Competitive Careers in Drama
Ali Dubrow | Oct 16, 2006 | Comments 0
UC Irvine has been one of the leading public universities specializing in drama for 40 years, but UCI’s drama majors find that the off-campus world of musical theater is rougher than on campus.
For a drama major at UCI, the possibilities are endless. From main stage productions to workshops, UCI’s drama program does its best to present opportunities that prepare its students for the real world of theater.
As a recent graduate of UCI’s drama program who moved to New York City to pursue a career in musical theater, Lizzie Weiss agrees.
‘I see so many young people audition who go in looking totally flustered,’ Weiss said. ‘At UCI, I was taught how to have my music in order and have it cut and organized the best way for the accompanist. I learned that the better you prepare your music, the better the accompanist will play for you. To the non-musical theater person, these minute details could seem superfluous, but to a person who auditions every day of their life, it makes a huge difference.’
Each year, hundreds of UCI drama major graduates are thrown headfirst into the real world of entertainment, where they drive from one audition to another, shell out headshots and struggle to make ends meet. For many, this life continues for years on end, while a select few are able to tackle a role in a hit play or musical.
Allison Case, who graduated from the drama department in December, has been lucky. Armed with her recently acquired equity card from South Coast Repertory, Case had a plan
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