College Programs
Why go to a university or conservatory to learn to act, dance, sing, design, direct, or write, as opposed to simply taking classes at one place or another? Simple acting advice: To fully learn your craft.
Craft is a simple-sounding word, but it's appropriate. A craftsman is someone well-versed in both the technical and artistic aspects of an art form. Good actors are craftsmen: They create a performance based on tools such as phrasing, gesture, movement, timing, and so forth. University training gives you this actor's resource, and much more.
An extended training program — whether for a B.A, a B.F.A., or an M.F.A. — is a great source of acting advice and will teach you a wide array of both basic and advanced skills, from text analysis, voice and movement to stage combat, improvisation and mask work. In addition, you'll hone your talent by performing in both professional and non-professional productions with other students at the same or senior level.
What's more, the friendships you make at college can serve you long into your entertainment careers. Actor Sigourney Weaver and playwright Christopher Durang became friends at The Yale School of Drama and worked together many times in the following years, including plays such as Beyond Therapy, The Nature and Purpose of the Universe and Sex and Longing.
Finally, earning a college degree confers professional respect in a way that single classes or coaching doesn't. For instance, if you decide to teach, having a degree provides a platform which makes it easier to get a certificate.
When choosing a university to attend, consider first which schools teach the specialty you seek. Then, weed out the ones that teach the subject too narrowly; good acting advice, the best programs teach both strong fundamentals and specific skills. Finally, compile the list of finalists, pick your top five choices, and apply to all of them. We hope the Actor's Resources has given you some guidance. Good luck!
LINKS
What's Your Specialty?
College guide to the performing arts.
A Matter of Degrees
Sifting through the alphabet soup of theatre programs.
Theatre Students Prepare to Step from School to Stage
Actors and other theatre professionals — playwrights, designers, directors, stage managers — must learn their craft.
A Slightly Different Path
Are training programs outside the traditional degree options right for you?
College Dancers Conquer Real World Challenges
The life of a professional dancer is rigorous, competitive, unpredictable, and self-driven.
They Make You Feel Like Dancin'
Teachers in college dance programs.
Colleges/Conservatories With Theatre Departments
A list of theatre departments at selected colleges, universities, and conservatories in the United States offering degrees or certificates.
Colleges/Conservatories With Dance Departments
A list of dance departments at selected colleges, universities, and conservatories in the United States offering degrees or certificates.
Choosing Your Direction
The following are questions to consider when selecting a film school that's right for you.
Take Two
Lesser-known schools offer affordable, accessible alternatives in film studies.
College Film Departments and Film Schools Guide
A sampling of film departments concentrating on production and offering degrees or certificates at colleges, universities, and conservatories in the United States and Canada.
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