NKU has a program that is not talked about much here, so I thought it’d be nice to tell what we know about it. When we visited, I didn’t know what to expect and honestly thought I might be underwhelmed, but I was quite impressed! We really liked it!
–There is mandatory advising in the major every semester, and students actually have to go in and talk with their advisors for a while at least once a semester. Students can choose their own advisors, and they can change them if they want.
–The faculty cares about the relationship between the student and the faculty, and the faculty has an open door policy.
–We’ve interacted a lot with the assistant head, and he has been and continues to be extremely helpful with a great attitude and insightful perspectives. He’s obviously intelligent and caring.
–Study abroad is strongly encouraged and supported in the major, even financially ($6,000 in scholarship money per student possible, which is enough for two smaller trips or one semester-long trip). There are many different opportunities for study abroad in the major and outside of it.
–There is the opportunity to study in film classes and participate in films. (There is a school of film.)
–My D was able to sit in on an acting class. The students were welcoming and excited to see her, and there was great rapport among students and between students and faculty. My D thought that the professor gave great insight and that it was a fantastic environment.
–The students were friendly and engaged with each other and my D.
In fact, I couldn’t put my finger on what seemed different as I observed all of these students hanging out together in the theatre building. As I walked to our car, I figured it out: There was not a single person with his/her head in a phone; they were all engaged in each other! Lol. We have received feedback from students who say that the supportive, friendly, cooperative environment within the theatre department is a tremendous strength, and we really saw and felt that on our visit. It made a great impression on us.
–Students often hang out together in the theatre facility between classes and activities. There is a room with fridge, microwave, etc., and they have their own computer/study room in facility.
–We saw Les Mis there and gave it a big thumbs up. Honestly, it had the best, in depth Marius, Eponine, and male students we’ve ever seen–and we’ve seen a lot of Les Mis shows (including shows at professional, regional and quality community theatres and one at a program discussed often here), plus all the others were strong actors and vocalists. It had great ensemble vocals, interesting staging, it was obvious that they were interested in interpretation instead of shock value. One reviewer praised the singing and also said, “NKU’s theater department (which Jones heads) puts acting first, and one of the ongoing joys of the shows is the clarity and believability of character and relationships.” I completely agree. It was so good!
-There is a professional theatre (Commonwealth Theatre) in the summer at their facility. It is “high paying” for students cast in it, which students frequently are.
–It’s completely possible to take dance with the dance majors. In fact–and I might be wrong here–I think that some MT dance curriculum classes are with the dance majors. There is not an abundance of dance in the curriculum, but some/many students use their electives for mostly dance.
–Students are strongly supported at SETC and in the pursuit of finding other professional work during summers. The students’ bios in Les Mis showed this is true.
–The production season is thoughtfully based on providing all periods and styles of theatre, so that by the time a student graduates, he/she will have had experience with all periods and styles. There are many performance opportunities on main stage and black box, plus student productions and films.
–They encourage and support signing up with an agent locally to develop work while in college. Cincinnati is a good theatre city. (They are only about 10 minutes from Cincy, and the students get free bus rides everywhere in the area, including around Cincy.)
–MTs and actors often are together; BAs and BFAs have some courses together. Collaboration is encouraged between all theatre majors.
–They have nice theatre facilities. The campus is newish, so not traditional ivy covered buildings, but I liked it more than I thought I would. It has a large number of commuters, but there are many dorms and surrounding apartments, too. It seemed like a very active, involved campus, not like a typical commuter school.
–A small number (8-20ish) are admitted into BFA before freshman year, and a small number are admitted after freshman year. They base admission not on numbers (thus, the 8-20ish), but on talent and readiness for rigors of BFA in all areas. They consider the whole person and care about character.
–They care about the individual student and about developing artists as well as thinkers and world changers.
–Their cost is lower than most and nice scholarships are available.
–I’m not exactly sure what kind of presence NKU has in the theatre world at large or the size of their network in NYC or Chicago. That is my one concern (but, as many have pointed out, it’s the student/person, not the school…) D’s coach and vocal coach think it’s a good option, but we’re saving the nitty-gritty comparisons for when offers are all in. They do have some who have been on Broadway and in national tours.
Does anyone else have insight into NKU?
