Today, actress and activist James Rose joins the pod to talk about undergraduate college theatre programs! Inspired by their video responding to Playbill's Top 10 list of the most represented colleges on Broadway, Alex, Danielle, and James dig into what these programs actually teach, the ways that BFA programs and the actual industry mirror and influence each other, and the process of rediscovering your own individual artistry after graduation.

• 02:40 - Things we're enjoying
• 11:45 - Why Danielle and Alex were interested in discussing BFA programs, a clip from James' video that inspired this episode, and some additional background.
• 14:45 - Discussing the idea of being "marketable" as an actor.
• 27:40 - The ways that typecasting is racist, fatphobic, etc. and how college programs reinforce those types.
• 42:22 - The idea that "if you can see yourself doing anything else, go do that thing" as taught to BFA students.
• 49:41 - Acting vs. music training, and the pros and cons of having working professionals teach instead of those with training as educators.
• 58:24 - Reasons to not go to a BFA program and why it's ridiculous to expect teenagers to choose their entire life path when they're 17.
• 01:02:53 - Viewing theatre training as transferrable skills and how to incorporate skills and interests outside of acting/theatre.
• 01:23:52 - The problem of teaching students to use their personal emotional trauma to access emotion when acting.
• 01:30:40 - If you had a child in your life who wanted to do a BFA program, would you let them?

References and Links

• Playbill's "The Big 10" Article
• James' Video

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Read James' bio here.

@jamesissmiling on Instagram | James's Website

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Danielle: Twitter | Instagram

Alex: Twitter | Instagram

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Music by Scott Buckley – www.scottbuckley.com.au