| I agree 100% with what onstage wrote. My S is at IWU and at first we weren't too happy about the freshmen not being able to audition. But for all the reasons articulated above, it was a good thing. Plus, ushering isn't what the "x" hours (tech requirements) are all about. My S did costumes one show and did actual construction which he hadn't done before, lights for one and house managing for another. And in the spring, the freshman MT'ers put on their own musical, a full production with costumes, props, band etc. of "Triumph of Love." All 7 of them had great parts and it was a good experience to work together on it. Don't underestimate the experience they get in student-directed shows. They are extremely well done, rehearsals are demanding and there is a lot of room for creativity. IWU's Musical Theatre Society just put on a "staged reading" version of the "lost musical" Do-Re-Mi that they cast, rehearsed and staged all in 10 days complete with costumes, choreography and a full orchestra made up of IWU music students. It was staged in the beautiful Hansen Center, (definitely not a dump!) to full crowds. I wouldn't dismiss schools that don't allow freshmen to audition.
I do agree, however, that the main theatre needs an overhaul. The campus is so gorgeous and almost every building is new so it's kind of a sore thumb. Hopefully it will get some attention soon. Although I must say, after seeing the spectacle of "Scrooge" the musical in December, the production values don't suffer for it! |