Just asked my D about this (she worked auditions yesterday). She said Joe was in the hospital with some new strain of the flu, which is why he wasn’t there. Her comment: “He lives for these auditions. He even came to the ones my freshman year when he was on sabbatical.” Please feel free to ask any questions you have!
@MTmom2017, Thanks for replying. I’m sorry Prof. Deer wasn’t well and hope he is better soon. Do you think his absence will have a negative outcome on the kids who attended the the first round of auditions? Or does he have faith in his faculty–who my kid thought were super-impressive–on making decisions? I’ve often wondered why colleges don’t use a “callback” system. The stakes are so high, yet colleges don’t take the same route as professional theatre by having “stage two” auditions. Since professional casting agencies go to two or often three or four callbacks for a six-week run, it amazes me that colleges think 4 minutes is enough to decide which kids to take on for four years. Being a worry-wort, I’m anxious that my kid might have missed out on one of his top schools simply by auditioning on the wrong day.
I’m no expert, but from what my D has said, the faculty is all extremely close & work very well together. They all know what they are looking for in the department. Even when they’re all there, they are in 2 rooms, so all of them don’t see every student who auditions. It definitely shouldn’t make a difference in the outcome.
@MTmom2017, that’s good to know. Thank you!
Was there a video camera? Joe may review auditions later if there was. I know that happened at other schools where someone significant in the decision-making process had to miss.
@claire74 - maybe a teensy bit of reassurance to add. As you probably already know, most programs offer more acceptances than they expect to admit because they know students will be juggling offers from school A, B, C. . . Apparently last year, almost every student offered a spot at WSU took it. My S’s entering class (fall 2014) was approximately 24 students for Acting and MT. This fall’s admitted class was somewhere around 32-33. Perhaps this year’s cohort will be similar. If your S is offered a spot in Acting rather than MT, don’t see that as a negative necessarily. The freshman Acting/MT class takes all the same classes. As a student progresses through the following years, there is some division, but a student can also taylor their schedule somewhat to get the types of classes they really want. My S is an MT, but is trying to get all the Acting/Movement for Acting major classes he can get into. Whenever possible the faculty have been very accommodating. Both Acting and MT majors audition for all the major shows and Acting majors are often cast as leads in the musicals (Theater Studies majors are also cast in musicals and plays). I know you and S have A LOT of waiting ahead of you, but for those of you who auditioned this weekend, you should have an answer before Winter break. I don’t know if Joe Deer’s absence will affect the issuing of acceptances (apparently he is this season’s first confirmed case of the flu in the area), but the break is only a fe “short” weeks away.
I agree with @MTmom2017 - your S was in good hands, even w/o Joe Deer’s presence. The faculty there is very collaborative and my S likes every single one of them. And attending the masterclass gives both the prospective students and the faculty a very good idea of what they can expect from each other. Based on the supportive nature of the program, and how well the students all seem to get along and support each other, I think they are very good at finding a group of students who are all “a good fit”.
I hope both you and @EmTeeDad2016 will keep us posted. EmTee, I’m glad to hear you’re the “cucumber” now. Good luck to both your Ss. And for the next several months of waiting. . .
Thanks @mom4bwayboy! It was great to see the campus–and the show was just amazing! Not sure if your son was up there, but the dancing was incredible! While not a natural dancer, my son is excited about getting daily dance training and intense workouts. My poor husband is bewildered by it all!
I think freshman dance classes start at 8 a.m. (??) My S adds gym workouts to his day - often before dance class. 
Nothing like an 8am class to get your circulation going!
That and a good bracing, cross-campus wind. Too bad the “early to bed” part is hard to come by in the MT BFA world.
It’s 8:30am daily dance for freshmen (ballet MWF - jazz TuTh). Not that 30 minutes makes much difference… although with the late nights, maybe it does… Haha! S loves the dance classes! He was placed in intermediate ballet & intermediate jazz. 
Also, I don’t know what they told you about notification. Last year, we were told it would be 3 weeks… It was almost 7!!! It came right before Christmas. Letter comes on a single sheet in a regular sized envelope.
We were told we would not hear anything until March.
Whoa! Having that one positive notification (along with a waitlist from another program) helped make January and February a little less torturous for my S (and me). Maybe because WSU had more than the usual percentage take them up on the offer last year, they’re changing things this year. @MTmom2015 - does you S have any comments on the unusual “robustness” of his class and how things are working out?
What @claire74 said. I’m holding out hope they do send acceptance sooner rather than later.
Someone just posted this elsewhere on another thread - contact info has been “expunged” - but for anyone interested, it looks like WSU is branching out for the first time into “mini” unifieds in NYC in January: http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/musical-theater-major/1831645-open-call-audition.html#latest
@ParachuteBoy - you might want to look into this.
Just found some additional info on this: can be found on VoiceTeacher’s FB Auditioning for College. Looks like you can perhaps sign up through Shenandoah???
I do know that with the increased number this year, they added staff to accommodate. For example, last year there were 2 sections of acting class, this year there are three. With all the great things happening at WSU, I wouldn’t be surprised if the profile/popularity/competitiveness of this program rises substantially in the coming few years!
Here is some additional information regarding the NYC “mini-uni” - which I believe is around the same time as the “regular” NYC unified. It was posted by VoiceTeacher on the thread linked above. Schools attending are Shenandoah, WSU, Rider, Texas State and University of Alabama:
" Here are the details from my colleague who put this together:
-Rep: Bring two 32 bar cuts and a one minute monologue.
-Sign-ups are first come, first serve on the day of the open call
-If your prescreen was previously denied by one of the schools on the panel, you can still audition and will receive full consideration from the full panel.
-If you already prescreened with one of the schools on the panel, you are already guaranteed an audition time with that school. You will still be seen by that school in this room, but it will not affect your scheduled audition time (from the prescreen).
-If a school is interested in you, you will find out after your audition. Each school will setup their own callback/interview protocol. If you are not interested in a particular school, you are not obligated to follow through.
-You will not fill out any applications or pay any application fees for this audition. If a school expresses interest and you decide you want to follow through with them, they will discuss the application and any fees directly with you.
~VT"
Sorry, I don’t know how to do that cool, boxed-in quote thingie.
If I recall correctly, my son filled out a BFA MT paper application and mailed it in addition to the college app. We haven’t heard anything from the school and everything should be in. Does anyone know how/when they notify for auditions. Do you have to be accepted in WSU first?