Paige O'Connor (she/her/hers)
Musical Theatre, Class of 2021
Studio: The New Studio On Broadway)
paigefoconnor@gmail.com
Okay. One sentence to describe a typical day in your program. GO!
Ah! Okay: very busy, multidisciplinary, and rigorous but supported by doing it all within a great community.
What is your FAVORITE thing about your program?
The community, and that includes both faculty and students. It is a very non-competitive, supportive environment and I truly believe each teacher wants you to be your best. They’re very good about meeting you where you are and pushing you to your potential, but never tearing you down or “breaking” you as I hear some other programs kind of do thinking later they’ll build you back up. Also, the emphasis of the program is very centered around finding who you are as an individual and unique artist, not fitting any molds or “types”, which I really loved in a training program because I really felt free to explore anything I wanted in our training spaces. Plus, it’s in New! York! City!
What’s something you would change about your program? Why?
Hmmmm, we don’t have a real theater, we only perform in black boxes that hold under 100 people, so that’s kind of a bummer, especially considering the tuition price. I will say that what they do with the small space they have is very impressive, but still, it would’ve been nice to get to perform on a stage. Also, you have to plan your own senior showcase. I just finished leading the organization of that so it’s fresh on my mind and I’m a little salty about it haha...I think there should be a class that helps you organize that like in other programs.
How would you describe the overall vibe of your program? Competitive? Supportive? A bit of both? Something else?!
Super supportive! I think it does depend on your class, I got very lucky and everyone in my class is super kind and great, but obviously that’s never guaranteed. I do think though they try to accept people that they know will be team players, and I strongly feel that teachers would nip any drama or toxic competitiveness in the bud if they saw it. We study drama at NSB, but we’re not about the drama, you know? ;)
What was the biggest surprise about your program that you didn’t anticipate as an incoming freshman?
Ooooh great question! I was so clueless coming in, I wasn’t an extremely trained actor coming into school so I felt like every class regarding technique was super new. I think just getting used to going to school in New York City was the biggest shift. I didn’t know that I would take classes both at the Tisch building and in other buildings on 2nd ave (Don’t worry it’s only like a 10 minute walk away) so just getting my bearings and figuring out the grid system took a second. Also I think the studio day was longer than I expected. You’re in studio classes 3 days a week from 9am to 6pm, and then usually after school you have a performance project rehearsing from 7pm to 10:45pm (as a freshman you do crew assignments, and then once you’re a sophomore you can audition and perform). I had to learn time management and the importance of SLEEP quickly.
What’s something that you think makes your program unique?
You get to work on New Works in my program which is super cool! It’s more when you’re an upperclassmen, but along with the other performance projects that are musicals or something known, they always try to produce a new work too each semester because we work closely with the NYU Graduate Musical Theater Writing Program. Your senior year you also have a class where you work on new works with those students. I’ve gotten some good opportunities to record demos for new works from the composers and writers I worked with in those classes. Something I don’t think a lot of programs have, so pretty unique!
Real talk: How do the audition & casting processes function at your program?
Initial College Audition: It’s a looooong audition day. Full disclosure, it was my least favorite audition lol (mostly because I didn’t feel good, everyone was super nice I was just off). You are separated into two groups : one group dances first and one group sings and acts first.
The dance audition is super chill! It’s not a huge dance program, so it is not a deal breaker if you’re not nailing the dance audition. They’re really just looking to see if you can find joy in movement and are up to try anything - the dance audition is more about personality than anything else if you ask me.
Your acting audition is the room you’re in the longest, and I personally think is the most important. Even though it’s a musical theatre program, they really emphasize being an actor first. You’ll do your monologues, and they’ll probably ask you to do one again but with some notes and directions just to see if you’re willing to play and try things. Then there’s an interview portion where they try to get a feel for you as an actor and as a person - just be yourself! I was very thrown off by the interview because I wasn’t expecting it, and I honestly think I was much more myself because of it because I didn’t have anything “planned”.
Your singing audition is pretty standard. You’ll do a group warm up with the other auditionees in your group, and then go in one by one to do your two songs. They asked me to do a third song at mine, so be prepared for that just in case. The standard though is usually just to do the two songs and maybe do one again with notes if they have time….they usually start running out of time in this room, so don’t feel bad if you just sing and don’t do any notes.
Audition Within The Program: These are surprisingly short and quick! They usually announce the shows 1-2 weeks before auditions, and you have that long to prepare. Fall show auditions happen the first week of school, and spring show auditions happen at the very end of the fall semester before winter break. There are usually two nights of auditions and you sign up for a time slot in advance. Most of the time they ask for two contrasting pieces under 2 minutes, and those are your auditions for all the shows in the season. Once they asked for us to sing from the show, but that was a special exception. You can try to tailor what you sing to what show you want to be in, but I find usually the people who just sing what they’re good at and what they love get callbacks to sing from the show. If you’re auditioning for the straight play in the season, after you sing you go into another room to do your monologue. After the initial auditions, within the next week they do callbacks and any dance calls required, and then the show is cast! It is a surprisingly simple and expedited audition process haha, but you always end up where you need to be :)
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?
You take academic classes two days a week, so that gets you out into the university at large which is nice. Minors are VERY doable with general electives, be sure to talk to that about your advisor if you’re interested. Double majors are possible but a lot more difficult, tread carefully there but it can be done. You are VERY encouraged to make your own work. From sophomore year on NSB does a thing called “Free Play” where it’s just a week (usually at the start of the spring semester before classes have really kicked off) for students to group together and make their own work and it can be ANYTHING. It’s super fun, and it gives you a chance to try your hand at any other artistic mediums you might be interested in (writing, directing, composing, etc.). There’s also so many student-run groups and opportunities, it’s never hard to find opportunities, it's just hard to find ones that fit with your very busy schedule.
Can you travel abroad if desired?
Yes! I never did, but I will say I have heard from some people that going abroad made them feel like they got forgotten for casting when they came back (especially female identifying people have said that). A lot of people do a summer abroad instead of a semester so they don’t miss out on studio classes.
Are there any opportunities and/or resources that you feel are lacking in your program?
Like I mentioned before, there is no help with your senior showcase, which is a bit annoying but not the end of the world. Also, it’s not a big dance program - I don’t think we dance enough, and I asked my teacher if I could attend extra classes at NSB in my free time so I could improve more and I did, but it would be nice if it was already built into the schedule and I didn’t have to make that extra effort. The dance training is good, it’s just not as rigorous as the acting and singing training.
What’s the dynamic like between students and faculty?
Really good! All of your teachers are really amazing professionals, I was super intimidated at first (like freshman year vocal performance Telly Leung taught me, and he brought in Lea Salonga to watch our final...WILD). Once you get used to them though, they’re really open and approachable. I feel super comfortable around the faculty, which I think is really important in terms of allowing yourself to try new things in class and feel safe to do so.
Can you tell us about some of the faculty you train with who really inspire you?
I really love all of the full time faculty! Michael McElroy (look him up if you don’t know him!) is an absolutely amazing Vocal Performance teacher. He takes such care in making sure each student finds a way to connect with their song in a meaningful way...he really gave me a process and a technique for approaching sung material as an actor. Byron Easley is the head of the dance department and he is human sunshine - he will push you but with so much love, and really wants you to enjoy moving your body and using it to tell a story. I could go on and on about every faculty member, but rest assured knowing they’re all really amazing teachers AND artists. That’s a big thing - even if a program is advertising that their teachers are professional artists, make sure they are artists who TEACH. There is a difference, and a good teaching artist is so valuable, and NSB is really full of them.
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?
You’re constantly getting feedback in class, and at the end of each semester some teachers have conferences with each individual student to discuss the work, and every teacher fills out evaluations for each semester with detailed notes. You’re also always welcome to just straight up ask your teachers to meet and discuss your work, they’re very open to that. Also, at the end of each semester you fill out anonymous course evaluations to give teachers feedback anonymously so you’re comfortable.
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?
The majority of the full time faculty at NSB are POC, so this is very important in our program (as it should be!). They’ve added a course your freshman year that tries to put in historical context the music you sing in musical theater and how it stems from the Black experience and the musical innovations of that community. There are also multiple affinity groups for minority students in the program, and in Tisch at large. Tisch creates a lot of opportunities to have community discussions about supporting minorities throughout the school, and I think they’re now trying to incorporate that into the actual curriculum.
What types of resources does your school encourage/make available for students in regards to mental, physical, and emotional health?
There is a Wellness Center where you can do walk in therapy sessions at and there are two gyms on campus. I think there is physical therapy available, but I never tried to use it. To be honest, I was so busy day to day I didn’t really use these resources a lot, so I don’t have much to say on this unfortunately.
What were you most worried about as an incoming freshman that you TOTALLY didn’t need to be worried about?
Trying to be perfect! You are in school to LEARN! They are expecting you to come in unpolished and with a lot of questions, don’t worry about trying to be the best in the room. Use your time to try new things, fail a lot, get back up, and keep figuring it out. Everyone wants to see you succeed, you don’t need to worry about impressing anyone when you’re in the process of becoming the artist you want to be. :)
How did you know that this was the right place for you?
Just a gut feeling! I was deciding between two programs at the end of the audition experience, and one was NYU and one was a school I had DREAMED of going to for so long. I was dead set on going to the other school, but my mom made me go to Admission Acceptance Days for both before I made a decision. I was very hesitant to like NYU because I had been so set on the other school for so long, but something in my gut just told me it wasn’t right and NYU was the right choice. Trust those feelings - I know it sounds cheesy and you are probably sick of hearing it by now, but you really will end up exactly where you need to be. Trust yourself - you know more than you think.
Natalya Ribovich (she/her/hers)
Drama, Class of 2022
Studio: Strasberg
ner287@nyu.edu
IG: natalyaribovich
Okay. One sentence to describe a typical day in your program. GO!
I think still being happy and excited to work while carrying your rehearsal bag and a suitcase full of props up three staircases sums up a typical day at Strasberg.
What is your FAVORITE thing about your program?
I love that there are so many options for studio training. There are so many studios you can study at and I love that at any time (not in a pandemic), you can go see a show anywhere, whether it’s at NYU or professionally.
What’s something you would change about your program? Why?
I wish they would have guaranteed casting in every studio because only some studios have it and it would be nice if it was uniform across the board.
How would you describe the overall vibe of your program? Competitive? Supportive? A bit of both? Something else?!
I would say it is definitely more supportive than competitive. Everyone is very friendly and because you switch cohorts every semester or year (depending on what studio you are in), you get the chance to meet new people so it never gets too competitive with the same people.
What was the biggest surprise about your program that you didn’t anticipate as an incoming freshman?
I didn’t anticipate that I would also learn so much from my fellow students as well as my teachers, both in class and in student directed works.
What’s something that you think makes your program unique?
I love that the program is large but the class size is small because you get individualized training while having the chance to work with lots of different people over four years.
Real talk: How do the audition & casting processes function at your program?
Some studios have guaranteed casting and others do not. There are also opportunities with mainstage productions, student directed productions with Playwrights Horizons and ETW, and club productions with groups like Shakespeare in the Square and Tisch New Theatre. You cannot audition for studio and mainstage productions as a freshman but you can audition for club productions then.
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?
I think a lot of it is just absorbing the city; there are so many adventures to go on and shows to see! You can do extracurriculars or Greek life if you choose as long as you are good at balancing it with your studio schedule. You can definitely minor and some friends of mine have gotten double majors (I recommend coming in with AP credits if you want to double major). There are so many opportunities for students to create their own work.
Can you travel abroad if desired?
Yes, there are many study abroad opportunities including RADA in London, Commedia in Florence, and Brecht in Berlin.
Are there any opportunities and/or resources that you feel are lacking in your program?
I wish there were more productions directed by faculty in proportion to student directed works.
What’s the dynamic like between students and faculty?
I think the fact that faculty treat you like professionals while also being warm and kind and acknowledging that you are also teenagers who just moved to a big scary city is really wonderful. I am really grateful for the way they push students without ever being cruel.
Can you tell us about some of the faculty you train with who really inspire you?
Some of my favorite professors are my sophomore year Method Acting and movement teachers. They have continued to be so supportive of me despite the fact that I am not taking classes with them this year and inspire me to work harder in and out of class.
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?
Teachers give a lot of in-class feedback as well as providing evaluations at the end of the semester. You can always talk to teachers if you want more feedback or are struggling with something and they are happy to help.
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?
I think a lot of the student groups have been really great at demanding advocacy and equity for all students as well as the school picking shows that highlight diversity and trying to hire more female and BIPOC teachers.
What types of resources does your school encourage/make available for students in regards to mental, physical, and emotional health?
There are counselors available and different clubs offer a variety of events for mental, physical, and emotional health. We also have access to two gyms. Also, I have found teachers to be fairly understanding during the pandemic of time zones and extensions and things like that.
What were you most worried about as an incoming freshman that you TOTALLY didn’t need to be worried about?
Imposter syndrome! It is totally normal to feel like you’re not good enough - trust that you are! Trust that you are growing as an artist and human and trust that everyone else feels the same way as you. You’ve got this!
How did you know that this was the right place for you?
I think the combination of the intense training with kind people in one of the most magical cities in the world sealed the deal for me!