Rachel Berry (she/her/hers)
BFA Acting, Class of 2023
rachelberryactor@gmail.com
IG: @r8chelberry
Okay. One sentence to describe a typical day in your program. GO!
Although repetitive, my academic/dance classes in the morning prepare me for conservatory from 1-530pm and then I have dinner with friends!!
What is your FAVORITE thing about your program?
My favorite thing about my program is how blended the acting and MT tracks are. Having class with the alternate major adds such a new perspective to the work. You hear from so many points of view and learn from everyone’s strengths.
What’s something you would change about your program? Why?
I would blend the acting program with the film program on campus to give students access to additional performance opportunities.
How would you describe the overall vibe of your program? Competitive? Supportive? A bit of both? Something else?!
The overall vibe of the program is incredibly supportive. There are so many people in your corner that want you to succeed. You are truly only in competition with yourself to be the best version of you.
What was the biggest surprise about your program that you didn’t anticipate as an incoming freshman?
I went into college thinking I had to be perfect and on my game 24/7. The truth of the matter is the best work happens when you let your guard down and let yourself be messy. I did not expect imperfection to be so welcome in a college setting.
What’s something that you think makes your program unique?
The emphasis on truthful storytelling in everything you do. And the emphasis on creating the best warmup and process for YOU. I love how we learn a variety of techniques to help us develop and find our niche.
Real talk: How do the audition & casting processes function at your program?
We audition in front of all faculty/students at the beginning of each semester for that semesters line-up of shows. Freshman cannot perform, but they do watch all auditions. The casting process does favor seniority, but not religiously. The STL Rep also sits in on these auditions to cast their season.
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?
In complete honesty, life outside conservatory is usually surrounded by other conservatory students. We do not have Greek life. It is possible to participate in extracurriculars! Although it is difficult, some students still manage to double major (one in Biology, Psych, etc.) Yes, you can minor!
Can you travel abroad if desired?
You cannot travel abroad during the school year. However, you can travel abroad in the summer!
Are there any opportunities and/or resources that you feel are lacking in your program?
We are currently working on how to vamp-up our dance program for the MT students. I believe more dance opportunities would serve the program well.
What’s the dynamic like between students and faculty?
We are extremely close to our faculty. We are able to schedule meetings whenever we would like to check in with them. We also have quarterly check-ins that are mandatory to check our progress. They are very kind and genuinely want the best for us.
Can you tell us about some of the faculty you train with who really inspire you?
Joanna Battles was my Freshman/Sophomore Year Voice and Speech teacher. She is the definition of a girl-boss. Another faculty member I love is Bruce Longworth. Ironically, these were the two faculty members who sat in my audition. I cannot fit how much I love them in this text box but WOW.
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?
It is very easy to get in touch with the faculty, and they encourage open communication. We can schedule meetings with them periodically throughout the semester. We like to think of the faculty/student relationship as collaborators who learn from each other so there is not an improper power dynamic.
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?
We have had an open dialogue this year about how we can do better as a University and Conservatory. Our faculty member, Rayme Cornell, is currently the only women of color on staff. The faculty recognize they need to do more, and the students are holding them to it.
What types of resources does your school encourage/make available for students in regards to mental, physical, and emotional health?
We have access to free therapy at school as well as a doctor who specializes in dance. We do not have any mental health days currently at school but with open communication to our faculty, they understand the importance of a Wellness Day here and there.
What were you most worried about as an incoming freshman that you TOTALLY didn’t need to be worried about?
I was worried about if my classmates would think I am talented?? The truth of the matter is that we all have our strengths, and watching yourself grow alongside your classmates is beautiful. Everyone was accepted for a reason. And if you were PERFECT, why would you go to school?
How did you know that this was the right place for you?
Ok real talk, I looked up the students on Instagram and thought they were so cool. When I met them all in person they were hilarious as well. There was also something about stepping on campus that felt like I had been there before? It was an entirely welcoming experience. And I remember one of my biggest fears was that I was going to choose the wrong school and be stuck. It won’t happen. And for some reason you want to leave? No worries!! Not the end of the world at all. In conclusion, it just ~felt~ right. And all the MCA team were so great at helping me with this too. YOU ARE NOT ALONE.
Bryn Smith (she/her/hers)
BFA MT, Class of 2023
brynsmith71@gmail.com
IG: @bryn.smith
TikTok: @bryn21
What is your FAVORITE thing about your program?
My favorite thing about this program is that we have students doing all aspects of our productions because we are a full conservatory! We have students assistant directing, assistant MDing, doing costume design, lighting, stage managing, etc etc. Working with all of the people that are going to be our peers and colleagues when we graduate is exceptionally special.
What’s something you would change about your program? Why?
I would love for us to take an audition class earlier in the training. You take a short one as an acting major your sophomore year, but you don't take a real audition class for MTs until your senior year. I would have loved to take one earlier as I am in the midst of submitting to plenty of auditions as a junior!
How would you describe the overall vibe of your program? Competitive? Supportive? A bit of both? Something else?!
I would describe it as family. Good, bad, funny, etc, we all work exceptionally close together. I would call my class in particular exceptionally supportive. Because the classes are so small, you are really tight with the whole program. All grades, all majors.
What was the biggest surprise about your program that you didn’t anticipate as an incoming freshman?
I didn't expect to have so many different mediums of acting thrown my way (in a great way!!). Webster is all about process and finding what works for you and what you'll continue to use in your own performance process. Learning different acting techniques and styles really assists in that.
What’s something that you think makes your program unique?
How closely the acting majors and musical theatre majors work together. We all take the same acting, movement, voice and speech classes, which goes to show how heavily Webster values the acting. Acting informs ALL other areas of performance, and I love how important it is to this program.
Real talk: How do the audition & casting processes function at your program?
We all get together on the first day of the semester and we audition on the mainstage for the faculty and freshman. At our program freshman cannot perform in the shows to help start that journey of finding your process without the pressure of performing. The audition requirements are different every year but MTs usually do a cut of a song and a monologue, and acting majors do just a monologue. As 3rd/4th years, you will also do a shakespeare/classical piece. Then we have callbacks every night for a week, which are so fun, and cast lists for the whole semester come out that Friday. People of all grades get cast in all roles (NOT JUST SENIORS!!) the leading man in the current mainstage musical is a sophomore acting major. That is not at all uncommon.
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 can totally take other classes and extracurriculars, you just have to be dedicated to it!! Conservatory does take up a lot of time, so it really requires you to budget it wisely.
I have never heard of a MT double major, but I have met many acting majors with minors, or with double majors. Again, hard, but doable.
We unfortunately do not have greek life on campus, but you do get a Big in the sophomore and the senior performance class, so it's kind of like having a family that way!
Does your school help you pursue professional working opportunities during the year, over the summer, and/or post-graduation? How so?
What's amazing about Webster is that we host the Midwest Theatre Auditions (a summer stock unified conference) every year, which makes summer stock auditions SO accessible for us!! We also can audition for outside work and get it approved through the conservatory. They are really amazing about that as well. We also have a partnership with the St. Louis Repertory Theatre, which is an equity house that hires our students all the time so we get paid to be in those productions, as well as the Muny.
Post grad, we have a senior showcase in NYC and LA every year, and a lot of alumni also come to those showcases that allow us to make incredible connections.
Are there any opportunities and/or resources that you feel are lacking in your program?
Like I said earlier, I wish there was more of an emphasis on auditions classes. However, you can take audition ILEs with professors that can help with that missing piece. An ILE is an Independent Learning Environment - basically a one on one class you set up with a professor.
What’s the dynamic like between students and faculty?
We are very close to most of our faculty and they are always willing to help you with whatever you need. There are always a plethora of faculty we can go to talk to if we ever need any extra help or anything 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?
Inside the classroom we are ALWAYS getting feedback from professors, every time there is a work session, which is most days, we are receiving feedback. Professors always have office hours if you want more specific feedback, or want to give feedback yourself. We are BIG, as a student body, on taking accountability and holding each other accountable as well, so many times we will give professors feedback on what they can do to continue to grow to be good supportive professors.
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?
For gender inclusion, we always share pronouns and cast in accordance with whatever gender someone would like to be considered for in roles. There needs to be more diversity within our school, and within every school, from faculty to students. However, we try to have very open discussions about antiracism and how to continue that as artists, so my hope is that as our world continues to wake up and make necessary changes, our university will as well.
As a white woman, all I can do is do my best to listen to and stand up for my BIPOC and LGBTQIA peers. I will never be able to fully understand their experience.
What types of resources does your school encourage/make available for students in regards to mental, physical, and emotional health?
A lot of professors are becoming more in tune with things like mental health awareness, which I think is amazing if you are able to advocate for yourself in that way. Like other universities, we have free therapy on campus. There is also access to disability letters so you can get class accommodations for yourself for any mental and/or physical disabilities.
What were you most worried about as an incoming freshman that you TOTALLY didn’t need to be worried about?
I was worried about being forced into one method of singing (or acting) that I felt wouldn't work for me. But you are always able to advocate for yourself and find other mediums or methods that work for you. The work is very, very individualized.
How did you know that this was the right place for you?
Lara Teeter, head of Musical Theatre is an incredible recruiter. After my audition we exchanged many emails and phone calls where he was expressing how much this program wanted me and answering all of my questions. Feeling like a program really wanted me to attend is what sold me on it.