This arrived in the mail recently.
It's, you know, a letter.
From the Stella Adler Art of Acting Studio in LA. It's the sister studio to the one in New York. This letter is inviting me to come be a part of their summer conservatory program next summer at the LA campus. I also received a letter inviting me to the NY campus, if I want to go there. The programs in either city are identical, so it's a matter of coast-preference, really.
The Stella Adler reps saw me audition at SETC back in the fall. (You remember, that big grad school audition convention I went to and posted a kajillion posts about.) You don't get into their program without applying, auditioning, and interviewing. So to get a letter inviting me after they saw me at a mass audition... feels really good.
My spot in the program is secured until January 15th.
I haven't decided whether or not to accept yet.
This is the kind of opportunity that I, literally, drool over.
The only thing stopping me is the cost of picking up and moving to a new state for a few months. And the fear that... well... I don't know. Just fear, I guess.
So. Do I go?
14 comments:
Oh snap! It might be one of the scariest things you ever do, but don't let that stop you. You are surely apprehensive, and the financial aspect of it is a doozy, but this is a wonderful opportunity - take it as far as you can go! (I will always regret not taking similar opportunities when I had the chance, so I can encourage you to not make that mistake). Be fearless! I would love to hear more details.
~SP
Go Emma Go! Whichever coast you choose will be amazing!
The question is...beaches or snow?
Congrats! It is so exciting to get an acceptance letter....but be sure to shop around (I almost went there myself). They don't have the best rep in NYC and they are very expensive! There are lots of other studios that are thousands of $ cheaper.
BUT! Don't let that stop you. Come to NYC anyways. Check out HB Studios summer program or the Neighborhood Playhouse. Move! It will be so exciting and challenging for you!
I may do a more detailed post in the near future when I get more. I sent the letter-sender-dude and email being like... hey, so... uh... schwaaaahhhh???
We'll see how that goes.
:-) That's my biggest thought right now--I don't want to pass up something that could be really wonderful and regret not having taken it later. I think that whatever I do decide will be the best decision for my life right now; but I just want to be as informed and as non-terrified as possible.
Hahaha, thank you! If I can make the logistics work out... who knows? This may be something that I shouldn't pass up, and while my first thought was NY since I've been there before and am somewhat familiar with it, I kind of think LA could be fascinating. I've never seen the Pacific ocean. That might be nice.
Mmmm I do love the beach. :-D
This is the first time I've heard something negative about their school! You must dish all you know, I want to get both sides of the story.
The four hour workshop I had with the guy who teaches at the LA campus was so fantastic and knowledgeable that it's very easy for me to see myself studying under him for a summer. He's one of those people who sincerely and genuinely cares about performance as art and makes those he's teaching better at it. It was kind of amazing to watch. I would be more skeptical had I not met him and talked to him in person. What kind of rep do they have in NY?
And thank you for providing some options! It's encouraging to think that there are other places to go--although I know you just want me to come to NY so that we can hang out and you can make me awesome veggie food. :-D Haha!
I do think a move would be challenging in all the right ways. Whether it's this program or another, I DO want to get out of the southeast (sorry none of our restaurants cater to your veggieness! It's true, we are so terrible about it if you're looking outside of the big cities without the indie places that do serve veggie-friendly stuff. Fried chicken is king down here).
Go. Without a doubt, go. This is a chance that you may not get again, and I would hate to see you pass it up. Worse comes to worse, it's a few months. Weeks, really. I mean, how fast does a week go by? There are weeks that seem like they're about seventeen nano seconds. Even if you're not in love with it (which I doubt, because I don't see you committing to this if you're going to half ass it) it will still be a powerful addition to your portfolio. As far as New York or LA? That I can't advise you on. My gut says LA, but I would heed you to take that with a huge salt like. Regardless, I'm crazy proud of you :)
First of all, congratulations! How exciting! I don't know much about the current state of the Stella Adler school, so I can't really speak on that. What I can say is that the summer between my sophomore and Junior years of college I came to New York to do the Cap21 Musical Theater summer conservatory program (through NYU, Tisch) and it changed my life. Being up here that summer ultimately led me to my move here directly out of college, the experiences I had and the lessons I learned in the program have stuck with me to today. And the relationships I made are still strong...new IHIGI writer Terra and I met through that program.
Getting to try out a new city, and experience the business in that city, is an invaluable experience. But I suggest you contact the program and see if they might point you toward some alumni from both cities. Talk with a handful of people and see what there thoughts are on it and where they are today because of it. Also take into consideration that you are planning to enter into grad school soon. You need to decide if it is financially worth it to do a program like this now when you are about to go into what's most likely an extended version of this.
Also, we should talk soon about where the site is going because there are lots of changes to come in the near future. If you do decide to come to New York you will have a built in community and support group. I can assure you of that!
Hope that helps!
DUDE, DO IT.
Pro tips: If you do the one in New York, you won't need a car, and they have delicious knishes. If you do the one in LA, housing will be cheaper, and I will totally drive the four hours to come hang out with you.
I shall echo what everyone else has said...GO! Absolutely! I've never been to LA, but I can say that NYC is pretty much fantastic. In fact, I'm currently mulling over the idea of finding a job and moving there for a year just because I've always wanted to live in the city, just for a little while. :)
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