Well, another graduate from LVA here (Although I think I'm a little older than everyone else). I graduated in '04 as a Tech-theatre major.
I don't want to freak you out or make you so cynical that you don't enjoy your high school years, but I think it would be unwise of me not to mention the downside of attending a program like LVA's.
Truth be told, I did make a lot of friends in high school. Many of which I still talk to today and hold deep love/respect for. But looking back I feel I should've spent more time getting practical experience from real employers.
What happens at LVA is that you spend several hours a week working on productions in addition to the time you spend in classes. I would say on average, my day would go something like this: Classes from 7-2, then construction/rehearsal/whatever till 8, plus about 8-10 hours on Saturday. This fluctuated though and a week before opening night, I could find myself there till 11 or 12 (I had some friends who were there all night).
So between this and studies (I was a diligent student who graduated with a high GPA) there really wasn't any time for even a part-time job. I felt this was okay though, since I truly believed the time and effort I was putting in would give me the skills I needed to succeed in a college tech theatre program or stage tech employment.
It really didn't. By the time senior year came around I found myself completely unprepared for college placement. I ended up in a school with a so-so program that I couldn't afford and after 1 year of massive debt I was forced to leave and return to Vegas.
Because I've had no practical employment experience I've been unable to get steady well-paying jobs while I'm in school. My resume reads like a hidden cryptogram full of odd jobs and a big stamp across it reading: Don't Hire This Guy--He's Unreliable.
I don't blame the instructors at LVA though. I recognize that they were only operating the way they have to in order to keep their theater program running successfully. Instead I blame myself.
I know this sounds mellowdramatic and whatnot, but I really have run into other grads from my year who feel the exact same way. One who now majors in history told me "We weren't really in the real world there, were we?" And she was soo right.
At the same time, I know some who were completely ignored by the faculty at LVA who are now in great positions because they spent their time working actual theatre tech jobs. And then there are others who weren't so lucky.
My only advice I can really offer is to use Sunday as your real-world day. Get a part time job somewhere that relates to what you really want to do. You'd be surprised at how well an employer responds to someone who's young and talented. The faculty hardly ever schedules rehearsals and stuff on Sunday and if they do just tell them you've got some religious thing. They'll respect that.
Remember, ultimately they're just a high school faculty. They hold no power over your future and nothing they do or say will prevent you from getting a job in the real world.
I remember once there was a girl who had been cast in the ensemble of an LVA production, but she had found another community theatre company that wanted her as a lead. She ofcoarse did what anyone would do and bowed out of the ensemble position (This was only like a week after being cast). Within hours the mere mention of her name was taboo. All any of the faculty would say was that they refuse to give her any letters of recomendations or cast her in any future productions. What a way to treat a 15 year old girl.
To me that story just exemplifies the problem with the LVA program. Put real world experience before the pretend fantasy life of LVA. You'll be thankful for it in the end.
Updated On: 7/2/07 at 10:27 AM
mucho sadness that you are graduating this year. I was hoping to get to meet you at school next year 
