@lojosmo and I’m speaking from my child’s experience. She was with one of the top youth agencies in NYC. The fact is that agents only get a certain amount of spots for each call. I’m glad your son is having a good experience with his agency. But I’ve known plenty of people with great, reputable agencies that still need to do their own legwork in addition to what their agent can do for them.
My D’s first YES came via email today from SCAD (Savannah College of Art & Design). Now we can breathe a little easier.
And note that I’m saying this as the mom of a kid who’s going to get showcased next year before graduation. She’s at a school where all BFA students participate in the showcase. So it’s not like I have an anti-showcase bias because she’s at a school that doesn’t have one, or that has one that she’s not guaranteed to participate in. I just don’t want folks thinking that if their child doesn’t participate in a showcase, or doesn’t get signed from that showcase, it’s the end of the world.
Agreed. Not the end of the world but certainly helpful! 
@lojosmo. Certainly can’t argue with that!
@hfstt201 Congratulations to your D!
Re: showcases: I would not pick a school based on whether or not they have a showcase. I would base it on whether or not alums are working and where. Ask questions. Are the ones that are working doing so because they were in their senior showcase? Or did the work come about in other ways? Also ask questions about the showcases themselves: when are they held? what % of students get representation? who attends (are they decision makers or underlings)? Not all showcases are created equal. Some schools do multiple showcases. For example, OCU, where my D attended, has a number of showcases (NY, LA, Dallas) All require an audition. But you can audition for however many you wish. Or you can choose not to audition, which many students do. Not everyone wants to be in the showcase. And not everyone gets selected to be in the showcase. The key point is this just because you choose not to be in a showcase does not mean you don’t want to work or get representation. And just because you are in a showcase does not mean you will get work or representation.
Many schools leverage their relationships with casting directors and agencies by inviting them to campus for master classes and other programs. You may have a better shot meeting them and being noticed on your own campus than at your showcase.
I think showcases can be fun and a nice way to wrap up a collegiate career. And certainly there are people who get representation from showcases, but I do not think they are the end all/be all. Ask questions. You may find out there are other equal or more effective ways to get work and representation than by being in a showcase. Like with all things, do whats right for you. My point is, don’t put more weight on a school having a showcase than is warranted. A school hosting a senior showcase is no guarantee of anything. And you might be missing out on a great school with great training just because they choose not to have a showcase.
Question on the importance of showcases: so far we have heard very positive results from the parents of males. I wonder if the results for females are different. If your daughter signed with an agent (pursuant to a showcase), are you similarly having great — don’t ever need to go in open calls — results? It’s possible that the competition for females (and their willingness to attend open calls) makes using an agent to secure female talent less important. Just wondering. I have no view on this.
Just a thought…totally love all your comments - the showcase comments would be a really great standalone thread! That way it’s there for others to find in the future - all packaged up and tied with a bow.
^^^right - hence my comment about showcase. My girls (one a junior, one a freshman) have yet to go through the process so I can’ t comment directly. A number of the girls from my S class are getting in the rooms as well but I don’t know about open calls.
If y’all can stand one more observation re: “Showcase: Life After Graduation from a BFA Program” - D started auditioning when she was still a student, well before showcase (a benefit of a NYC-based program). She did it to be “seen” by casting people. If she didn’t get a callback, so what; she was still in school. Her experience has been that once you’re “seen” a number of times, the casting folks start to remember you. Now when she sees a gig she wants to audition for, she sends in her headshot and resume (wait until you folks out there find out how much THAT costs; D changes her headshot frequently), and often they give her an appointment… no getting on the line at 5 or 6 a.m. Does she still go on open calls? You bet; and she LIKES it. Apparently, misery loves company; she’s made a ton of friends on the lines! Then when (if!) you get a callback, that’s an appointment, too. This is NOT AN EASY LIFE, but it’s the life our kids have chosen.
Remember that open casting calls are just that open to anyone. Two of dd’s friends met up in line for an open casting for a traveling production. The vocal major wasn’t cast but the biology major was.
I’m just going to insert a random observation here, apropos of nothing being discussed at the moment.
You may know that Webster University MT students can audition for roles in the St. Louis Repertory Theatre. A couple of weeks ago I went to see the Rep’s production of The Wolves – WOW, best show I’ve ever seen at the Rep!
Afterwards I was looking at the program and realized that a few of the cast were Webster MT juniors and seniors – I had assumed all cast members were professionals. Can I just say WOW again? I am SO IMPRESSED with the level of acting skill they displayed! And how well the cast – students and pros – really did come across as a seamless “team”. (Full disclosure: I’m saying this as someone who got in trouble on another thread for commenting that some alums from some schools can occasionally be sort of “meh” when you see them on stage – apparently I’m a bad person for not declaring that everyone who studies theatre is always above average – so, I’m not one who is going to say those Webster students were amazing if I didn’t mean it.)
Huge thumbs up to anyone considering Webster, and huge congratulations to anyone who makes it in! (My kids didn’t even consider Webster – too local, lol)
I agree that showcases are not the end all and be all. However, getting representation, however you obtain it, is very helpful to have. My D did showcase and she got an agent through it. A year or two later, she switched agents. She has never attended an open call since graduating college. She is not auditioning right now because she is too booked up with work. As well, sometimes you can be called in for something because they know you and are interested in you. That has happened to my daughter. My D has also been on the other side of the casting desk in terms of casting shows she has been on the creative team for and many people cast were simply asked in for the role. A lot of networking also exists in this field.
@lithpool , D auditioned for Wright State in January. They said notices would go out after the final audition. I did notice on my USPS informed delivery that a label had been created for Priority Package from Dayton yesterday. D was accepted academically a few months ago, so it is probably just her regular admissions package. I can’t remember if she received a packet from them or not yet. I have a love/hate relationship with informed delivery, but since we have an address similar to ours on a nearby street and get mail for them and vice-versa, I need USPS informed delivery.
We were at Hartt this morning and they said they have had more applicants than ever this year for MT - 800. They asked for patience in getting responses out. Also, they said they notify by snail mail. Seems like a really nice program and very focused on the acting.
@mtmom3girls Thank you for the info on Wright State. I’m smiling about the informed delivery things, bc S told me yesterday, we HAVE to get it…lol…I told him we will NOT be getting it. We are already driving ourselves crazy.HA!
@kittysmom12 congratulations on the acceptance to Tisch! My daughter graduated in May 2017 and she would tell you there is nothing scary about it being a larger program. Although, Tisch accepts many more students than other programs, those students are spread across 9 studios and then they are further broken down into teams/groups within each studio so the result is that their classes typically have about 15 students in them with the same small student:teacher ratio as in smaller programs. One of the benefits of a larger program is the variety that results. Tisch is not limited to putting on productions that only call for small casts because there are enough students to perform in the cast. You are also not always performing with the same group of 15 students but instead have the opportunity to work with many different performers which is a great way to grow. However, because within your own studio the groups are small you will also get the opportunity to perform in the small performances that your studio puts up. Please let me know if you have other questions!
I wasn’t really dissing students putting up a GoFundMe page to finance their showcase, it just made me kind of sad that it is so expensive. My D is a senior elsewhere and each student had to contribute $200 and the school paid the rest. That seemed reasonable after laying out $220,000 for an education! I agree that it is not the be-all-end-all. Like others have said, getting representation is nice but it is not a dead end if you don’t. I also think it is okay for assistants to attend rather than the big dog. Assistants will go back to the office and make suggestions for the agent to meet with. Happens all the time. I think it is SUPER important for your student to get a list of who will be attending before they fork over the $. In my opinion, having casting directors there is more important than having agents. In addition, research the agents. Having no agent is better than having a bad one.
@“Jamieand Winthrop” Thanks for the comments about Webster. That’s one of my D’s hopefuls. She got a great vibe from her audition (but of course with THAT you never know) so it’s nice to get non solicited positive comments. Hoping it’s a yes and they don’t end up in the “dead to us” column.