Theater/Drama Colleges Part 4

xiggi · November 3, 2008, 7:10pm

**By Catherdingmom (Catherdingmom) on Sunday, August 08, 2004 - 01:27 pm: Edit **

Alwaysamom, thanks! My son is attending a Shakespeare camp, and we went to see their showcase yesterday. Such an amazing group of talented performers! If this is representative of the pool of talent across the country, the decision of who gets in a college’s theatre program is very, very difficult. Maybe the small details are even more important than I thought.

**By Catherdingmom (Catherdingmom) on Sunday, August 08, 2004 - 01:37 pm: Edit **

Thesbohemian, have FUN in this senior year! When you have time (yeah, right!), let us know how the year is going. I’m expecting to hear about some pretty exciting Adventures of Thesbohemian this year!

**By Bookiemom (Bookiemom) on Sunday, August 08, 2004 - 04:56 pm: Edit **

Catherdingmom: for my D’s college auditions, I took her 8 X 10 senior portrait photograph and made high-quality color photocopies. This served just fine as a headshot for college level auditions. It was an upper body and head pose in a casual outdoor setting.

**By Doctorjohn (Doctorjohn) on Tuesday, August 10, 2004 - 07:47 pm: Edit **

Just to let everyone know, the Unified audition information has been updated for 2005. Here’s the link:

<a href=“http://www.otterbein.edu/dept/thr/unified.htm[/url]”>http://www.otterbein.edu/dept/thr/unified.htm</a>

Hope to see many of you there!

**By Catherdingmom (Catherdingmom) on Tuesday, August 10, 2004 - 09:20 pm: Edit **

Thanks, Bookiemom. I take it that your D will be off to college in the next few weeks. My congratulations and best wishes to all the parents and theatre kids who have shared your experience here and on the musical theatre thread. The information and experience you share will make the path a little clearer for this year’s seniors. (And yes, we certainly need all the clarity we can get! LOL!)

**By Valerie (Valerie) on Wednesday, August 11, 2004 - 11:30 pm: Edit **

Henpecking In

will report mroe in few days if not sooner

Valerie

**By Mtmommy (Mtmommy) on Friday, August 13, 2004 - 10:08 pm: Edit **

Thesbohemian–If you’re out there anywhere, would you be so kind to help us out on the #23 MT thread? We need somebody to start up #24 and put the links in. Puh-lease?

**By Thesbohemian (Thesbohemian) on Saturday, August 14, 2004 - 09:13 am: Edit **

Mtmommy, “Soytenly!”

So, Catherdingmom wanted the continuing adventures of Thesbo I was just reading the MT thread and thought it ironic that types were being discussed. My first day back at school, I got pulled aside, yelled at, and banned from working out in the gym except for yoga and light lifecycle work until I smooth back out. Apparently, I got too muscular for my teachers tastes. I couldnt afford the Pilates he wanted me taking over the summer and just got happy with weights and aerobics classes. I need Rosalind, not a ****** action star! So, now we have both a fat list AND a too cut list. So, kiddies, the lesson for the week seems to be that if youre a type, dont make any changes in your appearance without checking with the people wholl be casting you first.

As far as headshots, it cant hurt to have some good ones. If you live anywhere near a professional theatre, give them a call and find out where the actors get theirs done. Also, back to the first point, once you have some good ones, dont change your appearance before the auditions.

**By Catherdingmom (Catherdingmom) on Saturday, August 14, 2004 - 11:45 am: Edit **

Hmmm…Thesbo, too cut, huh? That really aggravated me, and I wrote two different posts, and deleted them both because as a responsible adult (which I am most of the time), I shouldn’t put more of a negative spin on this. Just suffice it to say that IMHO Shakespeare himself could have coped splendidly with a “more cut” Rosalind. (Come to think of it–he probably did! lol) Assuming you didn’t pump up like the Governator, I would say the man overreacted. Just keep in mind, when you’re onstage accepting your Oscar or your Tony, you do not have to name him in your list of people to be thanked.
OTOH, I’m just thinking that having a concrete reason NOT to work out in the gym doesn’t sound half bad to me.

**By Thesbohemian (Thesbohemian) on Saturday, August 14, 2004 - 01:38 pm: Edit **

LOL@“Governator.” Seems like everybody around here is “too” something. In his defense, he’s actually right. I’ve always had scrawny little arms and shoulders and tried to do something about it. Now I have scrawny little arms and shoulders with a prominent Cephalic vein and striated triceps! As far as being called “too” whatever, it’s really just something actors are going to have to get used to. Supposedly, everybody in the real world is always being told they’re “too” something. Too tall … Too short … Too skinny … Too fat … Too pretty … blah, blah, blah. Just gotta grow a thick skin. I assume it’s the same in hardcore college programs. At least it’s not like last year when I got accused of having an eating disorder. If you’d ever seen me eat, you’d know just how funny that idea is. If I ever get lucky enough to give an acceptance speech, I’ll definitely mention him, though. I wouldn’t have had a prayer of getting accepted into over half the colleges on my list without the training I got last year and, voila, this year the bar has been raised. Hope my legs don’t get any more cut trying to jump it … Remember, most Marines love their drill sergeant when they look back on their training. He’s so gonna kill me if he ever runs across this thread!

**By Doctorjohn (Doctorjohn) on Saturday, August 14, 2004 - 09:08 pm: Edit **

Thesbo:

Along with catherdingmom, I think it’s great that you buffed up over the summer. But if you’ll accept my two cents, I don’t think the lesson is that you have to check with casting directors before you change your look. You have the right to do anything you want with your look, except in one instance: if you’ve been cast in a role. The director has the right to expect to see the same actor at the first rehearsal that she saw at auditions. The lesson is, if you’ve been cast in a role, and you want to change your look, gain weight, get a tan, cut your hair or change its color, ask the director and the costume designer beforehand. S’allright?

**By Thesbohemian (Thesbohemian) on Sunday, August 15, 2004 - 09:01 am: Edit **

Comprendo. Apparently not the case around here. I LOVE the role, though. How often do you see Rosalind in auditions? “Love is merely a madness …” Too bad most of my schools only want to see contemporary.

**By Doctorjohn (Doctorjohn) on Sunday, August 15, 2004 - 03:25 pm: Edit **

Thesbo:

I don’t see Rosalind that often, mores the pity. It’s a great role. If I were you, I’d prepare something from it for auditions. Even if you don’t use it up front, you have it if they ask for a classical piece–and many schools will. In fact, I recommend that actors have four to six monologues prepared. I can’t tell you how many times we’ve ending up taking someone on the basis of a monologue they didn’t lead with.

**By Mtmommy (Mtmommy) on Sunday, August 15, 2004 - 05:17 pm: Edit **

Thesbo–Thanks so much for starting up that new MT thread! Your skills are much appreciated.

**By Notarebel (Notarebel) on Monday, August 16, 2004 - 05:27 pm: Edit **

OH MOY GOWAD!!! WAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAA!!! Thesbo - I thought that was you on the MT thread but I wasnt sure until now. Good job on the incognito thang. Guess who just got a new nickname??? ROFLMAO You know dang well you wont go to those safeties so get them off your list! Poor little miss Michelle Pfeiffer lookalike on the too cut list. Awwwww! Those of us on the too short list send our condolences. LOVE YA SWEETIE!!! k

**By Thesbohemian (Thesbohemian) on Monday, August 16, 2004 - 10:32 pm: Edit **

Hi, honeeeeeey! Shhhhhhhh! Why doncha tell us YOUR choices, Miss Carnegie-Mellonhead? Michelle Pfeiffer? Pu-leez! Love ya blind, m’sweet! MUAH!!!

**By Notarebel (Notarebel) on Tuesday, August 17, 2004 - 05:41 pm: Edit **

Why certainly Dahling. I am applying to Carnegie-Mellon, DePaul, Boston U, NYU, Rutgers, Roosevelt and Emerson. All the talk on this board about Minnesota and Michigan also has me interested. I also want to do as many walk in auditions as possible in Chicago including any British schools that are there. If I dont get accepted anywhere after all this training I will take it as a sign from the theatre gods and either slash my wrists or major in something else at a local state university that would identify us both and get me strangled by you and you, in turn, by our esteemed drama faculty if the nazi administration doesnt get you first. Now we share the danger my scrumptious blue eyed chickadee. Muahahahahaaaaaaaa! Any comments?

P.S. Everyone on this board should join our whole studio, teachers and just about everybody in our school in putting a mojo on thesbo’s mom until she agrees to open up her college trust fund to let her go where she wants. Da girl is da bomb!

**By Mtmommy (Mtmommy) on Thursday, August 19, 2004 - 01:14 pm: Edit **

In all your research on theatre schools, do you have names of schools that offer a semester or year in London? I know I’ve seen this in the past, but now can’t remember which schools.

**By Alwaysamom (Alwaysamom) on Thursday, August 19, 2004 - 07:10 pm: Edit **

Mtmommy, Tisch has some wonderful study abroad opportunities.

[Fall/Spring</a> Study Abroad: Tisch School of the Arts at NYU](<a href=“Special Programs”>Special Programs)

**By Mtmommy (Mtmommy) on Thursday, August 19, 2004 - 07:40 pm: Edit **

Alwaysamom–That figures. Dad’s only input in this college decision process is that D can’t move to NYC as a freshman lol.

**By Thesbohemian (Thesbohemian) on Thursday, August 19, 2004 - 09:47 pm: Edit **

Mtmommy,
Two of the schools on my list have semesters in England. At FSU, its part of the standard curriculum progression and takes place first semester of the junior year. It is also encouraged at Evansville at their Harlaxton Campus, though I dont have any details on how it relates to theatre students. I think its mainly just a cool place to go to get remaining general education requirements out of the way during the junior year.

Speaking of GE requirements, one of our seniors from last year wholl be going to CMU in a few days just posted her schedule on her Live Journal. I so envy her. She actually gets five hours off during the day on Monday, Wednesday and Friday! Shes still wall-to-wall on Tuesdays and Thursdays, though. Its motivation. She got a lot of her GE crap out of the way through AP like I’m trying to do. Oh, well … Back to work so I can do the same next year wherever I end up!

**By Thesbohemian (Thesbohemian) on Thursday, August 19, 2004 - 09:49 pm: Edit **

Notarebel,
Dont put a mojo on my mom! Shes coming around. Probably wont change my list much, except that I’ll probably change a couple of choices away from the tiny schools and itll free me up to do more walk-ins at the unifieds. Thanks for the thought, though, Hon. MUAH!

**By Wct (Wct) on Sunday, August 22, 2004 - 12:55 pm: Edit **

Thesbohemian-

It is beneficial to get good grades on your AP exams and/or take some college classes for transfer. My S is at CMU and as an actor he was able to free up some time because a couple of classes he took at our local junior college transfered. Unlike the MT’s, actors have to take an elective every semester. The unit total actors are expected to take is unbelieveble, (the average is 54 units per semester) so anything you can do to free up some time is very helpful.

**By Dcmom3 (Dcmom3) on Tuesday, August 24, 2004 - 05:42 pm: Edit **

Mtmommy,
Boston U’s BFA theater program has a semester in London during the junior year.

**By Thesbohemian (Thesbohemian) on Wednesday, August 25, 2004 - 06:16 pm: Edit **

Wct,
Yes m’am. Her schedule is fairly tight even with all the AP credit. Besides her theatre classes, she has a history class and some kind of computer lab. Then, she has a production class from like 6:20 10:20 every night. Still, Id so kill to have that five hours off in the afternoon right now. Instead, I get five hours of sleep most nights. Can you say evil, mean, burnt-out caffeine junky by December? Better now than later, I guess. Therell be a little more time the second part of the year. No more tests or papers due this week, though! at last …

**By Thesbohemian (Thesbohemian) on Friday, August 27, 2004 - 01:16 pm: Edit **

The schools I’m planning to audition for call for a song as part of the audition. Miami even wants two contrasting songs. Exactly what are they looking for with this? Real singing ability for possible MT casting? Versatility? Personality? Do the selections necessarily need to be from the MT repetoire? I guess my teachers will probably suggest a few once we get into college audition mode, but singing is really not my strength. Any singing role I should be cast in should be like the karaoke Cameron Diaz did in “My Best Friend’s Wedding.” I’m not THAT bad, but can be worse if need be. I’m actually fairly good at country music. I can see the Juilliard audition now … "Hello. My name is Thesbo Thesbohemian and I will be performing Bride from “Blood Wedding,” Cindy from “Domestic Tranquility,” Rosalind from “As You Like It,” and “LESSON IN LEAVIN’” by Jo Dee Messina.

**By Catherdingmom (Catherdingmom) on Friday, August 27, 2004 - 02:22 pm: Edit **

Thesbo, the really good thing about “Lesson in Leavin” is that I guarantee nobody else will be doing it! Now I have something to laugh about as I go about my chores. And I need that! I just discovered that last year’s calendar must have gone out in the recycling bin. You know the calendar I’m talking about–every family has one. The one that has where everybody was supposed to be, what they were supposed to be doing and at what time. So when my S is trying to figure out how many extracurricular hours he has (and I think there were about a billion), it’s going to have to be purely a guesstimate.

**By Thesbohemian (Thesbohemian) on Saturday, August 28, 2004 - 10:09 am: Edit **

Catherdingmom,
LOL I learned that one last summer when my boyfriend took me some place I really wasn’t supposed to be. Biker women go totally bonkers over it after a few drinks. I’m thinking my contrasting selection should be “I’ve Got Friends in Low Places” or “Freebird.” Maybe some of the auditors will have a little “red around the collar.”

They make us log our EC time here, so getting it for last year is easy. My 9th and 10th grade time was a little harder to figure and is also a guestimate. It’s weird how much time I spent on other things besides drama back then. Those bus rides to away games really add up! Seems like a totally different life, now.

Yay! I don’t know what was said, but the drama faculty had a phone conference with the mom and she’s agreed to show me the money if I get accepted somewhere good and don’t get a full ride. I guess pressure from the grandparents and my uncle added up, too. Woot! I’m still tied down to applying to “matches” where one is at least a possibility, though. Makes sense, I guess. You can really only audition at so many places and it’s a way to screen them.

**By Notarebel (Notarebel) on Saturday, August 28, 2004 - 12:52 pm: Edit **

Thesbo – Ooooooo I’m gonna tell! You sing great sweety - for an alto that is. (muahahaha) do a jazz song and stay out of your upper register and head voice … and QUIT DATING OLDER GUYS WHO GO TO BIKER BARS! Ainchu got no sense gullfreeund? Cool about your mom. Now i can lift the mojo.

**By Wct (Wct) on Saturday, August 28, 2004 - 12:59 pm: Edit **

Thesbohemian-

I would suggest no pop tunes or country at your auditions. Find a MT song that is in your register. One that is easy to sing but shows off the quality of your voice. My S was asked in several of his acting auditions to sing. Good thing he was prepared.

**By Alwaysamom (Alwaysamom) on Saturday, August 28, 2004 - 02:28 pm: Edit **

Thesbohemian, I have to echo Wct’s advice here. The auditors will definitely want to see a MT song if they request that you sing, not pop or country. It’s also a good idea to have more than the required number of monologues prepared. They often will ask if you have another that you could do. And, as always, be familiar with the entire play and be prepared to discuss.

Just returned from taking D back to NYU. We had a delightful week in the city moving her back and happily got out of town before the Republicans descended.

**By Thesbohemian (Thesbohemian) on Saturday, August 28, 2004 - 05:21 pm: Edit **

Wct and Alwaysamom,
Thanks. I have monologues out the yin-yang, but no MT songs that wouldn’t have to be way overdone. Do you by chance know of any easy songs from semi-obscure musicals that are written for a young leading lady type who happens to be a non-belting alto? Is it okay to just sing soprano songs in a lower key?

Notarebel,
YOU really ought to fit some MT auditions into your schedule little Miss Better-than-most-of-the-voice-majors-mezzo-soprano-belter with God only knows how many years of ballet training before you switched to acting. You can even read music and play instruments.

What? Am I supposed to focus my romantic attentions on the approximately fifteen non-gross straight boys in our entire school? Pu-leeze! That’s part of what worries me about some of these pure conservatories. More of the same? Starbucks after dinner, m’sweet?

**By Wct (Wct) on Saturday, August 28, 2004 - 07:18 pm: Edit **

Thesbohemian-

Without the opportunity to hear you sing, it would be hard to give advice about MT tunes that fit you.

You may want to look at MT songs for character roles.

Sometimes I check out tunes at Amazon or the MTI, (Musical Theater International) web site. You won’t get to hear the whole tune but you hear enough to tell if you have an interest in it or not.

The best bet is to get together with a voice teacher or an accompanist and spend an hour or so looking through material.

Good luck.

**By Doctorjohn (Doctorjohn) on Tuesday, August 31, 2004 - 07:26 am: Edit **

We’re in danger of this thread slipping into the archives, so as the kids are wont to say, “Bump.”

I do have a question. Thesbo & Notarebel, what do the teachers at your school recommend as an approach to choosing monologues? Do they pick ones out for you? Or do they send you looking? and if so, what kind of guidelines do they give you?

**By Alwaysamom (Alwaysamom) on Tuesday, August 31, 2004 - 09:19 am: Edit **

There’s an interesting discussion in the parents’ forum about classes, class size, who’s teaching, etc. I thought I’d copy my reply here, and in the MT thread since there may be some who would be interested in this information, too.

NYU

Studio classes:
Movement – 17
Performance Technique – 17
Repetition – 17
Script Analysis – 17
Voice – 17
Speech – 17

All are taught by faculty at Atlantic Theatre Co. They are all experts in their respective fields, individuals such as dancer Renee Redding-Jones, Broadway actor and founding member of Atlantic Mary McCann, actor Cynthia Silver, actor/director/writer Anya Safir, professional voice and speech advisor and teacher David Wells. Almost all are also full NYU profs at Tisch and all have BFA, most have MFA.

Intro to theatre studies – lecture of perhaps 80, seminar of perhaps 20. Full prof.

Intro to theatrical production – same as theatre studies. Full prof.

Honors seminar taught by actress/playwright Anna Deveare Smith (if any of you are West Wing fans you’ll know who this is). – 20

Writing the Essay (required of every NYU freshman)
lecture – 80
recitation – 15
Taught by the dean of Tisch.

Theater/Drama Colleges Part 4

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