Here at OnStage Blog, we spend months compiling, researching and comparing college theatre programs to come up with what we feel are the very best colleges in the country. While names like Tisch, Juilliard, Emerson and Baldwin Wallace get plenty of attention, there are a ton of schools out there with incredible programs that deserve more.
Read MoreMany of you may have been accepted by various colleges all over the country. So let me first say, congratulations!
But unless you have the means to not worry about such things, with every college acceptance comes the same question, how do I pay for this?
Read MoreMusical theatre becomes a more popular college major by the day. Well over a hundred colleges across the United States currently offer an undergraduate degree in Musical Theatre, not to mention the countless programs in Theater or Acting alone. The most popular type of Musical Theatre degree by far is the BFA. Many of the most elite musical theatre programs confer their graduates with BFAs, and getting into a BFA program can become a bragging right amongst competitive, theatre-minded high school seniors.
However, there is another type of Musical Theatre degree, one that is often overlooked: the Bachelor of Music in Musical Theatre. Compared to the vast number of schools currently offering degrees in musical theatre, only a relative handful have BM Musical Theatre programs.
Read MoreYou think your kid is talented (what parent doesn’t, right?). Maybe talented enough to make a career out of this music or theater thing. But those careers are pretty unstable, aren’t they? There must be a million actors waiting tables hoping for their big break and musicians working ‘day’ jobs so they can play with their band at night. But maybe, just maybe--your kid could be the one to make it. So you agree (maybe reluctantly) to look at college music and theater programs.
I’m a flutist and college music professor with over 30 years of teaching and playing experience. In 2017, my older daughter decided to take auditions for collegiate musical theater programs. While I am very familiar with how auditions work for music programs, adding theater to the mix brought new challenges. I started reading as much information as I could. I had several panicky moments--what if she had never taken tap dance lessons? What about acting camp? Should she ignore her school theater program for other opportunities in the community?
Read MoreNow that we are towards the conclusion of the audition season for Musical Theatre and Acting BFA programs, I know that everyone involved may be a little stressed out. However, it's never to early to turn attention to the Juniors who are preparing for this process next year. As an audition coach, let me offer some observations to both students auditioning and faculty members who are adjudicating auditions next year. Hopefully, my observations will make the process a little less stressful.
Read MoreWhether you’re preparing to chase that Broadway spotlight or planning on operating it, most of us who choose to pursue a theatre degree in college have been pestered with that one dreaded query: “Are you sure you want to do that?!”
Read MoreOne of the great things about theatre is that it can encompass many different disciplines. Those who work or play in theatre know that it is so much more than meets the eye. If there was ever an art form where the tip of the iceberg metaphor applies, it is the theatre.
A college student or any student can sometimes seem overwhelmed with the choices of electives thrown their way. So here are some electives that I have found can help develop skills that can carry over into the theatrical world.
Read MoreTheatre history, script analysis, and dramatic lit are vital areas of the art-form for you to understand…and to strive towards expertise in. I know that that sounds daunting and intimidating. I understand that these classes require long hours of reading and studying, paper writing and research. I know that it’s more fun to be plotting a set design on Vectorworks, or doing Suzuki movement exercises, or sewing, pulling props, or building. But the foundation that you are laying now will shape those designs, help you to use that intense energy, and help you to find the correct props. You can do this. Your professors are here to help.
Read MoreThere is little doubt that there are some fantastic programs in Canada. So we wanted to make sure we gave them their proper attention for any students that may be looking to study there. We base our rankings on tuition/financial aid/scholarships, curriculum, faculty, career support, basically, everything you yourself would consider before making a college choice. We even have gone as far to call admission offices to ask them questions.
So without further ado, here are our picks for the Top Five Theatre Colleges in the Great White North.
Read MoreHere at OnStage Blog, we spend months compiling, researching and comparing college theatre programs to come up with what we feel are the very best colleges in the country. While names like Tisch, Juilliard, Emerson and Baldwin Wallace get plenty of attention, there are a ton of schools out there with incredible programs that deserve more.
So we wanted to highlight some of these underrated programs. Whether they are programs that have amazing facilities and curriculum or have a ton of value when it comes to their cost, these are schools that are doing tremendous things in theatre that might not be known on a national level.
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