Nov 302009
I am a junior in high school and need to start looking into colleges and would really like to go to a good school for theatre. I live in Missouri and would like to stay in the midwest, if not in state. I am interested in acting in straight plays and musical theatre, so I would like a school with a musical theatre major. I want to go to a smaller college with a lot of personal attention and small classes. If anyone knows of any good schools or could direct me to websites with ranking lists for these types of schools I would really appreciate it!
The following schools having a theatre arts program and are also ALL below 15,000 students. Some are less than 5,000. Just google them and look into all of them. Theatre programs differ from school to school and although they offer a theatre program it doesn’t mean they always offer a MUSICAL theatre program.
Good luck!!!
Avila University
Kansas City, MO
Central Methodist University
Fayette, MO
College of the Ozarks
Point Lookout, MO
Culver-Stockton College
Canton, MO
Drury University
Springfield, MO
Evangel University
Springfield, MO
Fontbonne University
St. Louis, MO
Hannibal-LaGrange College
Hannibal, MO
Lindenwood University
St. Charles, MO
Missouri Southern State University
Joplin, MO
Source(s):
Professional Performing Arts School, Actress, Singer
You’ll usually find specific musical theatre programs in bigger universities. University of Cincinnati college-conservatory of music has one.
But even if you’re not specifically a musical theatre major, your department will do musicals, and most are in good relationships with the music school so that their performance majors can take voice lessons.
Wright State University, near Dayton OH, is a mid-sized university with a really top theatre program; many of their graduates have done well in the profession–one of their grads is the lead singer in the Pussycat Dolls (OK, it ain’t exactly musical theatre, but hey the girl made good!).
On a slightly smaller scale, Northern Kentucky University (which is in the Cincinnati, Ohio metro area) is quite solid.
Those are the two modest-sized schools that come to mind. Wright State is quite selective and you’ll have to audition your way in (and then after the sophomore year you have a performance evaluation to determine if you can continue). Northern KY is more open regarding admission to the program.