Ackpoor

Ok so I am really really ticked about something. Bard has a wonderful conservatory of music, dance program, and an ok (not awesome) theatre program. Why can't these areas combine to make a great Musical Theatre study program?? Maybe I'm just venting... when I come to that school I am going to bring back preppy flashy musical theatre... not dramatic monologue, indie art theatre. I know that it used to exist because I had a director who went to Bard and now works as a high paid musical theatre director for off broadway equity shows. No one needs to respond to this thread I am just being a loser teenager who just found out that the school she really wanted to go to really does not have it all...

HSN

Ackpoor, I feel your pain. Or, rather, I feel it for my daughter. She is a junior and will be applying to a mix of BFA and BA programs and is a musical theatre/drama kid. She will be sad to hear there is so little MT at Bard. And what did you mean about the theatre dept. being only "ok"? I am wondering if it is even worth our time for a visit this April. Any advice or information would be helpful. Are you attending Bard?

Ackpoor

HSN,

First off, thank you for posting (I am glad that I am not alone). I am going to attend Bard next year, however, I am not a student at Bard. What I do know about the school, through close research of its theatre department including emails to the chair of the arts department, is that Musical Theatre is not a particular concern. I looked through the archive of the past theatrical events at the Fischer Center web page, and found that most of the past productions were works of contributing theatrical writers, student productions, film, and orchestra... The only play that I recognized of the lot was "A Street Car Named Desire," which, although it is a wonderful play, does not convince me that Bard tries too hard to obtain rights to loveable, well known works. Though I was initially ticked off by this void, I realized that Bard is such a small school to the extent at which I will personally have the freedom to contribute to the department, as a student, and, in effect, create a program. Along with that light of optimism, I believe that Bard is such a stimulating school academically that, no matter what happens, I will benefit from my experience there. In short, if I want musical theatre I will find a way to make it happen no matter where I go to school (whether it's academic or student-based).

Now, as for your daughter/current prospective student interested in Bard, I believe that, if she cannot live without a musical theatre department she may want to look elsewhere. However, if she is willing to be creative and take multiple dance classes, acting classes, and music theory classes, she will be able to successfully obtain a BA in theatre and music. The reason why I am in a different boat than your daughter, is partly due to the fact that I am interested more in the educational, historical, and productional aspect of theatre as opposed to the acting. I have been doing theatre for 8 years as an actress and I have been told that I am a great performer, however, I have many friends who are older than I who chased their dream as a professional actor, and wound up either off-broadway or working at Applebees in NY City. It is an extremely excrutiating business.


ANYWAY

I think it is worth it to check out Bard. It is beautiful, close to NY city, strong academically, and offers a great deal for students (even if the program they truly want is not all-together there).

That was sort of a rant... I am sorry if you found that tedious/unhelpful. An education is what you make it. So it goes.