Alexa Wang (she/they)
BFA Musical Theatre
Class of 2024

alexapwang@gmail.com
IG: @alexawang_
Facebook: Alexa Wang
TikTok: @grapejuicefan

What is your FAVORITE thing about your program?

It was really important to me to find a community of POC in a program, and that is something that Pace does really well. My year is majority POC and that’s something you won’t find a lot of places.

What would you change about your program? Why?

Personally, I wish I had more dance. I am a dancer first but did not pass my audition for the commercial dance minor. We really only get one dance style a semester, & only 2-3 times a week. I’m lucky that the program is in NYC so that I can go take class at Broadway Dance Center or Steps but I wish I didn’t have to pay extra.

How would you describe your program’s vibe? Competitive? Supportive? Something else?!

I once described the vibe of the program to someone auditioning as GAY. Which is awesome if you are LGBT but don’t be scared if you aren’t! It’s an incredibly accepting community & it’s really important to the faculty & everyone at Pace that you present your truest self, especially when performing.

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

I was surprised by how much free time I would have! We only really take five MT courses a semester so I was never really super stressed out.

What makes your program unique?

Pace has such a unique emphasis on creating a diverse class of students (my class is majority POC and LGBT) and I have not seen that in any other program. Having that kind of community makes it so much easier to speak up for yourself and make the necessary changes that faculty are sometimes hesitant to do.

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

It’s a pretty standard system for auditions— usually one 32-bar cut for the initial auditions, then you’ll have about a day to learn callback material if needed (in my experience they have taught songs at the callback so you don’t have to do all the work yourself). Mainstage productions have been small (but in person!) because of COVID, so I’m not familiar with casting when there are larger casts. This past year they have mostly cast upperclassmen, with lowerclassmen as understudies/swings. Freshmen are allowed to audition for the mainstage after completing practicum, which is a tech/behind the scenes job for a show.

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?

Extracurriculars are very accessible! I am currently a part of a student-run musical production and I’m finding it very easy to balance that with my schoolwork. You have the option of participating in Greek life, but it’s very small at Pace and not as official as other larger universities. I don’t know anyone in the MT program who is in Greek life. As for majors/minors, it’s not really possible to double major unless you spend 5 years here, but a minor is doable especially if you are coming in with credits (AP, IB, community college, etc.) I am actually a math minor!

Does your school help you pursue professional working opportunities during the year, over the summer, and/or post-graduation? How so?

Pace is one of the most encouraging programs out there for booking during the year. They are constantly sending auditions our way whether it be Broadway, Off-Broadway, national tours, what have you, and since we’re in NYC it’s a piece of cake to go in person auditions and callbacks! (I almost booked an Off-Broadway show through Pace, it was really cool!). If you do book, they are very flexible with allowing you to take a semester/year/few years off and come back to complete your degree. Pace hosts the Strawhat conference for summer stock theaters every year which is very convenient, and the A1 conference is only an hour away in New Jersey. Individual theaters also come directly to Pace to audition students in person often. as for post-grad, every senior gets to be in the senior showcase attended by industry professionals and agents.

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

I wish we did more mainstage musicals! We really only do one per semester, and sometimes a new work (for example, in the fall we did a cast recording for a new musical). We’ve also been doing some weird musicals recently (Fugitive Songs, If/Then) with small casts (due to COVID) which don’t offer a lot of opportunity to be cast for the majority of the program.

What’s the dynamic like between students and faculty?

Very casual! We’re all friends in the PPA building. The faculty really care about your well being and are interested in your life outside of the classroom (not in a weird way, lol).

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?

We take a performance class every semester beginning in the second semester of freshman year starting with freshman showcase prep, then MT History and Repertoire, followed by MT Technique and onward. In the middle of your sophomore year you have a sophomore evaluation to receive feedback on your overall progress, and you have another evaluation at the end of your junior year. Additionally, at the end of each semester students are required to fill out course evaluations for each one of their professors to give feedback on their teaching and the course overall.

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? 

If you haven’t already, definitely check out the See Our Truths Instagram page. It reflects a recent but different time in the program that sparked a lot of change at Pace. As I mentioned before, the large community of POC in the program practically requires the faculty to listen to us and make the place safe for everyone. It is frustrating being some of the first ones in the BFA world to be really making these changes but it’s so important. I am also now on the directing team for A Night of Color, which is a student run cabaret of all the students of color in the MT program. It is able to highlight the incredible talent of all the POC in MT and how unique Pace MTs are.

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

There is a counseling center through Pace that many of my friends take advantage of! Professors are also very accommodating in terms of mental/emotional health and will never make you do anything you’re not ready for. I have visited the health center at Pace a number of times and they have also been super helpful. It’s super easy to make an appointment with them and they are located in the main building along with most other things at Pace.

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

I was worried about navigating New York City since I have historically been very anxious regarding public transportation. However, I love the subway now! With Google maps, you can get anywhere in the city and discover so much.

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

I knew from a very young age that New York City was the place for me, so location plus the community of POC and the ability to audition for professional theatre while still in school sealed the deal for me.

Jamie Mayers (he/him)
BFA Acting for Film, TV, Voiceovers, and Commercials
Class of 2022

jamiemayers25@gmail.com
IG: @jamiemayers25

What is your FAVORITE thing about your program?

I’d say my favorite thing about my program is that it really elegantly walks the line between focusing on the craft of acting and also extremely practical tools and advice for how to become a working actor. The first year is solely focused on technique and method to become a stronger actor, and each year after that, slowly, more and more conversation is had about how to make a living from acting. Also, living in New York City is an incredible experience, and more so, the people that you meet in this program and the opportunities you are given to network are outstanding. Just today I met four agents/managers who work for some of the top talent agencies in the US. Last week we met an executive casting director at CBS. All of our faculty are working actors so they are extremely well connected and happy to make connections for the students.

What would you change about your program? Why?

I could say that I wish we spent a bit more time on film production and learning how to raise money and produce etc, but we already have two classes devoted to creating original filmed projects (one is called Visual Storytelling which focuses on tools of cinematography/editing and the other is a self-scripting class where we each write a short film and produce it). For me, it was the perfect amount of experience in an educational setting that has now given me the agency to go out after graduation and make my own films and tv shows. And I feel like I am capable of doing so because of these classes.

How would you describe your program’s vibe? Competitive? Supportive? Something else?!

I can only speak for my class when I say we are all extremely supportive of each other. We spend a lot of time in our program discussing what kind of energy we each bring to the table as actors, what some people refer to as “type”, and my class has come to recognize that all of our energies are so different from one another - so it’s really easy to root for everyone.

I also know that because of Covid, a lot of the classes below us have struggled with a sense of community within the program, but hopefully, that will return as the classes can all spend more and more time together in the future.

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

It was wayyy more work than I anticipated!! I definitely wanted to be challenged by my program so I am so glad that I worked as hard as I did, but wow, there was a lot of homework in my freshman year. Again, I wouldn’t have it any other way - all of those homework assignments completely changed the way I think of acting and my job as an actor, but it was a lot! All of this is subject to change of course as we just welcomed a new head of our program. My experience freshman year is probably going to be very different from the current and future freshman classes.

What makes your program unique?

So many things but what I will focus on right now is the woman who runs our senior year, Maria Hubbard. She worked as a casting director at Fox for 15 years and is the smartest, most honest, and well-connected person I have ever met. We get to spend all of Senior Year with her and her information about the industry and the philosophy she provides about being a working actor is unlike anything I’ve heard before from any other teacher or mentor. She told us the other day that everything she teaches us throughout our senior year is the same material that she is asked to present at a workshop to NYU grads in 2.5 hours at the end of their program. Graduates from Carnegie Mellon book sessions with her just to ask her questions about stuff that they don’t cover at school. We are extremely lucky to get her insight. I know I speak on behalf of my whole class when I say that having Maria as a resource and a contact for the rest of your professional life is an absolutely invaluable thing. ALSO, everyone leaves the program with a finished demo reel full of professionally shot footage.

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

So anyone in FTVC is allowed to audition for mainstage productions at Pace, but I believe that preference is given to people who are in the musical theatre program and also BFA Acting. So while we don’t have as much opportunity for live performance, we spend almost every class in front of the camera and also have a different final project in each year of the program - each one of them filmed professionally to be used for our demo reels. In senior year, the project is 3-4 short films written and directed by professional writers/directors in NYC. You are cast in one of the films and then they are screened at the end of the year.

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?

If you’re looking for classic greek life stuff, Pace really shouldn’t be on your list. I think there’s a sorority but it doesn’t seem to be what I think of when I think of a stereotypical Greek life experience. Other extracurriculars exist at Pace, but I’ve felt as though I never had the time or interest to really participate. A bunch of my friends have minored in other subjects, but I’m not sure if a double major is possible due to how demanding the program is. And then outside of school, it’s New York! You can fill your time with whatever you can dream of doing. There is always something to do if you want to go do it.

Does your school help you pursue professional working opportunities during the year, over the summer, and/or post-graduation? How so?

Like I wrote before, Senior year is all about getting you introduced to casting directors and agents and managers before showcase and giving you the tools to keep in touch and understand how to apply everything you’ve learned to the “real” world post-grad. And then there is the showcase of course which agents and managers and casting directors are invited to watch you work.

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

For what I was hoping to get out of my college experience, my program had literally everything I wanted. As someone who has had some professional film and TV experience prior to joining FTVC, I really cannot think of a more comprehensive and thorough program for education in acting for film and TV. Maybe if you were someone who wanted to do classical theatre then FTVC would not be for you.

What’s the dynamic like between students and faculty?

It really varies from class to class, but my class has always had an extremely friendly rapport with almost all of our teachers. Some teachers are maybe a bit more stern, but there are no teachers here who are selfish or ones who don’t care about the success and wellbeing of the students. I really mean it when I say that every teacher I have had while going to school here has been so important in my growth as an actor in their own way

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?

Most of the time we are working on camera. This is great because it allows us to watch our work in and in between classes and then have a tangible, easily identifiable area of performance to work on (do adjustments need to be made physically, analytically, emotionally, etc). All of my teachers have been great about office hours and letting students come in to chat outside of class time if needed.

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? 

Pace is currently undergoing a massive shift after the firing of the head of the MT program. All of Pace Performing Arts is making it a top priority to lead open and honest conversations about how we can do better to create a more equitable and comfortable environment for everyone.

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

I have been taking advantage of the free therapy through the counseling center since my sophomore year of school. All of our teachers are big therapy advocates and always remind us that while it’s great to be vulnerable in class, speaking with a licensed therapist is always a great idea if you can. Also! Being in touch with our feelings and understanding how we really feel allows us to be more present and in turn, makes us better actors! Yay!

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

That I wouldn’t fit in. Or that I wouldn’t find best friends/people I could be really close and vulnerable with. The truth is, in any acting program you attend, spending hours and hours with the same group of people who all love what you do is an almost guaranteed way to connect with someone on a very deep level. They become your chosen family and the people you will be friends with / want to work with for the rest of your lives.

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

I had been interested in pursuing film/tv since I was 8 years old and have been able to work professionally since the age of 10. I was unsure about going to college altogether at one point because I figured that if I wanted to keep learning about the industry and acting, I could just move to LA or something and try it myself. I am so so so so so glad that I didn’t. Being in this program has not only deeply built upon all of my prior professional experiences, but has, without a doubt, better equipped me to work as an actor who is ready to graduate and work.