She has decided against pursuing a BFA MT, instead pursuing creative writing. While acting bring her immense joy, she does not fit the ingenue role. She’s a 5’11" alto (though with one heck of a range), in her high school shows she’s been cast as a male many times - leading roles which have been great, but definitely not what she’d prefer. She knows what an uphill climb getting into a program would be, not to mention then making a career of it. I won’t lie, it makes me sad, as her mom I can say with certainty she is never as happy as she is on stage singing and dancing. Nothing comes close. But I also get her practicality.
Her thinking is to major in her other love, writing, and then hopefully either minor in theatre, audition for school shows where permitted or do community theatre. She’s great at wig design and has considered majoring in that (which I think gives you Webster and UNCSA) but knows that she’d be too busy to pursue acting even as a hobby during college.
I’m so darn conflicted on all of it. Part of me really thinks pursuing MT would find her at her happiest. Drama groups are built in families often. But also know full well that part of ADHD is what’s called RSD, rejection sensitivity dysphoria. No matter what people do, you take it as being rejected, even when it’s not that at all. But that would make a life that comes with massive amounts of real rejection, a struggle that might not be the best for her. Sigh. I feel like the parenting manuals lacked all this kind of info!
My daughter left her theater design BFA program after 2 years and the lead designer to pursue her interest and changed schools to do it. She was also on stage in high school (went to a performing arts high school) and we loved going to shows she designed but in college and in Chicago as an assistant. She is a very creative kid and has used this creativity to create art in different ways and even combining it with social justice causes. My point is her creativity will serve her well going forward. Also small theaters would love a wig person. They are hard to find that do it well.
There are plenty of places that have theater majors that aren’t BFA, and that don’t require auditions to admit. She should look at those. Some of those might make it easier for her to pursue her interests.
And oh, wow, wig making! That is a rare skill. Most costume professors should be able to help her with independent work in that area.
This ^^^. She can do wig making etc as an elective or on her own with a professor at some schools. Even schools with bfa programs sometimes will have outside kids from other majors to be part of productions. Talent is talent. So if a theater program on campus have her talk to that department
Some schools would give merit for her to go there btw. Some will let walk-on try out. Again talent is talent and trumps most other things in this area. Have her have some sort of pictures or portfolio of her designs or work samples. She doesn’t need anything fancy since talent is talent… Lol…
My daughter took over doing make up like day one as a freshman since she had 4 years of it in high school. They let her bypass that area since she was like teaching the juniors what to do. She had an interest in wigs also
Again, it’s a niche but needed skill and not easy to do correctly.
Also look for schools that do their own student productions. Some are quite good. Sometimes better and take more risks then the main stage productions. Usually almost all student run so “many” opportunities there for her.