Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Jayma Mays and Regan Burns are Radford University graduates.

RU!

Are we supposed to know these names?

Well, dumb you obviously doesn't.

Encourage your kid to think outside the box too on what he/she wants to do in the entertainment industry. Actors have very little ability to control their own fate but are jsut the face of the industry. If he/she enjoys the creative process encourage them to look into theater tech, writing/screenwriting, producing/directing too. It can be ultimately much more rewarding.

Anonymous wrote:I can't believe no one has pointed out that 9th grade is ridiculously early to be looking at colleges.

Ask these questions in 11th grade.

It's actually not. The arts are just as competitive as soccer, lacrosse, TJ, ect. The earlier you start the more prepared you will be. Things can change during high school, but if you start doing research now then you'll be better off. I majored in music and so many of my classmates had difficulties getting through class work or even just auditioning for admissions into a university. It was a shock to them but I went to an arts high school so I was prepared. Start now, even if theatre changes to engineering. And definitely do a minor or double major in business. You need to balance out the creativity with practicality. And also, think about different career paths for a theatre major. Good luck.

Nyu and oberlin

Yale drama school.

Anonymous wrote:Jayma Mays and Regan Burns are Radford University graduates.

RU!

Are we supposed to know these names?

Jayma Mays and Regan Burns are Radford University graduates.

RU!

You can go anywhere...

Also, people are confusing "making it" with being famous. This actress went to a pretty lame college in upstate NY and has made it as a very successful working actress. You don't know her name but you'll probably recognize her:
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0266441/?ref_=tt_cl_t7

This guy went to the same lame college...
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0215229/?ref_=tt_cl_t2

The others mentioned are great options, but I went to Northwrstern and thus can make a plug for it. I went to school with Seth Myers, Heather Headley, and a ton of other people I've seen in movies, on TV and on stage. But there also is a huge base of alums on the writing and production side in LA that are really good about helping other alums land jobs in the industry. My college roommate and her husband are great examples of both, and they have a ton of other Northwestern friends doing similar stuff.

Agree w Tisch, Michigan for broadway--Carnegie for dramatic.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Any suggestions? My DD is in ninth grade and really taking a look at going this route.

the one that insists on a double major so she can earn a better living than waiting tables.

Does you child actually have talent? I mean, serious talent. Nowhere needs another mediocre theatre major.

Says the kind of parent who belittles and then crushes her child's dreams.

That's BS. It isn't crushing dreams to say that a chosen path is a tough one and a family's finances are limited.

The NY Times did an article two years ago on which schools send the most actors to Broadway and the two top schools (by a wide margin I think) were Michigan and Carnegie Mellon. These are not necessarily lead roles, there are lots of roles on Broadway, and the article explained that these two schools produced the most well-rounded actors, ones who could act, sing and dance. Carnegie Mellon was a surprise to me but apparently not to people in the know. Your child is in 9th Grade, there is no reason to steer her away from what she wants to do, and talking about schools seems like a good idea and likely harmless.

Believe it or not, VCU.

I was a theater major who minored in education. After performing locally for several years I settled down and now teach. The PP is correct, there are more opportunities than just Broadway for theater majors. She may realize she loves costume or set design or stage managing, and have a great career doing that. Or if she minors in business she could work at theaters in an arts management position.

I would suggest attending some summer intensive camps like stage door manor or interlockem if she is serious, especially if she wants to be a performer. It will allow her to see the level of talent she will be up against in college and beyond.


There are good theater schools for everyone... Small, large, urban, conservatory etc.
Syracuse
NYU
Catholic
Richmond
Shenandoah conservatory
Boston conservatory
Marymount Manhattan
Carnegie
Montclair state
Elon
Emerson
uVa
Northwestern
Michigan

For a major such as this with most of the schools mentioned being private and very expensive, you need to consider carefully if you the parent(s) can't pay for most of her college education, how much debt you are willing to let her assume because student loan debt is the one kind of debt that you can't unload even in bankruptcy. It is early in some respect, but then again, it is good to start to point out the high cost of college and start talking about what you can afford to contribute. Then, too, it will make sense to point out a double major such as in teaching or some "skill" aspect of theater as a backup such as set design, costuming, whatever.