been tremendous. Ok, so his singing and dancing are better, too. . .
Thanks for starting this… we are getting very excited about WSU in our house!
Questions: (1) do parents attend the D-Lab shows, or are they primarily attended by students? (2) did your S room with another MT? My S was worried about the 24/7 time with a classmate so he asked to be placed with a non-MT. I think his roomie will be a Theatre Tech major…?. (3) were you told ahead of time what kind of dance shoes, apparel to bring?
I’ll do my best to answer @MTmom2015 -
- Parents are "discouraged" from attending many D-Lab shows (by their own children, not staff). Many of the shows start around 11:00 pm and tend to be a little rowdy - students may not be exhibiting "company" behavior. That said, some shows may be specifically scheduled at a more "family friendly" time with POSSIBLE "younger sibling appropriate" language, and better "theater" behavior. The freshman showcase for example had a late-night Friday show (more like a tech run with a peanut gallery) and a Saturday matinee. I attended one other student produced Sunday afternoon show and was STRONGLY discouraged from attending others (orders from my S). I believe there were a few parents who "disobeyed orders" - or perhaps had more "encouraging" kids.
- S roomed with another MT and did not find it to be a problem. You might say their personalities were somewhat "opposite", but they got along fine. The freshman class is divided into two groups and it so happened that S and roomie were in different groups. This meant they did not have EVERY class together. Roomie and S also had different study/socializing habits that seemed to work out for them. Their rehearsal schedules were also somewhat different since they did not have overlapping roles very often. Both S and roomie are fairly easy-going with a high tolerance for "visual chaos" in their room, but a few other roommate combos DID have friction and "splits". I know the MT, Acting and Theater Arts majors are generally on same floor. Not sure, but I believe that's also true for theater tech, design, costume majors. Their schedules would definitely be different.
- I believe there was a list of dance clothing/shoes to bring, but unlike some other programs no specific brands or colors were required. Ballet and some kind of flexible jazz shoe are a must, but I think whatever brand/fabric/color your S is comfortable with is OK. MTs don't take tap until sophomore year (unless they have extensive previous experience). I've seen a few short videos from dance classes and it looks like the clothing is all over the map. My S likes to wear traditional "dance" clothes b/c he has a long-standing dance background, but there are lots of sweats, loose shorts, tight shorts and t-shirts on view. I'll ask my S to be sure, but I don't think "ballet tights" are required. Males will definitely need dance belts (in case you're not familiar with them) and the number would need to be appropriate to their individual "laundry frequency".
Hope that helps. Keep the questions coming.
I’m so happy to see conversation here! I have a girl, so we have every piece of dance clothing ever invented, as well as shoes, and always need more. 
We have not been allowed to ANY D-lab shows so far (exception was her Freshman Showcase, but almost all parents attended). They didn’t do a Sophomore Showcase. I know a few parents have been - D was in Spamalot & one of the moms I know went, but too far for us to travel for an ensemble girl! We will probably go to see her in Spelling Bee in the fall, but otherwise we don’t go.
Agree with @mom4bwayboy about freshman living arrangements. Most got along, a few had friction & either worked it out or got new roommates (maybe only 1?). The first week of this year D missed “3rd West.” After that she was very happy to be off campus in an apartment with her own room!
Clothing update from S - yes , you do need traditional ballet wear - tights/t-shirt for boys, tights/leotard for girls - but it does not have to be specific colors. Doesn’t matter if tights are footed or footless. Bring a “yoga block” - a hard foam-like, rectangular cube-shaped thing.
Do you know what their Labor Day weekend looks like… it is about a week after they arrive. We always to to Stratford Shakespeare Festival that weekend (in Canada) and were hoping that might be an OK weekend for him to be home…
I believe there are some informal social things going on. I can’t remember if they were “official” school/dorm organized things, or things put together by the the theater students. We brought S home on Sunday/Monday last year for family commitment.
@MTmom2015 , definitely don’t worry about going to Stratford for Labor Day weekend. With our daughter in agreement, we decided it wasn’t worth driving back after only a week to pick her up and bring her home. She called on Sunday and said she was sorry she didn’t come home, as there was absolutely nobody around. Dining services were practically non-existent and if she had known that, she would have stocked up with meals on Friday night.
For those of you wondering when WSU’s application information will be updated, I don’t have an answer, but my S informs me that the Managing Director of the department is recovering from a health issue. It also seems that a decent number of the faculty are off directing shows, broadening horizons, racking up awards, etc. All will be fine.
@mom4bwayboy thanks for the great info. WSU has recently come back onto our radar screen. Would you say that they are a school where dance skills make or break an auditioning girl? Would love to hear any more info you’d like to share!
@mspamela - my S says that dance is not a make or break for girls. About half of his female classmates have low to “middlin” dance skills. One girl he knew from home was accepted the day she auditioned in November, and had only a little dance training (relatively speaking). Most of the MT students at WSU take “ballet for non-majors” during freshman year. S’s roommate had ZERO dance training before going to WSU, but had wrestled and played football. Yes, girl dance standards are higher, but don’t sweat it. The students receive terrific voice and dance training (can be leveled for those with extensive dance background), but WSU MT puts the emphasis on acting.
Feel free to ask any additional questions. I’m not sure what would be of most interest to your situation.
FYI to all: here it is mid August and the WSU admissions website is STILL not updated for Fall 2016 applications. Theater, Dance and Film has also not yet updated their application and requirements. From past experience, I know the audition weekends have been very similar year-to-year (past 4 years anyway). If at all possible try to come on the early November date to do the masterclass on Friday and see the Fall Musical that weekend - Chicago this year. There is also usually a February masterclass/audition, but is does not line up with the Spring Musical.
Thanks @mom4bwayboy for the great info! It does seem to be getting late for their admissions info to be updated but I’m sure it’ll be there soon enough. D’s vocal coach feels that we should wait until later to do the harder auditions; that she will be a more experienced auditioner by that point and will have a better audition. I really want to get at least one or two auditions in before Christmas though. Thoughts? I will check into the masterclass weekend–I was just telling D today that I thought that would be a super way to get a feel for a school. And seeing Chicago would be a bonus!!
And as far as other things I’d like to know…how large is the freshman class? Can freshman audition for all shows? How hard is it to get academically admitted to the university? (I think I read somewhere that it’s not terribly hard…I hope anyway! lol) How many shows do they produce a year? I feel like I should go and try to research some of this myself instead of bombarding you with questions 
Never be afraid to ask questions. My S did two November auditions. They were SUPPOSED to be “practice” for the “more desirable” programs after Christmas, a way to work out the “jitters”. Those two schools ended up moving to the top of his list when all was said and done. Generally speaking, schools that offer fall auditions also let you know if you are accepted/rejected/waitlisted before the holiday break. In S’s case he had the acceptance from WSU and a waitlist. It was nice to know that no matter what happened in January and February, he had an acceptance in his back pocket - a nice confidence builder. Conversely, for kids who felt their fall auditions were not optimum, it gave them a chance to regroup - maybe change out repertoire - before the heavy winter schedule. For people who are auditioning for 10 or more schools, I don’t know how you could manage it w/o fall auditions - accept to do the majority at Unifieds. The other thing about winter auditions is that the midwest and eastern weather can play havoc with even the best laid travel plans. We did not feel comfortable putting all the eggs in the “winter” basket (S did 7 on-campus auditions - all in midwest except one in Virginia. An 8th audition was cancelled after WSU became clear front runner).
That said, it’s hard to say what might be your “toughest” auditions, as opposed to what programs are most “desirable” for each student. We THOUGHT the fall auditions would make him more confident about the ones he was most anxious about, the ones he REALLY wanted to get into, but instead he fell in love with those first two programs and some of the top contenders at the beginning of the process did not compare favorably once he actually auditioned on campus. Personally, I think fall auditions are a great idea - whether as practice for the ones you really want, or to quickly get behind you the ones you think you have a snowball’s chance in h**l of getting accepted. Either way, maybe you’ll have an acceptance or two sitting in your pocket - or you’ll have gotten your first rejections, can process them and put them behind you.
WSU is listed as a “less selective” school to gain academic acceptance. “Average” students have little problem getting into WSU.
S thinks there may be 28 students in this year’s entering freshman class - both Acting and MT. In S’s class the male/female split was pretty even - there were 7 male and 7 female MTs, if I remember right.
Freshmen are not in ANY Main Stage shows during fall semester - those get cast the preceding spring. All freshman audition in November for the Winter/Spring shows, but not everyone is cast. All MTs and Acting majors are required to audition for shows - both musicals and plays - unless there are extenuating circumstances. Dance majors and Theater Studies majors can also audition and are often cast in shows. Each semester there is a main stage play and a musical. There is also usually at least one “Black Box” production each semester. This fall it will be the play, “Blood Wedding”. And I believe in the spring it will be a world premier original musical (last year the spring black box was “Sondheim on Sondheim”. Numerous student-produced shows are set in the D-Lab and freshmen are free to participate in those. They can be experimental and are often done by a group of friends who enjoy working together.
Hope this helps. And feel free to “ask away”.
I think I may have misreported on this year’s freshman class size. S thinks it’s going to be 32 Acting/MTs - a truly “bumper” crop. Apparently everyone (or almost everyone) accepted, said “yes” to WSU. S’s class - now sophomores - was previously labeled as “big”. Hmm.
Check out what program was rated “Number One Underrated Theatre Program in the COUNTRY” by On Stage Magazine.
http://www.onstageblog.com/columns/2015/8/24/the-10-most-underrated-theater-colleges-mid-west
Although the general WSU application for Fall 2016 is STILL not live, it looks like the Theatre/Dance BFA application is updated. The main Admissions page of the Theatre/Dance/Motion Picture website still lists the deadline as February 2015 and the audition dates for 2015-16, but click on the BFA Admissions and Scholarship Application link and it’s ready to go for 2016-17. It’s and “old fashioned” PDF that you print and send with supporting materials via snail mail. Start your engines. . .
I must say, just a week in and my son is OVER THE MOON about the program… he’s so motivated and challenged and inspired! YAY Wright State!
So glad to hear that @MTmom2015!