bekreim Posted October 17, 2012 Share Posted October 17, 2012 Hi All. I've been creeping around on this website every since I started shopping around for Grad Schools, but I haven't seen any new posts about directing or theatre applications for Fall 2013. Maybe I'm just paranoid and working on my applications too early, or I'm really insecure... but I wanted to open a thread for other people to talk about their progress, where they're applying, and why. I'm restricting myself to four schools, but they are all very different - They all appeal to me for a variety of reasons: Carnegie Mellon University of Portland Boston University University of South Carolina So... if you've heard anything about these schools (good or bad) then please share. Regards! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin_Sparkles Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 I'm also applying to four directing programs. UCLA DePaul Brown Columbia I'm also looking into directing apprenticeships, if I don't get accepted into grad school. How are you feeling about your chances? Directing programs are so difficult to get into; several programs only seem to accept a couple of students a year! And ever since I finished my applications and have entered the waiting period...I'm feeling even more anxious. Brown gives an automatic chance to audition and interview, but the other three I am waiting to hear back from. When do you think you'll hear back? And how does your directing portfolio look? I never seem to be completely satisfied with mine. A costume design portfolio and a stage management book seem to be so much easier than a directing book, just considering all of the different elements you want to illustrate. Also, how much experience do you have? If you're applying to Carnegie Mellon, I'm assuming you have quite a lot. Look forward to conversing with you through this stressful time! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kittykitkit Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 Hi everyone, I am not applying to an M.F.A. in Directing, but I am applying to several PhD in theatre/performance studies programs (UC-B, UT, UGA). I've also noticed the lack of visible theatre/performance types, but I'm glad to know I'm not the only one! I am from the Pittsburgh area, so I know a little bit about the Carnegie Mellon/Pitt/Point Park business, but probably not enough to be helpful. I know the theatre scene in Pittsburgh is pretty active and broad, so it is a GREAT town to pursue theatre studies in. Good luck to everyone! I am having a hard time not neurotically waiting now that all of my applications have been submitted...if I get accepted, I can stop half-heartedly looking for jobs that I don't want...if I don't hear back early...well... We'll all hear back really, really soon! Really! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin_Sparkles Posted January 5, 2013 Share Posted January 5, 2013 It's the really really soon thing that makes me more anxious. I mean, in a matter of a couple weeks we can expect to start hearing things! How terrifying is that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin_Sparkles Posted January 9, 2013 Share Posted January 9, 2013 Haven't heard much from other theatre applicants this season...how is everyone holding up? Where are you applying and what is your area of focus? Has anyone heard anything? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kittykitkit Posted January 9, 2013 Share Posted January 9, 2013 Still haven't heard anything on my end, but has anyone else had the same frustrating experience of having your friends/significant others/etc. ask "when will you hear back?" and "when do you think you'll hear about funding?" - I know they mean no ill will...but I wish I had an answer for them! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin_Sparkles Posted January 9, 2013 Share Posted January 9, 2013 Still haven't heard anything on my end, but has anyone else had the same frustrating experience of having your friends/significant others/etc. ask "when will you hear back?" and "when do you think you'll hear about funding?" - I know they mean no ill will...but I wish I had an answer for them! I definitely understand. I know they're trying to be supportive...but I will be shouting from the rooftops as soon as I have good news to share. Just wish I would hear something...especially since I should be hearing things about interviews by the end of January/beginning of February. I'm thinking of just hiding out with a case of wine until then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vicki Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 Theatre PhD applicant over here! I finished my apps last week. Now the waiting begins! I'm freaking out about rejections, of course, but here's hoping someone says yes--SOON! I applied to: Univ. of Colorado Boulder; Univ. of Oregon; Univ. of Maryland College Park; and Univ. of Pittsburgh. *fingers crossed* Now back to thesis research! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kittykitkit Posted January 16, 2013 Share Posted January 16, 2013 UGH. SO MUCH WAITING. Does anybody else have contingency plans? I'm actually finishing up my master's in library science and trying to apply to jobs in science/federal librarianship while I wait...it's really hard to pretend you would *love* to work at an institution when you're actively waiting to hear back from PhD programs. At least it's something to do besides wait! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin_Sparkles Posted January 16, 2013 Share Posted January 16, 2013 My contingency plan: take a massive road trip around the country, stopping at every winery and hole in the wall cafe I can find. In reality, I am simultaneously applying to internships at various theatres around the country. But I won't be hearing about those until right around the time I'm hearing about grad schools...so it's all just a waiting game surrounded by applications and a large bottle of wine. I'm also starting to think that they just built forts out of our applications to kill some time and make us wait. Or perhaps they use our applications to practice their origami. (Maybe I should give some more consideration to my road trip idea....) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vicki Posted January 17, 2013 Share Posted January 17, 2013 Contingency plan: theatre internships, continue writing/submitting to conferences & publications, and freelance production dramaturgy. I'm currently employed as a freelance theatre reviewer, so I'd continue to do that as well, but I'd need to figure out getting something that pays decently while I wait for application season again. *sigh* Also: it's really not helping when people keep telling me, "Oh, don't worry! You'll get in EVERYWHERE!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kittykitkit Posted January 18, 2013 Share Posted January 18, 2013 I was just dreading the conference/application circuit again...I love what I do, but it would be nice to be in a program for what I love to do, instead of trying to juggle it alongside of employment/other master's programs. @Vicki, that sounds like a good freelance gig! Definitely good for keeping you in the loop if you need to wait another year. Which won't happen, because we will all get into programs and be fully funded. I'm trying this new thing called "positive thinking". @Robin, I know that limbo all too well, waiting and waiting and applying and then still waiting. It's hard to believe that I was in this same position only two years ago, and it's even harder to remember what it felt like to finally know where I was going to grad school the first time around! I always want to go on that fabled cross-country road trip, visiting weird little museums (the Ava Gardner museum is a personal favorite). Got any locations in particular picked out? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vicki Posted January 20, 2013 Share Posted January 20, 2013 @Boston, yeah, it's a pretty good gig! It just doesn't pay very much. I'm hoping I'm not placed in the position of having to work retail (again) or be a barista or something. Oy. Have you heard anything yet? I suppose it's still too soon--we probably won't hear anything until mid-Feb. at the absolute earliest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin_Sparkles Posted January 22, 2013 Share Posted January 22, 2013 I was just dreading the conference/application circuit again...I love what I do, but it would be nice to be in a program for what I love to do, instead of trying to juggle it alongside of employment/other master's programs. @Vicki, that sounds like a good freelance gig! Definitely good for keeping you in the loop if you need to wait another year. Which won't happen, because we will all get into programs and be fully funded. I'm trying this new thing called "positive thinking". @Robin, I know that limbo all too well, waiting and waiting and applying and then still waiting. It's hard to believe that I was in this same position only two years ago, and it's even harder to remember what it felt like to finally know where I was going to grad school the first time around! I always want to go on that fabled cross-country road trip, visiting weird little museums (the Ava Gardner museum is a personal favorite). Got any locations in particular picked out? Everywhere. I will go everywhere. I would, in all seriousness spend some time in Chicago, New York, Florida, Pennsylvania, and Boston. (I know, I know, I'm mixing cities in with states, but some areas I want to got to more specifically than others). Really, I would just love to spend a long time on the road and visit any place that catches my fancy for the moment. And really, really, REALLY...I just want to get into grad school. Vicki- I haven't heard anything on my end, though we are slightly different fields. Theoretically, I should be hearing things within the next week or two...at least for interviews. So theoretically, I will be throwing myself off a bridge in the near future. Has anyone else heard anything? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
direct84 Posted January 23, 2013 Share Posted January 23, 2013 Hey all, theatre directing applicant here, I'm applying to UCSD, CalArts, Carnegie Mellon, Yale, and Brown/Trinity. Brown and Carnegie Mellon have interviews included in their app process so im going up to Chicago for those soon, working on my monologue (gahh!) for Brown. I haven't been on stage since 2004, its all still gotta be in there somewhere...right? (RIGHT?) I'm happy with my portfolio and excited to talk about it at interviews, but it was a real bitch to put together @robin, @bekriem how did you lay yours out? Did you do it digitally or physically? I wish I knew the timeline of when we hear regarding interviews for the rest of the schools to which I applied. i found this page: http://thegradcafe.com/survey/index.php?q=directing&t=a&o=&pp=50 which was interesting but doesn't include interview notification info. although looks like Yale told someone by the 26th of Jan they weren't interested so I guess I'll hold my breath this weekend.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin_Sparkles Posted January 23, 2013 Share Posted January 23, 2013 I have my audition for Brown THIS Sunday. Gah. Fortunately, I've remained active as an actor and I happen to love auditioning (I'm a nerd...I know) so I'm looking forward to the monologue. And it most definitely is in there somewhere! Acting, in many ways, is like riding a bike. I'm sure you'll be fine as long as you enjoy the piece you've selected! I'm rather nervous about my portfolio. It's all put together, so I suppose that I should accept it for the time being, but it's rather difficult. I have both a physical and a digital, as well as a website interested parties can look at. My physical portfolio contains several show images, light plots, ground plans, costume sketches, and sound plots. I've also included a few pages of script with my text analysis and blocking notations. For grins and giggles, I also included a small sample of my work as a costume designer and my electronic portfolio includes a few samples pages of my work as a playwright to illustrate my diverse studies in the theatre world. What about you? How did you lay out your portfolio? I'm right there with you about waiting to hear from programs about interviews. It's all so mysterious. I can't help but feel I won't know until I'm pulled into a shady alleyway by a man in a hat and trench coat. He will pull a folder out, hand it to me, give me a knowing glance and walk away into the mist... becoming nothing but a shadow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
direct84 Posted January 25, 2013 Share Posted January 25, 2013 I've got a website with pictures of my design and directing work but I hadn't made a physical directing portfolio before. I laid mine out in adobe illustrator and kept it to 8 pages (a requirement of one of the schools). I gave a page per production and laid out a few photos with a background of some visual research and little paragraph about how what made my production distinct. I hope your interview goes well this weekend, Im about to make some chili and do some monologue rehearsal! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
direct84 Posted January 31, 2013 Share Posted January 31, 2013 So hows it been goin y'all? I just had my Brown interview yesterday. Think it went well, but hard to say. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin_Sparkles Posted January 31, 2013 Share Posted January 31, 2013 I really enjoyed talking with Brian Mertes. And I just love that program. But it is difficult to tell. Especially when they're only inviting six to the callback weekend and only accepting two. Have you had any other interviews? Or been contacted by anyone? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
direct84 Posted February 1, 2013 Share Posted February 1, 2013 I agree, really enjoyed talking to Brian, I liked his ideas about "the growing edge of your work" and I thought the idea that refining those questions can sustain a career for a decade or more, that those questions often can define a persons whole aesthetic I think thats true. Seems like the kind of guy I could easily spend three years learning from. I have two interviews on Monday, in the meantime I'm enjoying Chicago. Just saw a Belarus Free Theatre production tonight. I found it pretty inspiring. hoping to see three or 4 other shows while in town. Theatre binge! Robin_Sparkles 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin_Sparkles Posted February 2, 2013 Share Posted February 2, 2013 What interviews do you have on Monday? And best of luck with them! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dade1678 Posted February 11, 2013 Share Posted February 11, 2013 Hello. I also have been following this thread and thought I would finally chime in. Has anyone heard from Brown yet? Trying to find out if they are behind because of the storm. This waiting is excruciating. Applied: Brown UCSD Yale - Interview Iowa - Indiana - Interview Illinois State - Carnegie Mellon - Cal Arts - Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin_Sparkles Posted February 13, 2013 Share Posted February 13, 2013 I have not heard anything from Brown. Though I am also holding out hope that they have been trapped in a house with snow up to the second floor and no way of contacting the outside world (but are still entirely safe and happy)...the more logical side of me feels no news equals rejection. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
direct84 Posted February 14, 2013 Share Posted February 14, 2013 I missed that this thread had moved to page 2! Brown didn't invite me out either, so it goes. Heard from Yale today, interviewed there, that is a no go as well. I have been invited to go to Carnegie Mellon for a directing call back/working session which is exciting, and have an interview in San Diego as well coming up. Im amazed at how expensive this whole process is- flying around interviewing not to mention the application fees and costs of getting everything together to send in, its pretty killer... how are you all doing? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dade1678 Posted February 15, 2013 Share Posted February 15, 2013 I missed that this thread had moved to page 2! Brown didn't invite me out either, so it goes. Heard from Yale today, interviewed there, that is a no go as well. I have been invited to go to Carnegie Mellon for a directing call back/working session which is exciting, and have an interview in San Diego as well coming up. Im amazed at how expensive this whole process is- flying around interviewing not to mention the application fees and costs of getting everything together to send in, its pretty killer... how are you all doing? how did you receive word from Yale?? I also interviewed but have not heard back as of yet. Congrats on the Carnegie Mellon Callback! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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