Acting in Plays, Singing/Musical Theatre

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Expert: - 2/10/2008


Question
Hi There,
I am auditioning for musical theatre at various colleges.
What do you think of Cornish?  I know I should be in New York but I'm not quite ready at 18 to be that far away from Washington.
Thanks!

Answer
Thanks for a really good question.  I am assuming, since you're looking at Cornish, that you are located in the Puget Sound area, and I apologize if this is not the case.

Cornish is an excellent arts school.  However, you should not ignore other institutions; not every school is for everyone.  At last report, for example, Cornish tends to focus on a modified Method approach to acting, and some folks do better with the Meisner Technique or even Jody Foster's approach (she runs her own acting school).  Also, University of Puget Sound also has an excellent theatre program.  Even if the school isn't known for a great theatre program, you can still get an excellent education (I graduated from Gonzaga).

Also, consider yourself fortunate to be in Washington State - Seattle is the number two theatre city in the nation; only New York has more live theatres in and around it.  One of the best pieces of advice I ever got was to get as much acting experience as possible, no matter the level, and this is a great area to get that experience.

Lastly, whatever school you choose (and, ultimately, it's your choice), I would also recommend becoming a member of Theatre Puget Sound.  Not only is it an association that includes virtually every theatre company in the area, but you can get e-mailed audition notices from all of these companies.  Further, TPS has semi-annual general auditions that are attended by reprentatives from each company.

Break a leg, and let me know how you did!

-- Spyder

Acting in Plays, Singing

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J. Spyder Isaacson

Expertise

Especially the Seattle theatre scene. Seattle is the number two theatre city of the nation, having more theatres than any other city (including Chicago!) except New York. I know the reputations of most of the local theatres, have worked with quite a number of them, and am currently earning the majority of my livelihood through live theatre. Beyond that, I have been a working professional for the past 10 years (after a long career in an unrelated field), have done just about everything in the field, and have done every possible type of theatre. Currently, I am also pursuing a new (and unexpected!) career as an animated film producer. (PLEASE NOTE that I am NOT an expert in music!) ***DO NOT*** ASK ME QUESTIONS REGARDING AUDITION SONGS OR MONOLOGUES - the answers require way too much information to be passed along by the All Experts system.

Experience

I have been an award-winning actor, singer, playwright, director and administrator (on various levels, all categories) for the past 30 years. A large part of my expertise has been with live theatre, although I do have a minor connection to filmed theater. I have done musicals, straight dramas, straight comedies, and experimental theatre.

Organizations
Theatre Puget Sound Magical Mystery Troupe Centerstage Theatre Conservatory Board of Trustees (former) Express-Theatre Northwest (former) Snoqualmie Falls Forest Theater

Publications
Unrelated trade publications

Education/Credentials
B.A. in Theatre Arts, Gonzaga University M.Ed. in Education and Technology, Western Governor's University (in progress)

Awards and Honors
Mutiple awards (ask for specifics), Kennedy Center/American College Theatre Festival Valley Community Players, Best Supporting Actor

Past/Present Clients
C's Animation Studio Productions, LLC

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