# College Search for technical theatre (please help)



## tngillette (Jul 8, 2008)

Hey, I'm going to be a Senior in Highschool this fall and I'm currently looking for colleges that have technical theater programs. since this isn't considered a "Major field of Study," it's difficult to find any. If you could please tell me that would be awesome thanks


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## gafftaper (Jul 8, 2008)

There are lots of great colleges out there. Do you have a specific part of the country you want to go to school in? Do you want the best program in the country regardless of cost? State school? Private School? Small program? Large program? Do you have any idea of what specific degree you want or how you think you want to specialize yet?


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## Footer (Jul 8, 2008)

There are TONS of schools out there, answer the above questions and we can help.


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## lieperjp (Jul 8, 2008)

Have you taken your ACT or SAT yet? There should be a box in the "future career" area that you can check. You'll start getting A LOT of mail. Most of it junk once you do the research. But some of it is good stuff.


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## ruinexplorer (Jul 9, 2008)

Have you started to build your portfolio yet? If not, this is a project you should be working on over the summer. This might also help you discover the field that you are most interested in.


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## tngillette (Jul 9, 2008)

gafftaper said:


> There are lots of great colleges out there. Do you have a specific part of the country you want to go to school in? Do you want the best program in the country regardless of cost? State school? Private School? Small program? Large program? Do you have any idea of what specific degree you want or how you think you want to specialize yet?



I was thinking going from north carolina up to michigan. 
I'd like to be able to stay under 25-30 thousand dollars for tuition. 
I'd prefer private but I'm open to look into public.
I'm not looking for the best program in the nation, but I also want a program that is willing to teach me stuff so I'm not wasting my time.
I've been light designer for the past couple years and I've gotten better at it and I might want to continue that. I have no desire to get into sound but management has seemed a possibility for me.
I don't have a portfolio but my teacher and I are going to start putting one together this year because I'm doing an independent study with him. There is no chance of having a completed portfolio by the time I apply for college but I will at least have a concert and the fall play done so I can always submit those.

Thanks for helping me by the way.


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## Footer (Jul 9, 2008)

Do a search for portfolios, I have written a huge amount on that subject and what has worked for me/what I look for in them. 

My roommate (at least for the next few weeks until the next job rolls along) is going to be a senior in lighting design at North Carolina School of the Arts. Its one of the best undergrad programs in the country, he seems to enjoy it. There is a stigma behind the school, but its up to you on that one. I am also working with the scenic designer/props master from U of M here, and he really enjoys that school, though their spaces are a bit limiting. There are a pretty good number of schools in that area, and if you expand your search into Ohio and Illinois, your possibities will be huge. Where do you live currently?


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## tngillette (Jul 10, 2008)

Oh I'm open to ohio and Illinois

I currently live in Virginia


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## icewolf08 (Jul 10, 2008)

As people have been saying, there are many good college theatre programs throughout the country. If you are interested, we have started a list of CB members and where they went/go to school. I would imagine that any one of the people on that list would be happy to tell you about their scholl and the program they were in. You can find that list here.

One of the big things that you should do is visit a bunch of schools. It is very important to find a school that you will be happy at. Go talk to the students and the faculty and see if these are people who you can see yourself spending four years with. Also make sure that you like the location.


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## Grog12 (Jul 10, 2008)

tngillette said:


> Oh I'm open to ohio and Illinois
> 
> I currently live in Virginia



In Michigan look at Saginaw Saginaw Valley State University

Look at Virginia Commonwealth University 

In Ohio look at OU, OSU, and (#1 on the list since you're a LD) University of Cincinnati's College-Conservatory. Jim Gage is a good proffesor.


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## Shakspeares suck (Jul 12, 2008)

i am also looking for good colleges, there is one where i live, university of Northern Colorado, it has an awesome technical theatre program.

and i also would like to know what kind of things to put in a portfolio


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## derekleffew (Jul 12, 2008)

Simply type "portfolio" into CB's search box. This is a good, on-topic thread.


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## Grog12 (Jul 12, 2008)

Shakspeares suck said:


> i am also looking for good colleges, there is one where i live, university of Northern Colorado, it has an awesome technical theatre program.
> 
> and i also would like to know what kind of things to put in a portfolio



I'm a graduate of UNC and another member Pip goes there currently.


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## Brilliant2007 (Jul 14, 2008)

Tngillette...

There are plenty of great theatre programs out there...UC's College Conservatory of Music (CCM), North Carolina School of the Arts, Boston University, Carnegie Mellon, Cal Arts...just to name a few. The important thing to remember is that just because a school is "Number One" does not mean that it will be the right program for you. Everyone is different and everyone excels under different circumstances! The best thing you can do is to visit as many schools as is possible.

Find a copy of Stage Directions Magazine or check out their website...theatre schools advertise very heavily in there because many high school drama programs recieve the magazine. Check out their website or back issues for articles about various schools...there are lots! Live Design and Light and Sound America is also another good source.

Good Luck!!

BRANDON


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## ishboo (Jul 15, 2008)

If you are looking at schools in Ohio I have been too for about a year now, I've found that OSU's program is fairly small but some people like that setting. (Cincinnati Conservatory of Music) CCM has a great program and is currently on my list. Another school that isn't that well known is wright state in Dayton Ohio they have a pretty good sized program, I've known almost 15 people who have gone through the program and loved it. There is no grad program so there isn't as much competition for design postions and they do several producitons a year.


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## derekleffew (Jul 15, 2008)

See this thread by a (then) current student of Wright State University. We haven't heard from her in some time. I suppose we should be glad that she didn't succumb to the force and become addicted.


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## thommyboy (Jul 20, 2008)

Looking in Illinois there are excellent programs at DePaul. They are more of a conservatory program, but I know a number of people who have gone through the Lighting program there and loved it. However because of the conservatory style there is less room for exploring other areas of theatre. I personally graduated from Illinois State and loved it. Julie Mack runs the lighting program there and is an OUTSTANDING professor. 
One thing to keep in mind when choosing a technical program is to make sure that your professors are still spending time working outside of the school. Too many people get caught in the world of academia and never find there way out of their 'ivory tower'


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## ishboo (Jul 20, 2008)

thommyboy said:


> Looking in Illinois there are excellent programs at DePaul. They are more of a conservatory program, but I know a number of people who have gone through the Lighting program there and loved it. However because of the conservatory style there is less room for exploring other areas of theatre. I personally graduated from Illinois State and loved it. Julie Mack runs the lighting program there and is an OUTSTANDING professor.
> One thing to keep in mind when choosing a technical program is to make sure that your professors are still spending time working outside of the school. Too many people get caught in the world of academia and never find there way out of their 'ivory tower'


DePaul was my first choice for several months and it looks like they have a great program. The problem is that I'm also hoping to double major, I talked to their admissions officer and "due to the intensity of the conservatory curriculum pursuing a double major is not possible" so now I'm looking elsewhere.


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## thommyboy (Jul 20, 2008)

My roommate one year was an acting and computer science double major. Kicked his butt. And as anyone that has gone through knows, the time demands in and out of classes for a technician are higher than those of a performer. I was a double in tech and theatre ed with a minor in Industrial Tech Ed...just about killed me, but I would never trade a single sleep deprived minute of it. (good training for load ins)


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## TimMiller (Jul 24, 2008)

I have heard Denver University has a good one. Its a private school, friend of mine went there and she found a job fairly quickly.


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## CynicWhisper (Jul 24, 2008)

As a Denverite, I know a lot about both DU and U of Northern CO. I know a few talented people who go to DU, I know their lighting professor and she is lovely. But it seems to me that if you want to pay their extravagant tuition, there are places with better facilities and programs. DU is not a school I would choose to go to for theatre. Their programs are much better for music and such. 

UNC is lovely and quite cheap compared to most schools you'll look at. I was surprised to know that a few on this forum go there, as I have a ton of friends who also go there. If I were to go to a school in state, I think I would have gone there. 

In my search, I looked at Carnegie Mellon, SUNY Purchase, Emerson, Depaul, BU, Ithaca and several others. Incidentally, I did not look at Southern Methodist university until they called me and willed me in. And alas, after months of searching and visiting all those great east coast schools, I'm going to Dallas. I'd be glad to tell you what I know about any of the schools I mentioned, but as I learned, it's really best to talk to professors and visit. I never expected I'd be going to SMU until I visited. Let me know if I can help, I suffered through the whole application process just last fall.


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## The_Guest (Aug 16, 2008)

Check out University of Michigan's School of Music/Dance/Theater's design and production program. They also have a BTA program for management and producing if you want to be involved in entertainment/theater but don't want to do technical or performing as a career. I have a friend in it and he loves it.


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