Just because you live in Michigan, doesn’t mean you don’t have dreams about being a famous actor in Hollywood or on Broadway someday. You may not quite know how to find the path that will take you to this dream, but you know that it has to be found. Fortunately for all of these types of dreamers in the greater Michigan area there are plenty of options to gain the education and experience necessary to help propel an individual toward the achievement of their dream. The purpose of this article is to help steer aspiring actors toward programs that will give them the tools to make their dreams of acting stardom come true.
University of Michigan Schools of Music, Theatre & Dance
This is an institution that has been teaching and perpetuating the arts since 1880. A performing arts school with one of the finest reputations in the country the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre and Dance can allow your dreams of stardom come to fruition. This is a conservatory style education with rigorous college requirements that all students must experience and maintain a high academic standing in to participate in the program. The University prides itself on providing instructors with rich and talented international reputations for excellence. This allows them to offer a wide variety of programs to students from those that are almost all performance based in their design to other classes that are more academically based. This gives all students the valuable experience of all types of academic exposure. The school touts a student body that is extremely talented in all aspects of life and Michigan graduates go on to achieve greatness in all levels of our society. It doesn’t matter what their chosen field is, a Michigan student is apt to show their exceptional ability and rise to the top, whether it is in politics or in acting.
There is a small student body by design so the student faculty ratio is kept low enough to allow for the highest level of student-faculty interaction. The Michigan faculty work to create a very nurturing environment that is both challenging its students to reach for new heights of understanding and talent, but also provides a support that allows them to grow and understand when they do make a mistake. These are prime learning experiences that help build character and toughness that all actors need to thrive and survive. The vibrant campus atmosphere helps students stay surrounded by a feeling of community that makes students feel like they are a part of something bigger than themselves. The School strives to provide a comprehensive experience for all students, meaning that they strive to allow students to experience the best of both scholarship and performance.

Wayne State University Department of Theatre
This is a program for serious students who not only want to participate in and improve their skills in acting, but want to become a dynamic part of a theatre experience. The school provides a pre-professional experience that will help prepare an inexperienced individual to be ready to assume a career in the theatre. The students will be exposed to the full experience of the business of theatre. This means that they provide you with a performance curriculum where, obviously acting is emphasized, along with all of the other disciplines like production go along with it. Wayne State provides a significant number of opportunities to work on a variety of productions of all kinds. The undergraduate program has its own theatres that are independent of the graduate program. Therefore the undergraduates will not have to compete for roles with graduate students and be able to progress at their own ability level. One of the best features of the undergraduate programs is that students are allowed to audition right from the moment they walk on campus as a freshman. What better way to grow as an actor then to have your skills finely tuned by acting. Even if you are interested in design or stage management you will be allowed to become actively involved in these disciplines as a WSU undergrad. Practicing all aspects of your craft will help move you toward becoming a master.
Located in one of Michigan’s largest cities of Detroit, a student is able to experience the city campus living that will help broaden individual horizons as well as growing as a skilled actor. If a student applies for the Bachelor of Arts program with a theatre major there are high academic requirements that must be met, including high school class work, essays, and SAT scores. There is no audition for the University admission progression.
If a student wants to be accepted into the Bachelor of Fine Arts program with a major in theatre, they will have to choose a minor concentrating on one of the performance arts. A student must finish a successful audition and interview as a part of the prerequisite course of study. This will most often take place when the sophomore year of course requirements is completed.
Oakland University’s Department of Music, Theatre and Dance (MTD)
When a student wants to study the arts of acting, one of the most prestigious in Michigan is located at Oakland University. They offer wonderful opportunities to gain both the educational experiences in the classroom and the practical performing experiences from student productions that are constantly being produced through the theatre department. The school offers a unique mix of undergraduate and graduate studies that will help propel a prospective professional from raw actor to a more finished acting product. The faculty is the reason that so many talented dancers, musicians and actors choose to attend this school, because they provide all of the experience and expertise that a student can require to become a successful actor.
To apply for admission to the program, a prospective student simply has to first apply for admission into Oakland University and fulfill the academic requirements for that process. Then once accepted to the school, you can choose to begin the process of applying for an audition in your chosen field either music, dance or most importantly theatre. Then the easy process continues, as students fill out the correct forms and return it to the school. Along with the application for an audition a student sends a performance resume. The University will acknowledge the receipt of this information. You select the audition date and then you show your stuff.
This is a program that is intensive and collaborative. Students are allowed to pursue and develop their goals under the expert tutelage of the faculty and staff of Oakland University. They will help make your performance dreams come true.