Strong acting AND strong academics?

paradoxical
Fri, 31 Jul 2009 07:56:14 +0000

I agree with the suggestions of Northwestern and NYU. But I would put UC San Diego and UC Irvine ahead of UCLA, unless you’re more interested in film/television than stage acting. Both offer very strong undergraduate drama with a solid knowledge base in fine arts, practical experience, and close professional ties. (Although their graduate theatre programs are easily in the top ten, undergrads do get performing opportunities, including lead roles.) They have the academic quality and variety you are seeking, with undergraduate research and excellent medical schools. UCSD has a residential college system; UCI has a Campus Wide Honors Program in addition to honors programs in the Drama Dept. Double majors or major/minor (s) are fairly common.

With the exception of UCI’s musical theatre BFA, auditions are not needed for admission to the major. (UCI’s musical theatre BFA requires auditions after a year as a drama major.) UCSD theatre arts is more avant garde and UCI’s drama dept. is oriented more toward classical and musical theatre. UCSD is particularly strong in laboratory biomedical science and cognitive studies, while UCI is very strong in a wide range of humanities including critical theory and writing, dance/movement and social ecology/law/public health.

Rutgers (Mason Gross) and the University of Minnesota (ties to the Guthrie) also come to mind.