in the classroom...
So Many Schools To Choose From

There are a lot of schools out there offering some form or another of Theatrical Training. Those programs can range from a Liberal Arts & Science degree that allows you to take a few classes in the major of Theatre AFTER you have taken a core curriculum of classes that makes you a well rounded and educated individual; or they can be full courses and majors that offer a Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.) or Bachelor of Arts (B.A.). These programs offer a full four-year course of training surrounding you with nothing but theatre, with a small required course format that you must complete. You will have to take a group of classes focusing on: Humanities, Natural Sciences, and Social Sciences; Don't forget about English (Rhetoric and such, good for when you need to write cover letters, acceptance speeches, and award winning plays.). But for the most part you will eat, sleep, and dream of theatre for four years! That type of study will really winnow out the grain from the chaff.

How Detailed is the Program?
Does the program offer you the opportunity to learn as much about theatre as you can possibly handle? The program should introduce you to all the aspects of Theatre: Acting, Stage/Set Design, Costuming, Directing and Playwriting (rare to nonexistant at most schools), Set Construction, Lighting, and Theatre History. That last point is important, even though most students frown at the prospect of listening to dry lectures about ancient Greek theatre. (If the instructor is a wise one, he or she will use multimedia to demonstrate his or her lessons. Duh, theatre is a VISUAL course of study. ) This program will then allow you to choose which specialized field of study you want to invest your remaining years in that program.

The Classroom
Make sure the program offers various styles of acting: Classical, Shakespeare, Post-Modern, Improvisation, Voice Classes, Dance (optional), Stage Movement (including Stage Combat at some schools!), and lots of scene and script work. Most programs will start you out with improvisation and scenework, then build up from there. Somewhere along the way you will learn how to break down a script using various and many techniques. This will help with character development. Take a look at the University of Illinois, Dept of Theatre. They offer a great program that is well rounded and complete. Offering all and more than what I have listed. Plus you can take Singing/Music and Dance from the other two schools sharing the Krannert Centre for the Performing Arts complex.

Another point to look at: What is the teacher to student ratio? Will you be in a generic class of 30 students? Or will this be a great program that only allows a limited number of students, dedicated to studying theatre? If the answer is the latter, then you are in luck. Programs that are exclusive and selective are the way to go. You will be focused, and so will your classmates. My class was only eleven students for three years. We were like a family. We worked together as a team, and sometimes we disagreed like a family. I believe you learn more about yourself, as an actor and as a human being, in this situation. And all of that is good for your future as a professional actor.

Visit the School
If you are going to invest four or five years of your life and your parents money into a program of study, you had better take it for a test drive. Visit the school and meet the instructors. Interact with the staff and the students. See the "state-of-the-art" facilities you have read so much about. Sit in on some of the classes that would be part of your studies. Do not be afraid to ask a lot of questions. The more you know about your choices, the better you will feel when you make your decision.

Also, visit the rest of the campus. Get a feel for what it would be like living and studying in the same town for five years. Will you be comfortable in the Midwest with it's terribly cold and miserable winters, and unbearably humid summers? Can you stand the noisy, and polluted streets of New York? Or do all these factors not really matter? Besides, you are there to learn and work hard, not play in the snow.

Graduation
Finally, does the program offer an opportunity for you and your classmates to show off your talents? Most above-average programs will be close enough to a large city (i.e. L.A., New York, Chicago) and they will help the graduating class set up a showcase. A showcase is a collection of rehearsed scenes performed for attending casting agents, directors, and other important theatre people. This is important to help you get your face out there! This is your chance to shine to a captive audience: They want to see you and what you can do.

Final Thoughts
These are just a few items (whew!) that needed to be addressed. The main point is this: Do some research and find the best school that fulfills and exceeds your needs. You will never live to regret it. Do not settle for an "OK" school. If you will not be happy there, and walk out a better, well trained actor, then don't go! Save your money and apply elsewhere. Best of luck, and Break A Leg!