Ella Faria (she/her/hers)
Musical Theatre, Class of 2022

ellarosefaria@gmail.com

Okay. One sentence to describe a typical day in your program. GO!

We wakeup anywhere from 7:30- 9:30 am and usually start with dance, have a loooooong (but very fun) day of classes, and rehearsal for a show at night!

What is your FAVORITE thing about your program?

I really love our staff! we have some of the most established and interesting teachers who make for really great connections. This semester I got to work with Randy Graff who’s a Tony award winner and the original Fantine in Les Mis on Broadway. I also got to work with David loud who’s music directed and conducted over 15 shows on Broadway! Every teacher here has an insane resume and gets to know all of us really well!

What’s something you would change about your program? Why?

For me the only thing I would change is the level of organization. We have on had MT at MSM for 5 years so there are a lot of changes all the time. That being said, all of the changes are improvements so its always a good change, just hard to keep up with at times!

How would you describe the overall vibe of your program? Competitive? Supportive? A bit of both? Something else?!

I would say that its overall very supportive. I think that because everyone is so different there isn’t much competing for parts or competing for attention because everyone is so unique and different. I think that the biggest thing that makes us stand out is that there’s a huge sense if community here. The school is very small so you know a lot of the people even outside of the program and always have people to talk to in the hallways and sit with at lunch!

What was the biggest surprise about your program that you didn’t anticipate as an incoming freshman?

I assumed that it would be a lot scarier. MT programs are often described as intense and hectic and scary and ours is really not that at all. Everything is really calm and positive and while you are always being pushed to improve, its all out of a place of wanting you to succeed.

What’s something that you think makes your program unique?

Our program is very small and very based in community. We all support each other and are very eager to learn for ourselves as well as on the work of others. I think its also unique because or dorms are in the same building as or classes so it really does make you feel so immersed in this lifestyle because you are all together living and working in one building. Its also super nice to be able to not go outside in February in the snow to go to class!

Real talk: How do the audition & casting processes function at your program?

So its kinda crazy. Just this year we began allowing freshman to Audition for the main stage shows. We do 7 shows a year and 4 of them are main stage, two each semester. on the FIRST DAY we go in one by one with two cuts and audition for the whole season. The shows for the whole year are cast within the first week, and rehearsals for the first two start the week after. Its INSANE but sooooo fun! It really does feel like auditions in the real world and its hard but its super fulfilling and a great learning experience!

What’s it like outside of performance classes? Is it possible to participate in extracurriculars? Greek life? Are students encouraged to create their own work? Double majors? Minors?

MSM is a music school so there are no other classes outside of music and a humanities option. so there are no academic classes at all and no gen ed classes. I personally love that but if you love school and love math and science and stuff like that, its probably not for you. We are very encouraged to write our own work and because we're surrounded by musicians not only do we have a full pit for our shows, but we have musicians available to us to accompany us. There have been multiple musicals that students wrote fully put on with a pit on a stage and thats another great opportunity to act, but also to direct, stage manage or learn about tech. We are also very close to Columbia so there is opportunity to do some clubs and classes over there if you are interested in that.

Can you travel abroad if desired?

Our program has been trying to introduce this options for juniors and seniors! it hasn’t happen yet because of covid, but we are planning to do a semester option studying acting in Scotland or London next year!

Are there any opportunities and/or resources that you feel are lacking in your program?

I personally feel like there should be more opportunities for dancers of all levels. at the moment we have a super advanced or super basic level without much in between. So for me Im a singer Actor but I would fall more into a mover category than a dancer, and the hardest class is very hard for me, but the easy class is too slow. Its not too bad but I think overall it just works better if you are either a dancer first or a dancer last, but not so much for strong movers.

What’s the dynamic like between students and faculty?

It’s really lovely. We are very close with our teachers, Randy Graff texts me when she here a song that Seth Rudetsky played on the broadway station that she thinks would sound good on me! I really love all my teachers and its a cool mix of respect but they still treat us like equals. It’s very supportive and you really want to succeed for them.

Can you tell us about some of the faculty you train with who really inspire you? 

My voice teacher is the best person in the WORLD his name is Sam McKelton and he is GREAT! Our voice teachers really teach us in such a positive way and care so much about our voices and he now knows my voice so well that he knows exactly what to say to make me understand corrections. He also is just such a strong performer and mentor and really just is my fav teacher ever! Also not to name drop BUT he is best friends with Christopher Jackson form Hamilton so he comes to our studio classes and gives us feedback! Its so cool to make connections like that!

What types of structures are in place for students to receive feedback inside and outside of the classroom? How about for students to give feedback?

There are office hours for almost every class where you can go and meet with teacher outside of class time and work on stuff. In acting class for example I often get nervous doing monologues in class and don’t absorb the feedback as well so I meet with my teacher after class once a month or so to do a check in and make sure I’m, applying the notes. Also at the end of the year we have one on one meeting with Liza Gennaro the head of the program and can give feedback about or year and she really does listen and change things!

What steps has your school taken/is your school currently taking to promote greater representation for minority communities and to ensure greater equity, diversity, and inclusion in all aspects of the educational environment? 

This is an issue that our school has really been trying to address lately. One ay that we did that this year is that all of our performances school wide had to be written by or directed by BIPOC artists. I think that this really opened up our eyes to so much new material and so many writers we may not have known about. Also all of our casting is based completely on who is best for the part. In the past few years we have had black women starring in Cabaret, Sweeney Todd, and The Mystery of Edwin Drood!

What types of resources does your school encourage/make available for students in regards to mental, physical, and emotional health? 

MSM like many other schools has several resources available for mental health, but one thing we have that I found to be particularly helpful is that you can sign up for weekly one on one therapy for free right on campus. There are 5 Therapists to choose from that work for our school and other collages near by and it is a very helpful resource to have. As far as physical health goes the Cafeteria has many options to eat healthy and happy and there are so many surrounding grocery stores and restaurants so you can find what foods work best for you! It’s so important to keep up with physical and mental health, in theatre especially, and I think the more resources the better!”

What were you most worried about as an incoming freshman that you TOTALLY didn’t need to be worried about?

I genuinely thought that I would be the worst one there and that I would not fit in with how great everyone else was. That’s so silly. When you get into a program its because you deserved to and that they saw something in you that is uniquely special and amazing. We really have to remember that in these programs because comparison is the thief of joy, if you are focused on yourself as an artist and your own journey, there really is no need to compare!

How did you know that this was the right place for you?

There is something so special about being in New York. Theatre is everywhere and you are so immersed in it that you really feel like you are a part of something really big. Before covid I was going to broadway shows for really cheap almost every weekend and meeting so many professionals. I think that this is the best place to be if you really want to be dropped right in the center of the action. Riding the same subway as Sarah Borealis, and Sutton Foster and going to the same coffee shop as Jasmine Cephas Jones, I mean you can’t beat that it’s crazy !!! It truly just feels like home here and I wouldn’t choose to go anywhere else!