Directing MFAs?

[ChausseChaude]

I interviewed with Memphis in the late fall, and they mentioned their decisions are usually made in March. Anyone else apply to Memphis?

[bluebane]

Well, I'm officially done with my season -- declined a finalist visit to UCLA, UCI, and FSU, declined an offer from Ohio, rejected from DePaul, Yale, Brown, and I'm an alternate at Indiana, but their first choice has already accepted. 

 

Long and painful process this year. At least I can spend a year reflecting on what to improve on for next year, and try to come out swinging. 

 

Good luck to everyone who still has outstanding prospects -- I'm rooting for you guys!

[bluebane]

Rejection from UCSD in the email today. Wonder what the story is on their faculty (if they replaced their head of directing).

[clementiney]

Interesting, bluebane -- may I ask why you decided to decline your finalist visits to those schools? Just out of curiosity!

[bluebane]

FSU doesn't seem like a serious program -- you don't direct their grad students (WHAT?), have no interaction with Asolo Rep, and the whole things really seems like a community theatre feel (nonprofessional community actors, very safe and marketable shows). So that was a pass.

UCLA is too pricey and the communication I got from them was very nonprofessional and strange.

 

UCI was a big mistake -- i had to choose between visiting the Midwest (Indiana, Ohio) and visiting UCI, so I let it go. i had two friends who went down there and absolutely loved it. Whoops!

[clementiney]

I see. Yeah, FSU's not directing their grad student thing is weird. I guess something that surprised me quite a bit when I set out to search for programs were how many programs didn't have an expectation of collaboration between grad directors and actors/designers.

 

So next year then? Best of luck to you!

[RoRiloRo]

Has anyone applied to and/or interviewed at Penn State or UMass, Amherst?

I'd love to get some insight into the programs if possible.

Thank you!

[bluebane]

Wanted to share this with you guys... special shout-outs to this thread!

 

http://www.theatrebayarea.org/news/228412/

[clementiney]

Haha awesome article, bluebane! Sorry it didn't work out for you this year, but from your writing it seems like you are more than ready to riot next year. Good luck and I hope to be able to see what happens next year, maybe on this forum

 

It's also great that you wrote the article because there are so little resources on the web for MFA directing applicants. So hopefully it will assuage the terror of many applicants around the world.

[Joinedtoolate]

Well, hi.  Philly director here.  Wow.
I wish I'd known about this site while I was still doing applications (hence my handle).  Thank you Bluebane for writing the theatrebayarea article, it's very useful (I also wish I'd read it two years ago) and also how I found this site.  And I completely agree with clementiney, it's bizarre how little resources there are online about all this (what would we do without that mostly-accurate list of US programs on Baylor's website?).  I have a though about how to build a better mousetrap, but I'm not sure I have the web design skills or free time to pull it off.

 

Even though I'm done with apps, I feel compelled to post.  I admire the support and community you've all built in this thread (and in others, but this one's my favorite).

A few observations from things said on this thread:
~I applied to CalArts through URTAs last year, and while they had me apply directly right away, they waived the fee because I applied through URTAs (I even dug up the email to fact-check my memory).  If they changed that policy this year, then they're greedy avant-garde bastards (who already give very little financial aid anyway, from what I've heard). 

~RoRiloRo: I applied to UMass Amherst this year, and was invited up for a visit.  The visit itself was poorly organized and brief (8:30ish until about 2pm), and their department has no grad actors or playwrights and seems bizarrely dramaturg-heavy.  I had an awful time, partially because I was exhausted from my previous visit, and partially because I got a 12-hour stomach bug at 2am the day of my interview... somehow managed to not vomit on the carpet in my AirBnB... I also managed to avoid shitting myself in the interview, so I give myself credit for that).  I can talk more about the program if you have other questions, but that was the only school I visited that I'd have said no to, even if it was my only offer.
     I didn't apply to Penn State b/c it's focused on musicals.

My application history follows.  If anyone has questions about any of it (to help with next year's apps maybe), please ask, I'd like to help shine light where I can, and I know you guys would have helped me if I'd been posting earlier and you could.

 

LAST YEAR: I got first-round interviews with Indiana and CalArts (through URTAs), Brown and Carnegie Mellon.  No interviews at Yale, UCSD, and BU

Had a second-round Skype interview with Indiana.  No campus visits anywhere.  Quit my stupid day job while I waited to hear back (oops, oh well, screw them anyway).

THIS YEAR: Indiana, Temple, UC Irvine, Ohio and Florida State (through URTAs, I spoke to everybody except Florida), Brown and UMass Amherst.  No interviews with UT Austin and BU
Had another second-round Skype interview with Indiana, and then visits at Irvine, UMass Amherst and Indiana.

 

 

Far better directors than I have also struck out their first time applying, so none of you should be discouraged.  There's lots of schools that recruit every other year, or 2-out-of-3 years, or once every three years, so it's always a slightly different pool when you get on the horse a second time.  And even if you're not a better director 1 year later, you'll certainly be far more savvy at the applications themselves. 
If you felt like you connected with an interviewer, especially if you got past the first round, send them the occasional email about what projects you're working on, keep on their radar etc.

Have a great weekend, storytellers.

~JTL


 

[bluebane]

Thanks for chiming in, JTL! Awesome to hear your journey, and glad I could steer you to this rad site.

 

Did it work out for you this time, or are you going through the ringer again next year?

 

[Joinedtoolate]

I'm going to Indiana, bluebane.  I wish it wasn't at your expense.  You and I may have been the only campus visitors from what I could gather (there were none after me, I know that for sure), so I guess they really use the Skype interviews to figure out their top prospects. 

But I didn't even get an interview at Yale, or any visits my first year applying, so you must be doing a lot of things right.

I think applying a second year in a row, and staying in touch in between, helped me a lot with Indiana, so I recommend everyone thinking ahead to another year of applications do the same with their favorite programs.  If you visit again I'll look forward to meeting you, bluebane! 

 

I actually just had a phone call this morning with the program head, about fall classes, and teaching (my first semester even, not waiting until spring like normal), and assistant directing, and plays to pitch for different production slots, and now I'm too excited to go to sleep.  Which is why I'm checking this thread so late (I thought I had set up to get an email notification of new posts, but I guess not).

(and my visit to Irvine was pretty amazing, you are correct to regret passing that up.  Jane Page seems like an amazing mentor, and she's built a formidible program in her short tenure.  UCI generally only recruits every other year, so if you're still at this in 2017, definitely put them back on your list)
 

[bluebane]

Oh, nice! Small world. Congrats, man. Indiana is still at the top of my list. If they invite me out again next Spring, you'll have to let me take you out for lunch in Bloomington.

[Joinedtoolate]

Not if I take you out to lunch first...

[voldy24601]

I realize this is WAAAAY late and this forum hasn't been active for a while, but as a person getting ready to jump into the rigmarole I found all of this VERY useful. Indiana was already the top school on my list, and after reading this, I'm even more excited about it.

@bluebane reading your article was also very helpful. I hadn't really thought the cost through that thoroughly. 

@Joinedtoolate are you still super excited about Indiana? Also how did you both like URTAs? Did you find it helpful? I've found it all a little confusing and they still haven't gotten back to me about a slot yet. Should I touch base with the schools that I'm really, really excited about interviewing with before I go to URTAs? Or just let the Common Core Packet speak for itself? Also any tips or advice on what to expect from the interviews? I realize everyone might've moved on past this forum by now, but figured I'd throw it out there anyways,

 

Best of luck to you all!