well if anything some of the best info about the school I got through students there. Here's what I read about from one musical theater major there. I'll post some more info when I get the chance =)
"Ok my essay skills are a little rusty so I'll try and give you a decent overview of Point Park. What I like most about Point Park is the attached theater companies. We have so many shows to showcase students. We have a Conservatory Company (This past year we did 2 big scale musicals that were" On the Town" and "Anything Goes", two small musicals LaChuisa's " First Lady Suite" and " Elliot and the Magic Bed" (written by ppu alumni Marcus Stevens). There were also 2 other childrens shows "The Velveteen Rabbit "and "Tales of a Fourth Grade nothing". The plays this past season were "dangerous liasons" and " A Flea in Her Ear") The professional company attached to Point Park is called The Rep and they use mostly professional actors and a few upperclassmen. There are also 2 one act festivals each year that are directed by seniors. There is so much theater to see and be a part of. Outside of school Pittsburgh is a huge theater city. ( For those of you who haven't ever been here it isn't just a city of steel and sports teams) We have 5 major theaters right in town which are only a few blocks from school and there are dozens of local companies. Pittsburgh is home to everything from small budget experimental theater to large scale musical theater. What I like least about Point Park is probably what every college students dislikes. I lived in a dorm room the size of a postage stamp with another person and ate cafeteria food 24/7. From what I can gather from friends at other schools dorms are supposed to be small and cafeteria food isn't supposed to taste like mom's home cooking. This year I'm moving into an apartment only a block from the Pittsburgh Playhouse which is Point Park's theater. Its an easy alternative to dorm living ( There is a shuttle that runs from school to the playhouse every 15 min and most of my buidling is Point Park Mt majors). Overall my experience has been positive and I look forward to what is to come. Let me know if there is anything else I can tell you about Point Park.
In my personal experience the program is fairly evenly weighted but if I had to say what was the most prominent of the three I'd say it is an acting based program. This probably totally surprises anyone who has ever heard of Point Park because we have a repuatation of being all about dance. This is probably because the dance major program is so well known, however the mt expereince is totally different from that of a dance major. Point Park's mt dance faculty is exceptional though. I truly believe that they can teach any willing and able bodied person to hold their own in a dance call. The same goes for the acting and vocal departments. If you are willing to learn they can teach you to develop your weaknesses. The program is fairly flexible and allows students to take ownership for their education. The people who succeed at Point Park are the students who push themselvels. These are the weak dancers who opt to take an extra ballet class or the student who can't read music well who opts to take private piano lessons every week. Also, I think what makes Point Park such a strong school is that it is diverse. I have a lot of friends in other schools where so much emphasis is put on type and the program is really geared to one type of person. Point Park really focuses on the individual and helps them to develop into the performer they are capable of being without pushing an agenda or a cookie cutter type. I think that may be one of my favorite things about the school is that I always feel like I'm allowed to be myself."
Updated On: 2/27/06 at 09:37 AM
