Alright, now. I auditioned for the BFA acting program at my school last spring, didn't get in, I am over it, but...I'm in a dilemma.

I either want to audition again or I want to do the BFA Performance and Production major. Basically, in P&P, you learn a little more about everything than just acting.

Here's my thought process:
BFA P&P- I can learn all aspects of theatre and I think that'd be really cool, yet my main focus is acting. I also saw an interview with Tommy Lee Jones and he was talking about a movie he did with Oliver Stone, and Oliver went up to him and asked him what he thought his costume should look like. Tommy was able to answer that he wanted a fo-hawk type thing and a pencil thin mustache. I would love to be able to do that, if I were asked. I would love to be able to contribute to the creation of the character in other ways besides acting. I plan to get a Master's in Acting no matter what happens, so I will get training no matter what.

But...

In BFA acting, they break you down and bring you back up, and I think that would prove incredibly beneficial for me. I want to be able to have my emotions at my fingertips when I need them to be, I want to be able to be vulnerable in my acting, but a tank when I don't get a part, I want to be able to get to the core of me, but protect myself in the real world.

So, what do you think? Again, I plan to get an MFA in acting no matter what. There is no way I can do both.

I was also wondering if they break you down and bring you back up in classes with teachers and/or in MFA programs?

I do think it's "safer" to do it in a place with professors and students that I would know, then with strangers all around.

What I notice is when you graduate with a BFA or MFA, you end up having to unlearn things. A business degree will serve you better. Part of acting is experiencing life to the fullest. Get involved with college life as much as you can so you can come out with a rich story to tell with your life experiences.

Good training is good training, and some of the best training can be found in studios, not universities.

I have a BA (not a BFA, which I am gratful for, as I needed to take history, biology, etc. making me a more well rounded individual and thus a better actor).

The acting training I received in NY and LA in private studios was much, much better than any structured program I was enrolled in while obtaining my degree.

The best actors in the world never obtained a Theatre degree or even went to college. Good training is good training. And, many programs for BFA's and MFA's are very structured and require the actor to almost put blinders on to the outside world while training in the way they deem 'correct.'

Go backpack across Europe,go work on a cruise ship, claim bankruptcy, go sit at a mall and people watch all day. These things will make you a much better actor and give you experiences you can draw upon for your entire acting career.

At the end of the day, find what works for YOU and don't be taken in by a school, or a method or a degree just because someone states it is the best thing for you. Only YOU know what works for you. And you learn that by living life. And failing at many thngs.

Break Legs.

By the way, my BA is in Theatre. But my MFA is in life.

quote:

Originally posted by Prospective:
BFA P&P- I can learn all aspects of theatre and I think that'd be really cool, yet my main focus is acting.

This sounds like a crap program. BFAs are supposed to be highly specialized - either in performance or production... not both. You can get both with a BA at any University and have MORE versatility, MORE practical experience/knowledge, and be better prepared to explore graduate studies (or whatever it is you might want to do).

BFAs can be extremely demanding on your schedule for 2 or 3 years. The ones I'm familiar with tend to completely cut you off from the outside world while you're in the program. Even some Theatre BAs do that. If you REALLY want a BFA, do it in a very specific area (acting, costume design, stage management, etc.) and realize that it will limit most of your future choices upon completion.

I don't want to say that a BFA is wrong for you... but you have the opportunity to look at your short and long term goals and decide what will suit you best. I only suggest you take that opportunity to do so.

Some of you guys are telling to get into college's life as much as possible so that afterwards we have stories and experience which we will need. Other guys are telling to buckle down on your studies since you're doing an Acting degree, and you need all the training and all the reading you can get/do. So, of course, you can do a little bit of both, but you definitely cannot do more of college's life for experience then, or more of studying.

So, people who have seen life and have experience, what to choose - college life, hard studies and acting training, or a little bit of both? I am getting confused.

I am currently thinking about doing as much reading/studying/training as possible and almost forgeting about going out and drinking, and stuff. Although I would like to hear advices from other people, and maybe then I may have to reconsider everything.

I really plan my every future life's step thoroughly, don't want to mess up anything before I get into the business. Thanks in advance!

quote:

Originally posted by Pavel:
Some of you guys are telling to get into college's life as much as possible so that afterwards we have stories and experience which we will need. Other guys are telling to buckle down on your studies since you're doing an Acting degree, and you need all the training and all the reading you can get/do. So, of course, you can do a little bit of both, but you definitely cannot do more of college's life for experience then, or more of studying.

So, people who have seen life and have experience, what to choose - college life, hard studies and acting training, or a little bit of both? I am getting confused.

I am currently thinking about doing as much reading/studying/training as possible and almost forgeting about going out and drinking, and stuff. Although I would like to hear advices from other people, and maybe then I may have to reconsider everything.

I really plan my every future life's step thoroughly, don't want to mess up anything before I get into the business. Thanks in advance!

Drinking is unnecessary!

quote:

Originally posted by TRUTHTELLER59:
Drinking is unnecessary!

Sorry. What I meant was "drinking and STUFF", and yes - drinking is not neccesary, but you still spend plenty of time doing other stuff besides drinking, but not training or studying or reading or...

Thanks, Truthteller59.

The practice that you do towards acting does NOT have to be all day! I'm sure you've practiced or studied something for hours and got nothing from it, but you've practice/studied something for only an hour or less and got it down pat.

quote:

Originally posted by Pavel:
So, people who have seen life and have experience, what to choose - college life, hard studies and acting training, or a little bit of both? I am getting confused.

This is just my opinion:

I think the TYPICAL high school grad should NOT go straight into college. Move out, get your own place, and discover yourself. If I had the opportunity to do it all over again, I would have probably gotten jobs in large national parks on season. You get lodging, decent work schedules, you get to meet tons of people from around the world, and you get to learn what it's like to be responsible for yourself and those around you. It doesn't have to be national parks for you, that's just what has always interested me.

A short stint in the military isn't a bad idea either. In any case, I think it's important to find something that will cut the umbilical cord, get your hands out of mom and dad's wallet, and something that will involve travel, responsibility, and discipline.

I went to college for 3 different things in the 8 years after high school, I only finished 1 degree, it was technical degree, and it was something I ended up disliking. I, like many people, was very misguided at that age.

At 35, I'm back in college now to get my BA in theatre. Do I need it to act or to work in theatre? Probably not... I've come a long way in a short time. But I took a lot of time and energy to assess my situation and make the best choices for my specific circumstances. What it came down to was a couple things: 1.) taking the time to get my BA would not be detrimental to any acting/theatre career I might pursue, and 2.) having a Bachelor's degree is 10 times more important right now than it was 2 years ago. Especially for someone like me who may need a fallback plan because I got a late start in this industry.

I do think an education is very important. But I don't think formal education is right for everyone in every situation. It depends on you. But for the most part, I do stand by my opinion that once one is out of high school, they should get out of Dodge for a couple years.

Hope that answers your question.

Hi, Prospective. I hope you're well.

I wanted to chime in because I'm in the exact same position you're in. I was accepted into a BFA program for acting. My major is "theatre" with an emphasis in "acting and directing." (They don't have a just acting emphasis unfortunately.) I was told I would learn the most about acting with this major emphasis and still have the opportunity to learn more about acting in all aspects of the theatre.

Okay, so what could be a problem? I'm learning about acting which I love more than anything, right? Wrong. Wrong. Wrong.

What have I learned so far this semester? I've learned how to sow and I can't even do that. We are told that we will get a job by sowing a button on a costume. Hello, I've worked for an agency, auditioned actors, and sat on cold reading workshops and readings. No one has ever said, "I see you can sow, so I'm giving you the job!" There's also things about building sets, lights, costume aspects: history and sowing, etc...Very few acting classes here. I only have one more and that's an elective!

What did I do instead? After the advice of a New York career coach, a voice coach, and other industry professionals who I respect and trust, I did what they told me for months even two years...Don't Major in Acting because it is Theatre Based! By theatre based, I mean crew. Now this may be what you're looking for. You may want to spend your life doing crew work. Crew's fine and I'm not looking down upon it. However, I have no mindset for crew and have no interest in it. I would do something else, another profession, before I ever work just doing crew. I'd like to write, yes, but acting is it for me (singing as well). I will not find that in a theatre major. Knowing your goals, Prospective, you are very ambitious like myself and I don't think a theatre major would serve you the best.

I wish I listened to everyone sooner, but I had to experience that for myself. Now if it was a school like UCLA or NYU Tisch School of the Arts maybe this advice would not be true. Then again, these programs are more conservatory based and you learn no marketable skills in the workforce: acting or not.

I have decided to switch my major to Speech Communication. It was either that or Psychology. Speech had less hours left! Theatre will be my minor.

Still, I have yet to see how college helps you become an actor. Through unpleasant expereinces, it has forced me to really articulate my thoughts very well, so of course this will indirectly help with acting.

I hope this helps. Let me know how it goes and feel free to PM me.

And don't worry. I enjoy your questions and learn a great deal by you asking them. No question is stupid, just the one you haven't asked.

Good Luck!

I'm sure you have plenty of info already, but I'll throw in my two cents:

Pretty much all of the actors I know that went to school for acting (no matter what school) don't end up using that degree unless they continue with teaching later in life.

In addition...a 'degree' in acting has never shown to me that someone can act better than someone that doesn't have a degree (same with union status).

If someone can act...they can act. If they have the look that's needed...they have the look that's needed. If they have the look and talent...they either get cast, or a call back.

Having a degree in acting on your resume has never meant anything to my friends and colleagues. And also, the director friends I have really don't care what school you went to...they care how you can act, what you look like, and what kind of a person you are.

Cheers.

Just when I think I've finally figured it out, someone comes along with something different from a different point of view, and it makes me have to start from point A all over again! Damn!

Thanks everyone for the feed back, but I have another thing you may want to consider also.

I haven't been acting for too terribly long. I got into acting my Junior year in high school, loved everything about it, now I'm in my Junior year in college. There's part of me that really wants to not go to school for a semester, and really sit down and think about what I want to do. I know for a fact that I want to act professionally. I would be the happiest person in the world to do repertory theatre for the rest of my life. I'm afraid I haven't had enough experience yet to drop out of school. I want to get a degree. That is what I have to get. Maybe I can just get a BA and then go get some training up in New York, and work really hard up there. I'd rather start off in Chicago, but...

Ok now I'm rambling. Thoughts? I just want to get paid for what I love to do. I want to keep my options open, but I want the options to lead me to getting paid to act. Plain and simple. I have other goals within the goal to act professionally, but ya'll don't wanna hear about them.

A couple more thoughts:

True, a theatre B.A. may not teach you how to act... necessarily. But it can teach you how to be an actor.

Someone mentioned that they have no use for sewing. It's obvious they've never worked in theatre outside of school... where, if a button falls off your costume, you don't have costume staff to sew it back on.

That is why costume construction is required. To prepare you for situations rising actors will find themselves in. Until you reach the top 5% of acting work in theatres, you won't be working with a full theatre staff that has access to full theatre facilities. You have to do A LOT of your own work. You have to perform a number of jobs.

On top of that, theatre is a collaborative effort. It requires communication, understanding, and patience for your fellow workers. By understanding a little bit of everything (what the set designer, lighting designer, stage manager, and production manager has to deal with) you are better equipped to help everyone cooperate in bringing a VERY complicated piece of art to life.

College also lets you experiment with the different aspects of theatre without a sink or swim mentality. You might find that you like design more than acting. Who knows?

Finally, if you're smart, you'll do well and make solid contacts while you're in a college theatre program.

So... a degree may not get you an acting job. But the things you had the opportunity to learn in school might give you a professional edge over the next guy. I've gotten gigs because I can act. But I've been personally asked back by directors because I'm professional.

And this doesn't mean I'm 100% for going to college. You have to assess the situation for yourself. What I don't like is people who disregard college as a viable theatre education. It's perfectly viable. It's just not for everyone.

Thanks Pauly. I think that was a great answer.

A man I know from way back when who is an actor recommended that I do P&P and get a minor in Marketing. He said that a Business minor is too general, and that marketing will be good for learning how to advertise and sell myself.

I think I agree, I'm just gonna be SO damn busy, which is fine.

Any thoughts?

Do you need to go to college to be an actor? NOPE! Does it help? Maybe...

I majored in both business and an arts related degree in college (I didn't waste my time with grad school). The business degree was my best decision for many reasons. Because of it I have been more successful than my colleagues who have either started the same time as I did or have been doing this much longer. Thanks to my business degree, I have been able to successfully market myself, network effectively, be more professional, avoid scams, know tax loopholes/write offs, etc. It has also helped me produce multiple streams of income so I can pursue acting because I enjoy it and NOT as a source of income.

This is called show BUSINESS, not show-screwing around.

My beef is with year+ institutions/BFA/MFA programs is this. I believe in being more diverse in my training. The year+ programs can sometimes be like factories where they churn out actors who are taught pretty much the same thing through a structured curriculum. What might work for one person, will NOT work for a different person.

Also, a lot of the conservatories and BFA/MFA programs have strict policies such as NOT being able to audition outside of their school or study at other places simultaneously. I think this is limiting to the actor. The actor should have the freedom to audition for outside projects and add to the current curriculum.

I agree that getting a degree in acting can help you prepare for life as an actor...

...but even better? Actually doing it. I learned more in the first two features I worked on than in my entire time at college. Is this always the case? I suppose not. I suspect it probably depends on the individual. And not that I breezed through my acting degree in school...I sucked the marrow out of it...but still, I learned more actually busting my butt on set, then I did in class.

Cheers.

Yep. Doing it is the best way to learn.

Many actors and many people don't take the time in life to find what works for them. If someone says they should get an MFA, they do it. Just as many unemployed MFA's as BFA's and people with no degree whatsoever. I say question everyone and everything in life. I say try new things and take what works and leave what doesn't. Live life so you have lots of experiences to draw upon.

I believe in education, but education comes in many forms. Not just degrees. I have a BA in Theatre. The degree helps me the most in obtaining survival jobs. But the best acting training I received was from studios in NY and LA and just acting on set and on stage.

Only you know what works for you. No teacher, no school, no one.

quote:

Originally posted by TRUTHTELLER59:

quote:

Originally posted by Pavel:
Some of you guys are telling to get into college's life as much as possible so that afterwards we have stories and experience which we will need. Other guys are telling to buckle down on your studies since you're doing an Acting degree, and you need all the training and all the reading you can get/do. So, of course, you can do a little bit of both, but you definitely cannot do more of college's life for experience then, or more of studying.

So, people who have seen life and have experience, what to choose - college life, hard studies and acting training, or a little bit of both? I am getting confused.

I am currently thinking about doing as much reading/studying/training as possible and almost forgeting about going out and drinking, and stuff. Although I would like to hear advices from other people, and maybe then I may have to reconsider everything.

I really plan my every future life's step thoroughly, don't want to mess up anything before I get into the business. Thanks in advance!

Drinking is unnecessary!

“ I feel sorry for people who don’t drink. When they wake up in the morning, that’s as good as they’re going to feel all day. "

Frank Sinatra