Emerson College in Boston is known for its strength in the arts: Its media and journalism programs, film and TV production and writing, and its full spectrum of theatre studies, from dramaturgy to musical theatre. Occupying one side of a city block in downtown Boston across from the Common, it is by no means a typical college campus or typical college experience. But that’s exactly what draws a certain type of student to this 3,400-student-body institution.
As senior BFA musical theatre candidate Gigi told a group of us in an information session, “Right from the beginning you don’t find people here who are undecided.” People are passionate, engaged, and know what they want to do from the time they step on campus (which the tour guides affectionately like to refer to as “vertical” since Emerson is mostly comprised of high rises).
Emerson College’s theatre
It is a busy place to be and suited to the type of student who is focused on what he/she wants and who has the ability to work well in a collaborative environment.
To get into the theatre program requires an audition whether for the BA or the BFA programs. They offer a BA in Theatre and BFAs in both musical theatre and acting. The BA program currently admits about 24 freshmen a year while each BFA program caps off enrollment at 18. With 1,200 auditioning this year, this is one tough program to get into. But once you’re in, you’ll have the advantage of a full professional-type theatre production staff behind you. Emerson has degrees in costume design, lighting and other specialties that are hard to find at most college and university performing arts divisions.
The auditions for entrance require two monologues and in addition the musical theatre candidates sing two 32-bar selections and learn a dance to perform. Emerson conducts auditions at numerous locations around the country but also holds a number of Boston opportunities to audition.
If there was any clue as to how to get an edge during those auditions, it was when Gigi mentioned that the Boston-based auditions allow the student about 15 minutes before the panel—just slightly longer and more relaxed than performing at any of the out-of-state “unifieds” where auditions are run back to back at a more harried pace. Emerson also allows candidates to audition for Early Action—so that you hear back in December about your fate (and it is non-binding)—but no advantages here to your admissions chances.
Freshmen can’t perform in any main-stage productions but there are multiple other opportunities for performing from day one in any number of student-run groups as well as a constant need for student actors for the very happening film department.
One interesting aspect of the BFA program that started this year: Emerson dropped their cut policy. Like DePaul, who also recently stopped their cut policy, Emerson used to axe a portion of their BFA students after sophomore year—they’d have to audition again, to sing for their supper if you will, to stay in the program. No more to this draconian policy thankfully, but it meant the total in each BFA program will likely not exceed 18 in the future.
BFA students in both programs can participate in a senior showcase, held in Boston for agents from New York as well as Boston in May. The showcase travels to New York the following September (after the seniors have graduated), the advantage being no other schools are having showcases at that time of year.