Getting a Headstart This Summer!

The summer is a perfect time to get a jump start to help you prepare for your College Auditions. With your school year filled with plays, musicals, student council, clubs, sports, community service and homework it is very difficult to squeeze in any extra time for training or reading.  Although many of the summer programs are now filled, there are still opportunities available to further your training. This is the strategy I suggest to my students in order to use their summers wisely and productively.

For my students who are entering freshman, sophomore or junior year I encourage them to do the following:

Read, read, read! You will soon be looking for your monologues. Summer is the perfect time to read as many plays as you can. Familiarize yourself with different contemporary playwrights and see what genres of theatre and characters you are drawn to. Your library will have lots of plays to choose from or you can order online from Barnes and Noble, Amazon or play publishers such as Samuel French.

Does your High School offer Summer School Theatre Programs for elementary or middle school students? If so, ask your drama teacher if you can volunteer to be a TA (Teacher's Assistant) or even Assistant Director to any productions they are planning to do. This is a great way to receive Service Hours and be involved in your high school theatre community.

Outside Training Classes at theatre companies such as the American Conservatory Theatre, Cal Shakes, Berkeley Rep, Marin Rep, Pasadena Playhouse, Torrance Performing Arts are a great place to enroll in classes during the summer. Most programs offer 1 to 6 week sessions and a wide variety of classes to choose from, such as: Voice and Speech, Physical Character, Improvisation, Acting Technique, Master Classes and more. You can live at home while you attend these programs and consequently do not cost as much as camps which are held on  University campuses. These classes are held either during the week or on weekends, so it is possible to get a part-time job and attend a summer session. Almost every program offers scholarships when attending is a financial burden on your family.

Take singing and dancing classes. Even if you are not a Musical Theatre person or applying to Musical Theatre College Programs, this is a great time to increase your strength in these areas as many non-musical theatre colleges will require you to sing 16 Bars at your audition. Many schools also include a movement session as well as part of their audition. This is a perfect time to get that extra training or expand the training you have had! If you are a Musical Theatre student who has been studying ballet since age five, you might consider taking an African or Irish Dance class during the summer, for added variety and technique!

Theatre Camps or Summer Training Programs are also a fabulous way to spend 1 to 6 weeks in training. These programs involve in-depth study of acting and musical theatre techniques and require you to live at the school. Programs such as US Performing Arts Camps (located at different campuses throughout the US) are separate entities from the University themselves; however, in most instances employ faculty members from that particular University. Other programs, such as Boston University Summer Theatre Institute (BUSTI) employ their own faculty members. Classes include, Shakespeare, Scene Study, Mask Work, Alexander Technique, Jazz, Singing, etc. Because these programs include room and board they are generally more expensive, however, almost all these programs offer scholarships when attending is a financial burden on your family. 

There are also many amazing Study Abroad Summer Programs. While these programs are on the expensive side, some do offer scholarship, others do not. Programs such as BADA's (British Academy of Dramatic Arts) Mid-Summer Conservatory at Oxford offer scholarships - whereas RADA (Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts) does not offer scholarships for their "short courses" or summer programs. Programs such as these, tend to focus on classical training.

See as many plays as you possibly can! If you are lucky enough to live close to a City try to see as many plays as you can. Every theatre will offer student rush tickets at a fraction of the cost. There are also opportunities to see free theatre in public parks. SFShakespeare perform shows in the East Bay, South Bay and in San Francisco throughout the summer. In the Los Angeles area there many choices such as Shakespeare by the Sea, Long Beach Shakespeare, West Hollywood Summer Performing Arts Series and Culver City Summer in the Park. There is a huge variety of different types of theatre happening throughout California - expand your theatrical horizon and see as many shows as you can!

Check out your Community Theatre and see if they are casting any shows or need help backstage with props or costumes. Non-union theatres are many times looking for volunteers. One of the best ways to see a show for free is to work as an usher. Community theatre is a great place to participate either by performing or volunteering!

There are also summer programs/camps that offer free Acting or Musical Theatre classes to underprivileged kids who never have the opportunity to take classes. Many times these classes will be taught by High School students. Use your summer break to teach what you love and give back to your community at the same time.

And finally if your grades are a little on the low side - look into summer school at your High School or Community College. This is a perfect time to beef up that all important GPA!

For students entering senior year you should focus on:

Start your Common Application early!  A preview version of the 2011-2-12 Common Application is now available. This document highlights and explains the changes from this year's application. The 2011-12 Common App Online will launch on August 1. Until then, use this preview to familiarize yourself with the application.

Write your essays! I know that is the last thing you want to do during summer, but believe me, it will take a huge amount of stress off of you the first semester of your senior year. I suggest to my students that, at the very least, they write their personal statement and artsitic statement during this summer. The Common Application prompts for the 250 - 500 word Personal Statement are:For students entering senior year all of the above applies, but there are a few more things you should focus on:

1. Evaluate a significant experience, achievement, risk you have taken, or ethical dilemma you have faced and its impact on you.
2. Discuss some issue of personal, local, national, or international concern and its importance to you.
3. Indicate a person who has had a significant influence on you, and describe that influen
4. Describe a character in fiction, a historical figure, or a creative work (as in art, music, influence on you, and explain that influence.
5. A range of academic interests, personal perspectives, and life experiences adds your personal background, describe an experience that illustrates what you would bring to the diversity in a college community or encounter that demonstrated the importance of diversity to you.
6. Topic of your choice.

Along with this essay I suggest my students write an Artistic Statement. Most Theatre and Musical Theatre program have a supplemental application which needs to be completed in addition to the general application. Most of these supplements will require some sort of artsitic statement. I encourage my students to write a 250 - 500 word artistic biographical essay and address what inspires them as an artist and where they see themselves after they graduate from college.

Do lots of Test Prep! There are great tutors out there to help you prepare and learn the strategies for the SAT and ACT. If your last score was not where you want it to be (hopefully at least in the 1800's) use this summer to work on those test scores! Ivy West, Princeton Reivew and Kaplan are great companies offering tutoring. There are also plenty of indviduals who tutor and many high schools also offer test prep courses. All of this is can be costly however. If you cannot afford tutoring, buy a couple of practise daily with your own test taking. Kaplan, Barron's and The College Board all publish great test prep books.

Pre-college programs. Along with the Summer Programs mentioned above there are also Pre-college programs. These programs are designed for students who are very interested in attending that University and are taught by faculty from that program. Most of these programs will present some sort of showcase at the end of the session and will be attended by the faculty members. Although this does not by any way secure a place for you, it does introduce you to the faculty and help familarize you with their specific way of intstructing.  

Again, many of the Summer Camps or Pre-college Programs require auditions and most all deadlines are past - however, there are still options out there!
Please contact me if you are interested in learning more.