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Camge asked for a new part to this thread. Here are the old ones:

Theatre/Drama Colleges Part 1
Theatre/Drama Colleges Part 2
Theatre/Drama Colleges Part 3
Theatre/Drama Colleges Part 4

By Thesbohemian (Thesbohemian) on Tuesday, September 07, 2004 - 06:11 pm: Edit

If anybody is lurking who hasn't posted their current choices, now is the time. How are those applications coming? Mine are ready. I'm just waiting on my teacher recs.

By Camge (Camge) on Tuesday, September 07, 2004 - 07:39 pm: Edit

Thanks! It sounds as if you are really ready! My S. is only a Jr., and at present we are worrying about PSAT's and SAT's, and summer programs for MT, and T. I don't know if anyone needs information re NYU Tisch. My elder son is a Sr. Acting/ Directing Major at Playwrights Horizon. He spent 2 months in Florence Italy in the Comedia dell arte program. It was a fabulous experience... I also have best Friends D. at CMU. She's a Sr. acting major, and would help anyone with questions. My younger son is starting to look at schools but is not sure if he will go acting or Musical theater. We don't think his grades will be up to NYU par, so we are looking into alternatives. He loves Ithaca( my alma mater) CMU, and Emerson. Anyway... If anyone has NYU conservatory questions fire away!

By Catherdingmom (Catherdingmom) on Wednesday, September 08, 2004 - 03:29 pm: Edit

Camge, two months in Florence Italy in the Comedia dell arte program? Oh, that's enough to move Playwrights Horizon to the top of anyone's list! Just the thought of that warms this rainy day a bit. Your younger son has the start of a good list. This time last year my son didn't have a clue about the different schools. We've learned so much from this thread along with the MT thread. My s. is a senior who will be majoring in acting and is in the process of finalizing a list, whereas Thesbo has hers all ready to go!

Thesbo, good for you, girl! My s. is getting caught up in sending the "perfect" application. As a result of trying to do it perfectly, nothing is getting done at all. (deep sigh) Guess he'll have to be chained to the computer this weekend!

By Marissal (Marissal) on Wednesday, September 08, 2004 - 07:44 pm: Edit

I suppose i'm still finalizing a list, too.
Right now alot of my options are limited because of my SAT scores and the school I was at - their grading system was insane and, as I have found out, it's unfair to my GPA. Plus, i'm being picky about what kind of a school I go to and its location. (stress stress stress)

By Doctorjohn (Doctorjohn) on Wednesday, September 08, 2004 - 10:59 pm: Edit

We had our fall faculty conference today, and I heard a good line from the guest speaker, an expert in assessment from Southern Illinois U-Edwardsville. Doug Eder said, "The enemy of the good is not the bad, but the perfect." The greatest obstacle to getting any kind of work done, much less good work, is the fear of doing it badly. I suffered from perfectionism for years; still do. My advice to your son, Cat, is "Just do it. Do it well, do it with feeling, proof it once, get someone else to proof it too (just so you don't misspell the name of the school or put the wrong school's name on the application), and then put it in the mail!"

Good luck.

By Dancersmom (Dancersmom) on Wednesday, September 08, 2004 - 11:39 pm: Edit

Doctorjohn,

I have to 2nd your advice on perfectionism. As the Nike ads say,"Just do it". At some point we perfectionists have to learn to say, "This is my best", and then forget about it.

My own D had to send in a recommendation letter to Florida State that had the wrong school mentioned in the body of the letter. Her vocal coach wrote recommendation letters for each school to which she was applying. He tailored each letter to the specific school; he didn't simply change the name of the school. In the letter he wrote to Florida State he inadvertently referred to the school as the University of Florida. A couple of days after she received the recommendation letters, the vocal coach got a call that his long awaited liver transplant was on! He was in the hospital for a week and a half and recuperated at home for several more weeks. My D, naturally, could not ask him to correct the mistake. So she mailed the letter with her application to FSU and hoped that the auditors would get a laugh out of it and not hold the boo-boo against her. I guess they didn't since they accepted her!

By Gadad (Gadad) on Thursday, September 09, 2004 - 09:40 am: Edit

As an occasional poster on the Musical Theatre thread, let me try this question over here. My D may decide to major in MT, but has a broad range of other interests as well. In addition to MT programs, she'd consider a different major in a good college or university that might not offer a MT major but which regularly stages musicals (or, has musicals for which auditions and roles are not just reserved for MT majors). Such a list might include Northwestern, Yale and Brown. Miami tells me that despite their multiple MT programs, their theatre and MT production auditions are open to the whole campus. Furman doesn't do "musicals" out of their theatre program, but their opera series in Music has included My Fair Lady, Gilbert & Sullivan, etc. What other selective colleges and universities should be on the list?

By Catherdingmom (Catherdingmom) on Friday, September 10, 2004 - 09:36 am: Edit

Thanks, Doctorjohn. I passed your words on to my son, and it did, indeed, take some of the pressure off. I'm good for telling him how long to cook the microwave popcorn, but information about college apps. has more credence if it comes from a responsible adult other than mom.

Dancersmom, I loved your story about your D's rec. letters. It also makes me think highly of FSU's auditors because they didn't let someone else's mistake become a disadvantage to your D.

By Catherdingmom (Catherdingmom) on Friday, September 10, 2004 - 09:42 am: Edit

Gadad, I don't know how many of their productions are musicals, but I like what I have read about UNC-Chapel Hill's dramatic arts department.

By Doctorjohn (Doctorjohn) on Saturday, September 11, 2004 - 06:23 pm: Edit

Gadad:

You (and anyone else interested) should look at Princeton. Here's the link that has all of their extra-curricular arts offerings:

http://www.princeton.edu/Siteware/AllArts.shtml

The Triangle Club dates from 1891, but there are many other groups. When I mentioned a couple of months ago that some old-line Eastern schools had terrific theatrical opportunities, even though they didn't have formal training programs, this is the kind of thing I had in mind.

If I can grab some time tomorrow, I'll look for other examples.

By Doctorjohn (Doctorjohn) on Saturday, September 11, 2004 - 09:21 pm: Edit

OK, this was fun. I had some time tonight, so I started looking at the Ivies and some top-ranked LACs. The search method was to find student organizations, and from there to find those for people who want to perform. The range is quite amazing, from improv groups to VetTheatre--veterinarian majors who do a play once a year in the spring, presumably on horses. Anyway, here's a sample list, in alphabetical order. Enjoy.

Brown
http://www.brown.edu/Departments/Theatre_Speech_Dance/Student.html

Columbia
http://www.columbia.edu/students/org_gov.html#performing_arts

Cornell
took forever to find it, but here it is
http://www.sao.cornell.edu/so/search.php?l_operator=and&a_org_name=&a_presidents_name=&a_org_purpose=&categories%5B%5D=Theatre&membership_operator=atleast&a_total_membership=&submit2=Click+Here+to+Start+Advanced+Search&qsubmit=adv

Dartmouth
no clubs I could discern, but department is fairly open, with minors and double majors
http://www.dartmouth.edu/~theater/major/

Harvard
http://www.college.harvard.edu/student/organizations/arts.html

Northwestern
http://groups.northwestern.edu/?category=9&search=

Penn
http://www.vpul.upenn.edu/parts/programs.html

Princeton
http://www.princeton.edu/Siteware/AllArts.shtml

Smith
http://www.swarthmore.edu/students/activities/clubs_artistic.htm

Swarthmore
http://www.swarthmore.edu/students/activities/clubs_artistic.htm

William and Mary
http://www.wm.edu/studentactivities/clubs/directory.php
look for Arts groups

Yale
http://www.yale.edu/living/organizations.html

By Soozievt (Soozievt) on Saturday, September 11, 2004 - 10:40 pm: Edit

Dancersmom, I really can relate to your story about your daughter's rec containing the wrong name of the college in the text. The same thing happened to my daughter who just began her freshman year at Brown! One of her teachers who wrote her recs, wrote the first one for Yale and then when he submitted the other recs for subsequent colleges, he went to change the name of the school throughout the text as he mentioned "Yale" quite a few times in the body of his narrative. After all her recs went out to colleges, I noticed that in every rec, while he changed the name of the college each time, he missed the final time he wrote "Yale" and so the right name of each school is in most of the narrative til the reader gets to the end and then it refers to her contributions (paraphrasing here) to YALE ! He missed that one. I almost died, thinking that is like a big no no, though would be worse if a kid did that on their essay of why I want to attend X college. I worried a little bit that her "safety" schools might say, no way, this girl won't go here, if she is applying to Yale. Well, after a while, I forgot about it cause it is not like there is anything you can do, right? And I just remembered this the other day and so, I now realize it did not make one bit of difference. So, when I am reading your vignette above, I also realize that it has happened to others. But at the time, ya tend to stress over all these little aspects of the application process, no? We can laugh now and realize it did not make a bit of difference. My daughter did well overall with her admittances, and the safeties also came through!

GaDad, others have given you excellent responses to your query. While I don't have a list of colleges where your daughter may pursue musical theater, but not as a major or not in a BFA degree program, I can comment on both Yale and Brown, having been to both three times and my D just began at Brown. There is a LOT of theater going on at Brown for both majors and nonmajors. There is even a student organization specifically for musical theater called Musical Forum. My daughter's advisor happens to be from the theater department. She is also assigned a senior student advisor and hers so happens to be very involved in theater, including musical theater. By the way, this daughter is not majoring in theater, but has done musical theater growing up, but is not pursuing that field (my younger D who is now applying to college is, however). She has looked into doing musicals at Brown but the committment is six nights per week from 7-11 and it does not look likely for her as she is involved in several other EC endeavors including sports and dance. But there is lots going on. An older friend of my younger D who she knows from her summer theater program, opted to go to Brown and is heavily involved in musical theater there. As well, there are many theater happenings that nonmajors can participate in at Yale. We know a girl there from our state who my D has done theater with, who is very talented at musical theater, and in her freshman year at Yale, was in several productions, student run, including playing leads. When we were there visiting, another student run musical was taking place and the lead in that one was a girl my younger D knew from her summer program in theater. So, you are on the right track with those two schools as far as excellent theater opportunities for those students who did not opt to do a BFA program or even major in theater but have talent and interest. Actually, there are good opportunities in this area at Tufts as well. Obviously there are more schools where there is a lot going on with musical theater for nonmajors. I just wanted to confirm that those schools are excellent picks when it comes to what your daughter may be looking for. Just to add, so far in the ten days since my D has been at Brown, she has LOVED it immensely. If you ever go to visit and need a current student to talk to or show you around, find a way to connect with me as I am sure my D would be happy to help a prospective student out. She likely could arrange for your D to talk to these two upperclassmen whom I mentioned are very involved and are on the board of the musical theater organization at Brown.

Susan

By Musicalthtrmom (Musicalthtrmom) on Sunday, September 12, 2004 - 07:54 am: Edit

DrJohn said...."The range is quite amazing, from improv groups to VetTheatre--veterinarian majors who do a play once a year in the spring, presumably on horses."

DrJohn...you crack me up! Great list!

By Doctorjohn (Doctorjohn) on Sunday, September 12, 2004 - 08:18 am: Edit

Musicalthtrmom: Glad you liked the list. The Vet Players really exist--although they don't do their plays on horseback, or at least they don't claim to. Go to the Cornell link and you'll find them at the bottom of the page.

The point, everyone, is that there are ways to gain experience in theatre and musical theatre without actually majoring in the field. I've written before that I think professional training is necessary, it's just a question of when. Participating in extra-curricular clubs as an undergraduate and then doing professional training in graduate school is one valid path. (Worked for Meryl Streep.) You just have to find colleges with lots of drama clubs. The old-line Eastern schools are the obvious places to start, and that's how I compiled the list. But there must be others, and it would be fun to find them.

By Dancersmom (Dancersmom) on Sunday, September 12, 2004 - 11:02 am: Edit

Soozievt,

It's nice(?) to hear that my D is not the only kid out there who had a slip-up on her college rec letters. The funny thing is that the only slip-up my D's vocal coach made was in his letter to Florida State. Of course, that's the school she's ended up attending. We all stressed about sending a letter that we knew contained a mistake, but it could not be helped. Her vocal coach was very sick and taking all kinds of medications at the time he that he wrote letters for my D. We knew that he slipped up because of his health. Sometimes when my D would see him for a lesson he would be moving and speaking in slow motion. We were very very grateful that he consented to write the recommendations and that he went to the trouble to fine tune each letter. He didn't simply change the name of the school in each letter.

There was a happy ending for all parties. My D got accepted and her coach got his liver transplant last November and is healthy again. He's truly considered to be a medical miracle. He's a 20 year AIDS survivor who was dying of hepatitis B. His surgery was considered experimental. The transplant done in Cinci. is one of several done around the country in the last year on AIDS patients. The goal is to prove that transplants can be done just as successfully on stable AIDS patients as on others. (If you are wondering about my posting this personal info on this forum, I know that D's coach wouldn't mind. He's always been very open about his illness and has spoken in area schools about his illness and about AIDS prevention. He's also a high profile AIDS volunteer with our local fund raising organization. There were a couple of front page newspaper stories done on his surgery in the local papers. I googled his name the other day and found out that his surgery had made several national and even international newspapers.) D's coach is currently in the process of reviving his career. He's just 49, but had to retire as CCM's MT music director 7 years ago because of his health. His prognosis is now excellent. We expect him to live to see 90!

By Alwaysamom (Alwaysamom) on Sunday, September 12, 2004 - 11:12 am: Edit

Dancersmom, the story about your D's vocal coach made my day. I've worked with AIDS patients for many years in a volunteer capacity, getting involved initially after the death of a dear friend of mine who had befriended me, many years before, when I moved to a new town in seventh grade. It warms my heart that so many new treatments are available and that individuals living with HIV and even full-blown AIDS have so much more hope than they did, even five years ago. I have a friend who is a singer/songwriter/playwright who has been living with AIDS for many years and who continues to amaze me with his tenacity and good cheer. One of his plays was done in Cincinnati a few years ago and my D and I travelled there to see him perform in it. In fact, my D wrote about him for her NYU essay. Sadly, I've lost too many friends to this awful disease but it's nice when there's hope for those today. When I took D back to school this year, we went to see The Boy from Oz which is the story of another old friend of mine, who sadly died from AIDS, Peter Allen. We were lucky enough to see it prior to its closing, which happens today. Thanks for sharing your story.

By Theatermom (Theatermom) on Sunday, September 12, 2004 - 12:08 pm: Edit

Everyone,

I will post this on both the Theatre and MT threads because I think it should be of interest to any and all performers.

I just found out that there is going to be an hour long documentary about the NFAA ARTSearch program, highlighting the partipants from the 2004 competition finals in Miami, Florida in January of 2004. Many students whose parents participate in this forum have children who have entered or will be entering this prestigious scholarship competition for high school seniors from which are chosen the Presidential Scholars in the Arts. It will air in most markets on Wednesday night, September 22, 2004 at 8pm on your local PBS station.

For further information on this documentary, entitled "American Talent," and/or to view a 2 1/2 minute promotional clip about it, go to http://www.nfaa.org A link to info about this documentary appears on the home page.

While on the NFAA site, if you are interested, you can check out the winners from 2004 (the bios may interest you) and you can also listen to songs by the Voice finalists (all downloadable from the site). Just click on "Winners" at the top of the home page. Then "click here for 2004 winners by state and discipline" and then click on the category of your choice. Submissions are accepted in 9 areas: Dance, Film & Video, Jazz, Music(instrumental), Photography, Theatre (Acting & Musical Theater), Video and Writing.

This is an incredible competition. Last year there were 6500 submissions. My D entered and was awarded Honorable Mention in Voice/Soprano (the category right below a finalist, of which there were 2 in each voice part). And although she was very disappointed not to make the finals, she learned an ENORMOUS amount just working to prepare her submission (which in her category ended up being 5 songs in 4 different languages.)

I believe the deadline for submission is Nov 1 so there is still time to enter if you are interested. The application materials are downloadable from the site.

In any case, try to watch the documentary special. My guess is that you will be amazed at the talent of these kids.

Enjoy!

By Dancersmom (Dancersmom) on Sunday, September 12, 2004 - 12:34 pm: Edit

Alwaysamom,

I too am glad that there is hope today for those afflicted with HIV. Sadly, the arts world has been especially hard hit by the disease. I hope and pray that someday soon this scourge will be conquered.

By Thesbohemian (Thesbohemian) on Sunday, September 12, 2004 - 04:28 pm: Edit

Does anybody have any information on The American Academy of Dramatic Arts in either New York or Los Angeles? It looks like their second year is by invitation. Is that a "cut system?" If so, how does it work? Looks like a fairly inexpensive alternative to a traditional four year program in which one could also work on an associates degree in business or something "practical" at a community college between sessions. They certainly seem to have some successful alumni and it looks like it could get you out working two years quicker than a four year university. I'm sure Mom would never allow me to do such a thing, so I'm mainly just curious.

By Wct (Wct) on Monday, September 13, 2004 - 03:20 am: Edit

Thesbohemian-

We visited AADA in NY two years ago.

Get into a four year program that offers a degree.

By Alwaysamom (Alwaysamom) on Monday, September 13, 2004 - 08:54 am: Edit

I'll echo Wct here, Thesbo. We didn't look at AADA but a friend's son went there and was very disappointed at the quality of the program. Yes, it effectively is a cut system after the first year if you're not invited back. I can tell you from what I hear from friends and family members who are in the business side of theatre in the city, that AADA and AMDA are not very well respected in the theatre community. Also, if you choose such a program with the thought of transferring to a degree program if it doesn't work out, you will not be able to transfer any credits from AADA because it is not an accredited college. Stick with the degree plan.

By Mtmychal (Mtmychal) on Monday, September 13, 2004 - 10:08 pm: Edit

Hi all,
I'm a senior in high school planning on majoring in musical theater. I just spent the summer in CMU's pre-college MT program... what an experience! I just found this site, and I'm so glad I did... it's amazing! Here is a tentative list of schools I'm auditioning for...
CMU
Ithaca
CCM
Miami
Elon
Point Park
NYU
Possibly U of M, Florida, etc.

Here is my question... some people have said that auditions are on a first come, first serve basis. I was planning on auditioning for some schools in Jan. and attending the national unified auditions the first week of Feb. Should I be applying and auditioning earlier? Does waiting until Jan and Feb lessen my chances of getting into a musical theater program?

Thanks for your help!!
Mychal

By Theatermom (Theatermom) on Monday, September 13, 2004 - 11:21 pm: Edit

Mychal,

Copy your post over onto the MT thread which is now on Part 27. Most of us check both the theater and MT threads, but the other is devoted to MT.

See you there and welcome!

By Gadad (Gadad) on Tuesday, September 14, 2004 - 09:11 am: Edit

John and Susie - Many thanks, great insights!

By Thesbohemian (Thesbohemian) on Tuesday, September 14, 2004 - 07:17 pm: Edit

Mychal,
The only schools you need to worry about auditioning for early are the ones with rolling admissions.

All,
I just saw a NCSA freshman schedule. She has two academic classes and pretty much goes straight through every day from 8:00 to 5:15 with an open period for lunch. Can you say "Wall to wall?" She has movement, dance, and combat sometimes two on a day. Girlfriend won't be gaining any weight!

WCT and Alwaysamom,
Thanks for the heads up on AADA. Perish that thought! I was actually thinking it might be good for somebody who was really talented, but hasn't applied himself academically. Guess not. Amazing how places can make themselves look really elite with a website.

By Mezzomom (Mezzomom) on Wednesday, September 15, 2004 - 08:41 am: Edit

Not at all college related, but I'm hoping you all can help anyway. I'm trying to find a selection of straight shows which relate to the theme of freedom of speech/artistic freedom/intellectual freedom. I'm familiar with many of the major licensing companies, but I no longer have catalogs for most of them...searching on websites is very slow going, since I don't have any specific playwrights or titles in mind.

Thesbo, your school is not the only one with administrators who "don't get it."

By Bookiemom (Bookiemom) on Wednesday, September 15, 2004 - 01:59 pm: Edit

Mezzomom: ideas for your search:

freedom of speech:
The Vagina Monologues

intellectual freedom:
The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail
Inherit the Wind
The Crucible
A Man for All Seasons

artistic freedom:
Sunday in the Park with George

The Laramie Project would probably also relate to these themes.

By Mezzomom (Mezzomom) on Thursday, September 16, 2004 - 09:32 am: Edit

Thanks, Bookiemom...your list is a great start; how could I have forgotten "A Man for All Seasons" or "The Vagina Monologues"? Also went to the Sam French website for the first time in a few months; they've finally updated it so that it's more user-friendly, so I'm having some good luck there.

By Doctorjohn (Doctorjohn) on Friday, September 17, 2004 - 07:20 pm: Edit

Mezzomom:

I happen to like Bertolt Brecht's GALILEO a great deal, and Arthur Miller's version of Henrik Ibsen's ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE focusses on intellectual freedom issues. (The play is more complex than Miller's translation makes it, but that's another essay.) I'm curious: what do you want the scripts for? Are you looking to produce one? Or do you need ammunition for a school board battle?

By Mtmommy (Mtmommy) on Saturday, September 18, 2004 - 12:52 am: Edit

Mezzomom--Add Kushner's A Bright Room Called Day if you're just making a list.

By Wct (Wct) on Tuesday, September 21, 2004 - 12:53 am: Edit

just didn't want to lose the thread.

How are the college applications going?

By Catherdingmom (Catherdingmom) on Tuesday, September 21, 2004 - 12:04 pm: Edit

I had a long talk with my s. last night about what he would consider the ideal college. This is what he came up with.

"There are a lot of factors that would be nice to have, but I don't want to compromise on the training. Other things I can do without, but I don't want to say at the end of four years that I wish I had gone to a school with a stronger acting program. I'm afraid that I will wind up in a school that the whole program is the theater warm-ups and games I have done all these years.

Also important--the people I would be working with. I want to work with people who can help me grow as an actor rather than telling me how to act.

I'd like to be in a program in which actors are not locked away in the corner of the campus. I want the bulk of my classes to be drama/theatre, but I'd like the opportunity to take other classes. I'd like them to be classes I'm interested in, though--philosophy or sociology rather than so many hours of physics.

I want the opportunity to explore other areas. Not necessarily having to take classes in those areas, but not being hindered from exploring them either. I expect to be busy, but I would like even a little bit of time to play my music or study things on my own. Another example-- I'm interested in Native American studies. I don't really expect to be able to take classes in that, but it would be really cool if there were a resource such as a professor knowledgeable in that area I could talk with informally.

I'd like to be someplace interesting which to me could mean a couple of different things. Being close to a city would be great because of the different things available to do. On the other hand I could be happy in a place that is surrounded by beautiful countryside. But I'd like to be someplace that I won't die of frostbite.

I like diversity. I have a diverse group of friends, and I enjoy getting to know people from different backgrounds.

A school of midrange size sounds good, but I wouldn't turn down a school in either extremity if there were other things about it I liked."

As far as schools that place equal emphasis on academic record and talent, he is at a disadvantage. He has a GPA of 3.5, but he had three C's last year in core classes and I'm sure that will hurt his chances a lot. He has a LD (visual sequencing) that he has always been able to compensate for, but all three classes covered material in which correct sequencing is crucial. He also had 8 plays going on during the school year so he just couldn't juggle enough and dropped some balls. He has an ACT score of 29. He is planning to retake that.

If his "wish list" brings any school to mind, please let us know! (Sorry this is so long.)

By Thesbohemian (Thesbohemian) on Tuesday, September 21, 2004 - 06:04 pm: Edit

Catherdingmom,
Has he looked at SMU? It's not too competitive academically, but it's a fairly good school with an outstanding theatre department. The overall school has a reputation for having lots of preppy, Republican, rich kid, business major, frat boy types, but the people I know who go there in different arts discliplines are a very diverse crowd in and of themselves. Really, any school that has a prominent school of the arts like SMU's Meadows will have some diversity. If I end up there, they'll have at least one token redneck chick.

He might look at the University of Evansville and Otterbein, too. They're both tiny schools and I imagine it gets butt freezing cold in the winter, but the theatre departments supposedly rule both places so he won't have to worry about them being "locked away in the corner of campus." Both are great, highly selective, but sometimes overlooked departments and the overall schools are good without being especially competitive academically.

My homegirl, notarebel, and one of my other studiomates have decided they want to audition for the University of Minnesota Guthrie program. That's truly butt freezing cold and it's a pretty big university, but it seems like it has a lot of what your son wants other than that. I assume he's looked at FSU and Miami? It looks like most of the really good BFA programs that aren't too academically competitive for out of state students are in places where it gets cold. Has he looked at the University of Northern Illinois? What about Shorter College in Rome, Georgia as a safety? Their reputation is apparently growing.

All,
Since the powers that be have decided to archive this thread again even though it had posts just a few days old, I'll start linking it to the MT thread until interest picks up and newbies show up with more new questions.

By Fosselover (Fosselover) on Tuesday, September 21, 2004 - 06:50 pm: Edit

In an effort to get this thread out of the archive I'll ask a question that could go either here or the MT thread. Can anyone recommend a program that is a BFA in Acting, but has the ability to supplement with Voice and Dance? I guess it would be a build your own musical theater program.

By Thesbohemian (Thesbohemian) on Tuesday, September 21, 2004 - 09:36 pm: Edit

Fosselover,
It seems like I remember the University of Utah requiring two years of singing lessons with private study encouraged. They apparently sing a lot at Miami, too. They even want two songs for the straight theatre audition. I've been told the University of Evansville only has two dance classes available, but they do a musical every year. I think Shauna, the girl who was doing links on these threads, is putting together her own MT program at the University of North Texas, but it seems like she was having some trouble coordinating between the theatre and music departments. I think she got it worked out, though.

By Mtmommy (Mtmommy) on Wednesday, September 22, 2004 - 05:01 pm: Edit

Shauna isn't putting together her own MT program. UNT offers an MT program wherein one can specialize in voice, dance, OR acting. The courses are laid out on their website. It's a non-audition program through the dept. of theatre, but if one wants to specialize (concentration) in voice, one needs to audition for the music dept. There is a scholarship audition.

So far I can't remember hearing from anyone who has successfully put together their own MT program, though the subject has been brought up several times on the MT threads.

Thesbo, I'm glad you're back!

By Thesbohemian (Thesbohemian) on Friday, September 24, 2004 - 03:47 pm: Edit

And the beat goes on ... Theatre/Drama Again (Part 6)