Author Topic: Anyone been to U/RTA's?  (Read 6723 times)

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KC_SM_0807

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Anyone been to U/RTA's?
« on: Apr 15, 2006, 05:26 pm »
I was just curious as to if anyone here has been to U/RTA's and what their audition/interviews were like?  I know you have to show your portfolio and then the schools decide if they want to interview you, and I've been on the U/RTA website to get information, but just wanted to get an insider look at the process to see what I need to start preparing.  I have friends who have gone for Scene Design and Costume Design, but I would like to get information from a Stage Management point of view.  Also, if you were accepted to an U/RTA school, what do you think helped you to get in?  Any information that would help me out I would greatly appreciate.  Thanks!
"Perhaps, therefore, Stage Managers not only need to be calm and meticulous professionals who know their craft, but masochists who feel pride in rising above impossible odds."

MatthewShiner

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« Reply #1 on: Apr 16, 2006, 03:54 pm »
I did URTA's in California for Stage Management.  It always felt that SM interviews were an after thought - I had to do them in people's hotel room.  Which was not so good - but interesting.  I did recieve two offers from the URTA interviews.  

All in all it's nice, but it does feel like a machine to push people through.
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ERK

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Anyone been to U/RTA's?
« Reply #2 on: Apr 17, 2006, 06:22 pm »
I went through U/RTAs two years ago.  It's an interesting experience.  Like Matthew said, you do your interviews in hotel rooms, which is a little weird.  

So... the U/RTA process...

Bascially you put together a "common packet" which consists of your URTA app, resume, examples of paperwork, sometimes essays about what you want to get out of grad school, etc.  You send each of these common packets out to the schools you want to go to.  Then you call each of the schools to make sure they received your packet and find out if they want anything else from you.  So in a sense it's like showing your portfolio, only through the mail and less specific.
Then, URTA lets you know which schools you have interviews for and what time the interviews are.  What frustrated me about this is that I wasn't told until about 2 weeks before the interview dates.  So, I was glad I wasn't buying a plane ticket to Chicago with only 2 weeks notice - I was driving.  
The SM interviews I had were basically the head of the SM department explaining what their school's program is like and then asking a few questions.  Some of them ask to see your prompt book, but they don't spend much time on it.  Some ask to see your resume again, so it's good to bring extra copies.  Some of the questions are about stage management theory (which I enjoy more) and some are very practical (what would you do in this situation).
I did get into an URTA school.  I'd say what helped me get in was persistence (I applied the year prior when they were only accepting 1 student and chose to apply to my school again rather than accepting anythingelse), and bringing in questions of my own about the program or stage management.  I ended up having a sort of mini-seminar with the head of my department at my interview.  I asked him a sort of what would you advise your students to do in this situation question that I wanted an honest opinion on and that sparked a good conversation.  So, persistence and drive, I think.

Kimberly

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Anyone been to U/RTA's?
« Reply #3 on: Apr 17, 2006, 08:07 pm »
I really hate to sound ignorant but what are U/RTA's???? Never heard of them before myself! Thanks for the enlightenment!  :D  :wink:
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KC_SM_0807

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Anyone been to U/RTA's?
« Reply #4 on: Apr 17, 2006, 10:32 pm »
U/RTA is University Resident Theatre Association, and is basically a huge Grad School interview process for about 35 grad schools.  You can go for acting, design, or stage management.  They do offer other programs, but it's mostly for Graduate School.  You go to either NYC, San Francisco or Chicago and interview for these schools, and then find out whether or not you are accepted.  You can go online at www.urta.com and check it out for more information.
"Perhaps, therefore, Stage Managers not only need to be calm and meticulous professionals who know their craft, but masochists who feel pride in rising above impossible odds."

Kimberly

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Anyone been to U/RTA's?
« Reply #5 on: Apr 17, 2006, 10:39 pm »
Thanks for the 411! Damnitt man, I wish I hadn't realized 5 years AFTER I graduated from college that this is what I'd love to do FT for the rest of my life!! aaarrgghhh...... :x
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MileHighSM

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U/RTA's
« Reply #6 on: Apr 25, 2006, 06:43 pm »
I just did them in Chicago this past February, and was indeed made an offer by UMKC that I have accepted.  I think it helps because you get to talk to multiple schools at once, and the advice I got from them was not to apply to their university until the recruiter had said I should to really seriously be considered.  I took a recent prompt book w/ me as well as copies of my resume.  That's all I needed.  Mostly they asked me what I was looking for in a program after the description they gave me of what their school had to offer-basically just 15 minutes of chatting and talking about SM'ing-very low key.