<p>My daughter is an Equity actor. She has one Broadway credit (as a Swing) at the age of 14 and attends a performing arts hs in NYC. She has an agent and has been actively auditioning throughout her hs years. What would be the best and most flexible college MT program for her within 4 hrs of NYC, so that she could continue to audition while in college and take leave of absences if she gets work? And while on the topic, do you think continuing to audition while in college is a good idea or is it better to take 4 years off and focus on studies?</p>
<p>Most of the MT programs around include students who are equity actors. I don’t know that any one program is better than another as far as flexibility. Many of the programs are flexible as far as letting students leave for a semester and then return. Obviously, the more time taken off, the longer it takes to graduate. Also, since most of the programs move their students thru the program as a group, if one were to take off and return a semester or year later, one would have to continue with a new group. It is very much a personal decision as to whether or not you continue auditioning while in school. I would say that my D would have a hard time leaving school routinely to audition in NY. Between her class schedule and rehearsals, it would be difficult to miss time to go audition. She is within 4 hrs. of NY, but the round trip of 8 hours along with the audition time would be almost impossible. That coupled with call-backs would make it even worse. At this point, she would reserve any auditioning for summers. Now, if something were to fall into her lap, who knows???</p>
<p>I will give my opinion but it is merely an opinion. If your D decides to do a BFA in MT program, her schedule will be jam packed every day of the week and there will not be much time to attend an audition, and further, attendance in class is very strict. Realistically speaking, she will barely be able to audition if in a BFA in program but may have a bit more time available if in a BA. Even so, I think she’d have to be either in NYC or close to it (such as at NYU, Pace, Marymount Manhattan, Montclair, Wagner, Muhlenberg, etc.) Of course there are summer auditions and ones over breaks. But weekday auditions (which is when many agent submitted auditions occur) will be very difficult to fit in when most BFA programs necessitate class time all day long. </p>
<p>Putting the logistics of auditioning aside, there is the other issue about whether or not to try to obtain work that requires taking a leave from college, or not. There is no right way and it is an individual decision. My own daughter got her BFA at NYU/Tisch and graduated in 2009. She chose NOT to audition for professional work that would require leaving college (she even had a NYC agent prior to college). So, she did not do any auditions of this nature during her college years, though did some professional work while in college or in summers. She did not want to give up the college experience and felt that the four years were for training and she’d seek professional work and auditioning after college graduation. In her case, she got her college degree at 20 which was young enough to enter the full time work world. </p>
<p>However, my D had friends at NYU/Tisch, as well as I have friends with kids at other schools such as Pace or Elon, who did audition while in college and left college to take roles they were cast in such as Broadway or National Tours. Some returned to college afterwards and it was just a leave and others never returned. It is truly a personal decision if one wants to leave college or not. My D did not wish to do that and so didn’t want to audition to be faced with such a decision. </p>
<p>So, there are two issues…one is having the time to audition (not that realstic, unless in NYC and even then it is quite difficult to fit in) and then what to do if cast…take a leave of absence or leave college all together and so on.</p>
<p>Finally, in my line of work, I have heard kids say, “I want to go to college in NYC/LA so I can audition,” and realistically speaking, particularly if in a BFA, they don’t really understand how little time they will have to do that.</p>
<p>One more thought for consideration…I don’t know that there is THAT much work for the MT actor who is age 18-22 (college years). They are up against actors at auditions who are 22-25, for example, who have a degree in MT (much more training) and who are young enough looking to play teen or young adult roles. There are a few exceptions of roles where an 18-22 year old is cast (such as Spring Awakening), but often many of young roles go to those who have more training and are 22 and over.</p>
<p>I totally agree with everything Soozie has said. In addition, I have to say that of the students we have known who have taken time from school to do a tour or Broadway, more of them have NOT returned to school than have returned. I know my D wants a degree no matter what, as she wants that flexibility. Most employers want a college degree, and don’t necessarily care what it is in. The longer one stays away from these very structured programs, the harder it would be to go back. And once the decision to leave a program has been made, maybe due to a tour or other show, it would be almost impossible to start at a new program without starting over.</p>
<p>I hear you. My daughter looks so young & is very petite so she probably will still be able to play 14-15 at age 18+ so her agent feels there will be work for her if she wants it. However, the agent did also tell her if she wanted to stop auditioning during the college years, the contract renewal will be waiting for her when she graduates. I strongly believe she should focus on college, but she has a few friends who have left school (Montclair + NYU Tisch) to go on national tours and she is absolutely dying to get back to work. I will continue to make the case for focusing on school. Thank you both, very valuable advice.</p>
<p>I also know a number of kids who were on Broadway and working professionally prior to college, who then stopped doing that to concentrate on college for four years and then returned to professional work. Their agents supported that.</p>
<p>soozievt, do you think professional kids have a leg up as far as admissions go or do you think that’s a turn-off for some programs. I have heard that some schools would rather not have to “untrain” you and that they prefer more raw, undeveloped natural talent.</p>
<p>As has been stated already - many of the better programs around the coutry take and have had kids with their equity cards, B’way, tours, etc.</p>
<p>The bigger question is whether to take four years “off” to study in parameters of university degree. I am prejudiced - but my opinion is an unqualified yes. There is much more to being a a fully realized human being than singing dancing and acting - developing the whole person is very important. It makes you a better actor, a more in touch singer and dancer. While the touchstones of Equity and Broadway may already have been reached, I know of nobody who cannot improve, learn more, become better. Also, the playing field changes as one matures into an adult performer - and what served you well as a child may not provide the same benefit as one grows to the adult casting pool. In any case, I wish you well.</p>
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<p>I doubt if it is a real turn off to BFA programs. Many who attend BFA programs have beyond “raw, undeveloped natural talent.” As I said, I know lots of kids who have professional credits or are even Equity, who have gone onto college MT programs. A few had Broadway credits even. Obviously, these programs accepted them! And even many who do not have professional credits, have plenty of training, and not merely raw talent. (raw talent can also be admitted of course). Most of the kids I know who have gone onto BFA in MT programs have considerable training and experience, even if not professional or Equity. </p>
<p>You ask if it is a leg up. I don’t know that the fact that your D was on Broadway is a leg up per se. But she obviously has training that helped her succeed in the professional audition world. She goes to a performing arts high school in NYC (further training). All her experiences on stage and in training are a leg up as she is better prepared to give a really good audition for college admissions. It isn’t so much the fact that she has a Broadway credit, but more that her talent is a result of training and production experiences. The audition gets you into college, not the resume but a resume is the sum total of experiences and it is those experiences that helped the applicant obtain their level of talent to succeed at the audition. </p>
<p>My own daughter did not have the theater credit that your D has, nor did she attend a Performing Arts high school (none in our neck of the woods). But she had been training in performing arts her whole life and also had been in about 45 shows before she applied to college. She had been in some professional productions as well (not Broadway!). It didn’t seem to hurt her when she applied to BFA in MT programs as she had many acceptances. Her resume did not get her in but her audition/talent was the result of many years of lessons/classes and production experiences at all levels. I suppose there is the element of raw talent as well but she was not inexperienced. In my opinion, your D’s background is a help to her success in MT admissions, not a hindrance. As well, you have to have observed that kids from her performing arts high school have succeeded in being admitted to BFA programs as proof of that. At our high school, it is quite rare and so we didn’t have that to go by. </p>
<p>By the way, I understand your point that once your D hits college age, she still looks young and can play a teen. Still, there are not a lot of teen roles on Broadway and some of these are filled by those who are over 22. Exceptions exist of course such as Spring Awakening, Bye Bye Birdie and 13. My daughter is now 22 and she is seen for teen roles (auditioned for one yesterday via agent submission in NYC in fact) and can pass easily for a teenager. Here is an example…take the role of the teenager, Wednesday, in Addams Family on Broadway. Krysta Rodriguez (currently in the role) is 26. I know who is replacing her and am not at liberty to say if not yet announced but that young woman is approximately 25 years old.</p>
<p>I cross posted with mtdog but agree about the point that being cast when an adult is not the same as child casting. In the adult audition pool, which your D will join after age 18, she’ll be up against those with college level training, which is not like auditioning in NYC as a child (I have some experience with this as my D did do some high level auditions in NYC as a child and has done it now that she has a college degree). The training one receives in college, not to mention the broader education and experience, would serve a performer well who is entering the adult audition circuit which is not like the kid audition circuit. In the kid audition circuit, sometimes raw talent can be enough. (my D’s first agent submitted audition in NYC was just prior to turning 11 and she was cast over Lea Michele for the job and Lea had Broadway credits and my kid was a hick from the country with no professional credits…but fast forward to adult age, and that likely would never happen as the audition pool is chockful of very trained actors/singers many with college degrees, and many with major credits and so on)</p>
<p>Pace would be the best program for that.</p>
<p>Just a thought to muddy the waters: here we have a revival of a wonderful classic musical at a well-regarded profressional theatre in our good-sized city. The supporting comic actress is 17, and a junior in high school. Her understudy just graduated with a BFA/MT. The young actress is getting rave reviews. Apparently she was discovered at summer “camp” at the same theatre in the previous year or so. So, the teen got the highly sought-after role and the university graduate (from a school often mentioned here) got the U/S. There are rumors the show will move to Broadway. I am sort of gob-smacked and it makes me wonder again what it is we are up to here! :)</p>
<p>If the point is to obtain a degree, it would probably be best to fully commit to the 4 years of training, and let auditions wait until after. I don’t know that having an impressive resume and Equity membership would be a disadvantage for college auditions, but for schools who deliberately enroll a small class, the attitude that going on auditions is equally important to committing to classes and training, and that if a good opportunity arises, you are anxious to jump ship may be a problem. </p>
<p>If a degree isn’t important, and you are in the NYC area, there are plenty of training opportunities. If the degree matters, then my opinion would be to go for it wholeheartedly.</p>
<p>classicalbk, I believe I know what musical you mean. That is really great about the teenager who is playing that major role at that theater. Truly an achievement. To not take away from her, because I truly believe that is an achievement, casting in regional theater is not the same as casting in NYC/Broadway where the talent pool if full of young adults with significant MT training and/or degrees and a 17 year old would have a harder chance there to compete for casting against a 22 year old with more training who can appear 17 on stage. In any case, kudos to that girl who obviously has a bright future! Should it transfer to Broadway, it would be amazing for her (if she got to stay with the show). As an aside, that is a great role and my D was cast in that same role her final year of high school but never got to perform it due to severe injuries and was out of everything for the entire spring of her final year of school.</p>
<p>MusThCC…I agree with your points. I recently had a student whose initial draft of an essay on “Why I want to attend X college” mentioned wanting to be near NYC so she could audition for work and I thought that really was not a good thing to mention as the commitment to the program may be questioned by adcoms (not to mention that realistically it is hard to fit in professional auditions all that much when in a BFA program). There are other benefits to being in or near NYC for someone interested in theater, however.</p>
<p>My S is a freshman at Pace. It is a fact that a number of the kids in his class of 24 have already had “success” in the performing arts world before college - been in Broadway shows, worked regional theatre, are equity, and are currently working in the NY theatre community while still in school. Pace MT students are allowed and even encouraged to audition outside of school (with permission of the faculty). We have a Jr. that is just going on the road this month with Wizard of Oz in the role of Dorothy. </p>
<p>While I completely agree with the thoughts above regarding the value of 4 years in a BFA program, the flexibility is obviously a need for many kids as they are looking at options. Pace is a great school to consider if this is what you are looking for!</p>
<p>My S is a freshman Theatre major at a BA program in the middle of NYC (Fordham) and he doesn’t have time to audition because he’s so busy with school. Could he make the time? I guess. But right now getting A’s in his classes is a priority for him and that means studying instead of auditioning and his schedule is already very busy with classes and theatre lab hours.</p>
<p>He did work professionally in NYC from age 10-16 and decided to take a break as a HS junior to focus on school. His management/agent team was divided on whether they thought this was a good idea…some agreed that just being a “normal” teenager was important and this was a good time for that given the difficulty in being hired at that age; some didn’t want to see him lose momentum. But he has always felt that his path to a long term career included a college degree and probably graduate school. It is true that some of his peers have gone on to great success and he is genuinely happy for them if a little wistful at the life he left behind. But he still says he wouldn’t change a thing and he has maintained his professional connections and will jump back into the business when the time is right for him. </p>
<p>It is definitely a personal choice as to whether your D should look for a program that allows auditioning or focus on school and jump back in after graduating. But I personally think it will be very hard to do both although apparently it can be done. There is a Theatre minor at Fordham who chose NOT to major in Theatre because she wanted the flexibility to continue auditioning and she has. Majoring in Theatre will make it much more difficult especially in a BFA program and the further you get from NYC. My S’s plan originally included auditioning for short term/local work during the summers but now even that is changing as he is planning on taking classes so he can complete a double major. I recommend that you look into all kinds of programs and hopefully when it comes to enrollment time your D will have different options and can make the decision as to which kind of program she prefers then. A LOT can change in the time between applications and enrollment.</p>
<p>Good luck! :)</p>
<p>Some of the specifics of the college audition process are lost in the blur of that time, so I apologize. But I know I remember more than one school saying that they do not allow leaves of absences from BFA programs even for performances. My D was not planning on auditioning during that time so I did not pay closer attention, but the gist of it was that the sequence of classes had little flexibility and they try to “cast a class” so they have balance of voices, styles, M-F, etc so if there were students coming and going different semesters it could affect the other students as well as the student taking the leave.</p>
<p>Sandkmom - totally agree with your points. These kids are very busy with school - especially in performing arts programs. At Pace - it is not “common” for those in the BFA program to work outside of school. I would say of the appoximately 100 in the program (over 4 years), it is a small percentage that actually does this (like a few of you have said - there isn’t that much work for this age group). However, if it is the case that one of them DOES get a fantastic opportunity, Pace is very accomodating and helpful in assuring that they DO stay in school and get their degree. </p>
<p>In my mind there is no right or wrong here. If a kid happens to be fortunate to get the “role of a lifetime”, especially ones that have already worked professionally and are “ready” for this type of work, good for them! It is a personal choice. So - saying that - it is good to know going in what the school’s position is on this. Like bhmomma has said, the schools seem to be quite clear up front what their policies are on this, so if you think this might be a possiblity for your child, better to be in a program where they don’t have to “drop out” if they do get an opportunity.</p>
<p>^^^There is definitely no right or wrong here, it’s a personal choice. And it’s great for kids that want to continue auditioning/working that Pace allows it. And given their location it’s got to be easier than a school 4 hours away. But still not easy. </p>
<p>I just think that you lose a sense of freedom when you are auditioning given that you are always on call and any plans you ever make might have to be changed. Yes, you can stipulate with your agent what types of calls you want to go on and limit your auditions if you have a good relationship and they are ok having a client that is not 100% committed to working right now. But still, when they call, you almost always end up dropping everything. And if you’re lucky enough you book the job which is great yeah, but now you are committed to that job above all else. Now put yourself in a BFA program where there is usually little flexibility to begin with. And then take yourself out of NYC and add travel time. It still might be possible but very, very difficult. </p>
<p>Is it worth putting yourself through all that? Yes if that is what you absolutely want. But I’m pretty sure that some do it because they fear missing out on the “role of a lifetime” and I just think that you have to be realistic about the chances of that when making your decision. </p>
<p>That is not what my S wanted. He wanted to be 100% committed to his education and training not half and half. But maybe other people DO want that and have the drive to do it all. That’s why it’s such a personal choice. </p>
<p>But I have also felt that my S’s plan has evolved over time and it continues to evolve and that is why I recommend that a person investigate different types of programs so they will hopefully have different options to consider come enrollment time.</p>