Hidden Gem Theatre Schools

StrangeBro
Fri, 14 Dec 2012 07:12:36 +0000

I’ll throw in for my school. Just wrapped up my first semester at Chapman and I love it here. The training is terrific and the program is expanding aggressively-- we’ve got a new performing arts center under construction and there’s talk of adding a musical theater BFA soon.

What we’ve got right now is a program where one auditions into BA Theater, and then has the choice of either continuing on that track, or auditioning into BFA Theater Performance or BFA Screen Acting (the latter of which is a dual degree with the university’s nationally-renowned Dodge College of Film and Media Arts) at the end of the freshman year.

The freshman class started at 54 (performance and technology majors together, although there were only about 10 techs in the year IIRC) and we’re down to about 46 through attrition already. The BFAs accept about 18 each year per program.

All told, these past four months have been some of the best of my life. It’s hard work, make no mistake, but to be surrounded by people who are clearly so passionate about it is an incredible breath of fresh air.