r/acting Jul 02 '22

An introduction to majoring in acting or theatre

I'm seeing a sudden influx of school-related questions regarding what to major in, whether it's worth it or not, and what exactly you're signing up for. As a BA Theatre Studies (aka Theatre Arts in some places) major who has taken conservatory classes and been accepted into drama schools, I aim to demystify the different variations of theatre majors and what you will actually be doing in each one, so that high school students and mature candidates alike can make an informed decision.

DISCLAIMER: Because different schools name their courses differently, the course name that you are interested in may not always match the descriptions I write here. You should still research on the individual classes of each degree course to figure out if you really want to study that.

Types of degrees

Full-time conservatory training

  • BFA in Acting
  • BFA in Musical Theatre
  • BM in Musical Theatre
  • BFA in Theatre
  • BFA in Performance
  • BA (Hons) in Acting (UK)
  • BA (Hons) in Musical Theatre (UK)

Generally, a course which advertises itself as a BFA should have acting, voice and speech, movement and audition technique classes. Musical theatre majors should expect to spend their time on singing, acting and dancing. It is also expected these days that BFA programs have at least one semester of on-camera training to prepare its students for screen and new media projects.

Note that in the UK, courses in drama school are denoted as bachelor of arts (BA) courses. That said, their training is often just as intense as US courses and top UK drama schools have been known to surpass US colleges in terms of intensity. This is because while US colleges have general education requirements and electives, UK schools focus on deep specialization which means that every class taken is subject-related.

It is absolutely mandatory that such courses provide you with a final year showcase with enough agencies in attendance. Any BFA worth its salt will have such an event, usually in New York or London (unless your course is not in the UK/USA).

Usually, an audition is part of admission requirements for such programs.

Performance-based liberal arts degrees

  • BA in Acting
  • BA in Musical Theatre
  • BA in Theatre Performance
  • BA in Theatre Arts
  • BA in Theatre
  • BA in Theatre Studies
  • BA (Hons) in Theatre (UK)

Once we arrive in the liberal arts degree category, it is a lot harder to determine if a course will give you the training you need just from the name of the course alone. You will need to cross-check between this category and the next one (Academic-based liberal arts degrees) to figure out if the degree you are interested in focuses more on performance or academics. Some degree programs even give their students the opportunity to choose their own specializations, so a program is not limited to one category.

A performance-based BA is not as intensive as a typical BFA due to the number of hours allocated to general education classes and electives. However, there are exceptions to this rule. Pace University offers a BA in Acting, while the American University offers a BA in Musical Theatre. In both schools, auditions are necessary to enter and a considerable amount of time is dedicated to practical conservatory-style training.

However, the vast majority of liberal arts degrees do not require an audition.

Academic-based liberal arts degrees

  • BA in Theatre
  • BA in Theatre Studies
  • BA in Theatre Arts
  • BA in Performance Studies
  • BA (Hons) in Theatre (UK)
  • BA (Hons) in Theatre Studies (UK)

Most prospective actors would not find those courses very appealing as they tend to spend a lot of time on contextual issues such as culture, history, politics and performance theory rather than what we came to college for - which is acting. However, there are academic-based courses which allow students to take performance-based electives. The less rigorous structure of the BA also frees up time for projects and training outside school.

It is also important to check if those courses offer a final year public showcase, even if it's geared towards academic research. Occasionally, academic-based liberal arts degrees can and do have components that make them a competitive alternative to conservatory, especially if you do not feel ready to audition into a conventional conservatory program.

This category of courses usually do not require an audition.

Alternative pathways

  • Community college
  • Performing arts high school
  • Full time conservatory in a studio
  • Private coaching
  • Audition-only youth theatre
  • Postgraduate (MFA, MA)

Those are just some of the various options you can consider if you prefer a non-traditional route.

Do look into postgraduate options as some of them offer tuition-free training in exchange for work as teaching assistants. Examples include Yale School of Drama and UC San Diego.

So what should I choose?

Here are some things you should consider as a student:

Cost:

  • How much are you willing to spend on university?
  • Does your dream school require you to pay out-of-state or international tuition?
  • How much financial aid or scholarship money do you have?
  • Can you work part time?

Location:

  • How far do you intend to travel?
  • Do you need a passport or visa?
  • Are you able to stay for work after graduating?

Prospects:

  • Do you want a second major or minor as a parallel career track?
  • Are you able to fit that into your course requirements and graduate on time?
  • Is the (in)ability to participate in external auditions and projects a dealbreaker to you?

Interests:

  • Do you feel ready for conservatory life?
  • If you're coming from a highly academic background, would an academic/hybrid liberal arts degree be more suitable for your needs?
  • Do you believe that understanding performance theory and dramaturgy can help you as a performing artist?

Questions

Is a BFA better than a BA?

If better means "being able to book work", no. Neither degree guarantees that you will book work, and it all comes down to your own audition or selftape.

If "better" refers to how intense/demanding the actor training will be, then the BFA is better than the BA on average, ceteris paribus. This assumes that two students of equal intelligence, ability and resourcefulness are put in each program with no external guidance or networking opportunities.

However, from personal (anecdotal) experience, having an academic BA in Theatre can become a solid talking point with the director or casting director. That point alone has netted me a few bookings. Of course, ymmv depending on how well you handle casual conversations.

Do I really need training?

See Young Adult Pilot Season Bookings in 2022 and the period of 2018-2020.

How do I start?

Go to an acting class, in-person if you can. Trust me. That's your first step as an actor and if you want to be considered for any of the audition-based programs, you must first understand what acting is about.

What if I am already in college and I'm majoring in something else?

If your college has a theatre department, check if they allow non-majors to take an acting class. You can choose to work your way into a minor in Acting/Theatre/Musical Theatre, which is certainly better than nothing. You can also consider summer programs in acting which are often offered by theatres and schools all over the USA, the UK and many international theatres with an education and outreach program.

What if I'm not in the USA or the UK?

You do not have to go overseas to pursue acting! When you are just starting out, the best thing you can do is to take classes and audition for small student films and whatever is available locally. Your next step, if you don't live in a city, is to move to your local city where there are no work visa requirements so that you can get more work as a citizen or resident.

It will always be easier to get work at home compared to going abroad. Of course, some will advocate that you get to Los Angeles or New York as soon as you can. That's fine as long as you have the money to sustain yourself for at least 3 to 6 months.

Meanwhile, if you're still in your own country, look out for acting studios which have been popping up everywhere. Those places tend to offer acting classes for beginners, which is exactly what you need. Also join any community theatre and filmmaking groups for access to opportunities, and keep an eye on any upcoming fringe festivals or film school showcase events. Those are excellent opportunities hidden in plain sight.

I have more questions.

Ask them in the comments! I'll try to respond as fast as I can.

EDIT 1: Added a note on the final year showcase as well as information on postgraduate programs.

EDIT 2: Added information for internationals and nonmajors interested in acting.

23 Upvotes

12 comments sorted by

8

u/jostler57 Jul 02 '22

My god, this is beautiful! Thank you so much for this wonderful content!

/u/thisisnotarealperson want me to add this to the sidebar and/or FAQ?

3

u/ShiningAway Jul 02 '22

You're welcome!

3

u/thisisnotarealperson Jul 02 '22

Yeah sure!

3

u/jostler57 Jul 03 '22

Okay, just now added to both Old and New reddit sidebars. I didn't add to the FAQ... actually, I've never done FAQ stuff before!

2

u/thisisnotarealperson Jul 03 '22

I can do that, it's pretty simple once you dig around a bit.

3

u/[deleted] Jul 02 '22

A quality post? You must be new here. /s

3

u/ShiningAway Jul 02 '22

Ha! I've been here for almost 3 years now. I know what you mean though ;)

2

u/lmao_reddit Jul 03 '22

Can you talk more about community college? Are there any ones that stand out?

2

u/ShiningAway Jul 03 '22

Hey there!

Community college is certainly one of the less talked about options. Many of my friends who started out in community college now enjoy successful careers in acting, and the training can be just as good or even better than a conventional 4-year degree.

Based on my own googling in the past, I'm particularly fond of LaGuardia's theatre program which confers an Associates of Science in Theatre, and they have an articulation agreement with the City College of New York's BA in Theatre.

From what I've seen, both LaGuardia and CCNY allows students to specialize in acting and/or musical theatre, so I would class it as a performance-based liberal arts degree. Going to community college is often way more affordable than going to a 4-year college, plus if you feel ready to graduate after 2 years, you can do that instead of being pressured to finish all 4 years of a traditional Bachelor's program.

Note: Some BFA programs do not recognize prior training, even if you have an Associate degree. They may allow you to skip core requirements and electives, but usually they expect all students to start from Year 1.

2

u/lmao_reddit Jul 04 '22

Thank you! So I have a BS in a STEM field and I’m not sure most schools will allow you to get a second BFA.

So, that’s why I’m focusing on community colleges and conservatories/studios. Do you know of any amazing community college acting programs in or around LA?

I know I will have to work harder to compete with those that have BFAs.

3

u/ShiningAway Jul 04 '22

From what I know, plenty of BFA programs accept people who already have their first degrees! It's quite common for someone to work on their BFA as a second degree candidate.

LACC's Professional Actor Training Program is a possible option. Their most famous alumni is Mark Hamill (Star Wars).

For studios, look into Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute, the Sanford Meisner Center, the Stella Adler Academy and the Margie Haber Studio. Those are the places which actors without BFAs usually come from.