Comments on: 7 Reasons Why Professional Acting Programs Are Simply Not Worth It

By: Kirsten Tretbar

Kirsten Tretbar — Fri, 04 May 2012 20:16:35 +0000

Dear Katie - While I know many people who read this post on my blog (which I wrote a few years ago) hate me for writing it and think I’m some sort of failed hack actress, I am so glad that I wrote it. Because I wrote it exactly for the likes of you.

Acting Programs, especially 2-4 year long ones at established schools MAY be for some people - especially those who may want to teach later in life, or who know they want only to act in professional theatre, say in New York. But the real truth is, that if you are good and have talent, you are good, and you will get work!

And you can hone your craft in smaller private classes just as easily, and surely for much less money, and usually with less toxic teachers (and students) than in the larger programs. I always say to everyone of my “nay-sayers” that I wrote this article/post out of my own experiences. Not just from being an MFA student myself, but also as a top acting teacher in such programs. I’ve seen them from the other side too is what I’m saying. What I don’t go on to say is which programs I taught at, because I don’t believe in hurting any kind of business, or in pointing fingers directly at those who may unintentionally hurt people.

So what I’ve tried to do in this post is break down the reasons WHY these programs may not be the best option for many people — especially if you want to act RIGHT NOW, or if you don’t have any money saved, or if you want to act in Film or TV. Also, I write this for many people who want to move to LA to start acting, and don’t have a clue about how much money they will need to live on once they get out of their bigger programs and start living in the reality of that very expensive city.

Thanks so much for your kind words. It really makes me feel that I can make a difference.

Many younger students (like I was when I went to grad school) still have support from their parents (financially) and don’t know anything about the “biz” of acting, or anything about moving to and living in LA, and they get there and get stuck with huge debts when they get out, and they are also several years older when they get out. Because I lived in LA for over twenty years, I just wish now that I’d talked my folks into helping me put money down on a house, or helped me fund a feature film, or even just helped pay for several separate weekly classes - that way I’d have had an easier start.

Enough said. Way to go and good luck with your career - break many legs, and go for it! - All my love and best wishes for you! Kirsten

PS - I had many agents and casting directors tell me in LA that my training didn’t matter one hoot about whether or not they called me in to my audition, but that it was all based on my headshot, my look, if I looked right for the part, if I had some parts on my resume, and also, if they recognized teachers (LA private teachers!) they respected within the industry. The times where an MFA or BA in Theatre MAY help get you called for a part is when you’re auditioning for theatre (usually outside of LA). I am not really dissing the training you get in these programs, just the after effects on your own private life (emotional and financial)… THANKS AGAIN!!!

By: Katie

Katie — Fri, 04 May 2012 18:16:08 +0000

pursue. oops.

By: Katie

Katie — Fri, 04 May 2012 17:51:39 +0000

I enjoy seeing things from all sides. I read the article and all the comments and responses. Over all this article has helped me in one very important way; going to a 4 year school is not possible for me right now and taking a weekly acting class is. I have spent a lot of time wondering how I could persue acting as a 27 year old mom so I started looking into UT and it was pretty clear that I would have to work very hard just to get accepted as my previous college work has nothing to do with acting. Not to mention I couldn’t start until over a year from now bc of their program rules. This put a bad taste in my mouth as I know I am a hard worker, a fast learner and have some talent. It didnt make sense to me to pay so much money to an institution that couldn’t even tell me up front how they would help me persue a career after my training. This article gave me the info I needed to change my focus. I had looked at local acting coaches, but didn’t want to get screwed. Thanks for giving me some tools to make informed decisions regarding my own education. I have no room for wasted money or time and I now have the confidence to take a step. Even if acting doesn’t pan out at least I will not have the massive debt and lost year following me for the rest of my life. Thank you.

By: SayItLoud

SayItLoud — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 19:54:28 +0000

MFAs should not be for becoming a ‘good actor’. The fact that the MFA programs are selling that notion is downright an insult.
MFA programs should be ‘graduate’ studies. Becoming an actor is a craft, you can learn that at any good vocational school.
Getting an MFA should be about becoming a ‘leader’ (educator, communicator, creating and implementing new ideas/programs, in addition to acting) the acting profession - just like it is with any other graduate study programs.

Just ask the MFA programs to stop selling a vocational program as ‘graduate studies’. It’s false, misleading and hurting everyone!!

The MFA programs on the market today should be banned - they are simply a fraud!

By: lauren

lauren — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 02:04:03 +0000

Please save your money! I attended NYFA in NYC, & my personal experience was god awful! I regret it with every fiber of my being. With that being said, I cant say how the NYFA L.A. program is (could be better) but the amount of money they ask for, & their refund policy is just terrible! (I attended in 2009, so maybe things have changed) but all in all, it was such a waste of my time. Not to mention, I stupidly wasted half of my money on this “professional school”. The teachers were incredibly rude to me, as well as other students. I was coming from NJ, & when I tried to talk to them about changing up my class schedule a bit, (I would have to spend $13, 3 days a week, just to go in for a 45 minute class, that could have been taken in conjunction the next day, with my 4 hour long class). I explained that it was nearly impossible (given my work schedule) & financial situation to do that. They refused to budge, & were being extremely uncooperative. I now, at 22 am learning the right way for MYSELF, to go down this path. I have been in numerous independent films since then, & it was NOT due to any NYFA “credentials”. The best way I have learned skill & technique has been through experience. It truly has been the best teacher for me. Watching how things work, being on a film set, speaking with other actors, doing take after take, really reaching deep down in yourself to give the best performance you can. Also, I am now signed up to take private classes. They are MUCH more affordable, private & personal. This is just my personal opinion on NYFA, but you should take whatever route suits you most. Best of luck with your career! :)

By: Abby Xiong

Abby Xiong — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 04:46:02 +0000

Hi everyone! Ok I am 22 years old and barely starting to think of a career in acting for film. I was planning to go to L.A. to study at NYFA ( New York Film Academy) . They are asking for 31000 a year for BFA. Is it worth it? I know everyone is saying no, but when you said with that four years studying to become a professional actor, you could have done something else or use that money on other things. What I dont get is what should you do instead of going to an academy to be a professional actor?

By: Greg Bortz

Greg Bortz — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 09:57:53 +0000

Life is what you make out of it. If you want to be a great actor and decide that an MFA is for you, so be it! If you work hard, are friendly, accept that life’s road is a bit tricky and success does not always follow a set of guide lines, then you will be fine. Learn to define your own happiness and not live by others standards.

By: Andy

Andy — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 01:09:31 +0000

So you acted professionally in commercials and we are supposed to take your advice on how to make it big? No thanks.

By: Josiah Schneider

Josiah Schneider — Sat, 03 Mar 2012 04:58:52 +0000

Wow. I just read this and I had no idea, this page was extremely helpful, thank you so much Kristen.
I don’t know how busy you are but I recently came accross a ministry called AMTC on their web site amtcworld.com and was wondering if you could look into it and tell me what you think about it.
However I totaly understand if you don’t have the time.

Thanks again,
Josiah S.

By: SayItLoud

SayItLoud — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 22:01:54 +0000

1. The idea that there are ‘top MFA’ programs makes absolutely no sense, if you stop and think about it. If you add up the so called top 10 programs, they get less than 200 students per year in total. Now, if they are so good, why do they limit that to 15-20, sometimes 7-8 students per year? Is it because there is no need for top actors out there? – now, that is a ridiculous notion. Clearly, there is demand coming from the industry. Is it because there is no demand coming from people wanting to attend? That we know not to be true. Or is it because there is a shortage of real talent out there that could be educated into becoming top actors. That’s against the main definition of acting school.
2. Now, are these really ‘top schools’? A top school must be a leader in the industry, a trend setter, a visionary. Are they? Over 90% of the films made lose money, even though they are made for ‘commercial’ reasons and not for art.. over 90% of the plays (including on Broadway) lose money and over 90% of the actors cannot find work (including actors coming out of these ‘top schools’). If these schools are ‘the industry leaders’ they look like terrible leaders, don’t they.. There isn’t another industry that can claim leaders that show such sub-mediocrity in influencing the industry positively..
3. Most of the ‘top MFA programs’ should be banned. I simply do not understand how they get away with calling their programs ‘graduate’ programs when in fact they are nothing more than ‘vocational’ schools. One recent example is Juilliard’s MFA program – they made it 4 years and actors training is exactly the same as undergraduates or people who get a certificate.
4. Most of the ‘top MFA’ programs entrance selection is based 100% on a 2-4 minute audition – with total disregard of people’s records – that is the most obvious proof that these programs are ‘vocational’ schools and not graduate schools. For a vocational school it may make sense to admit students on what you can see as talent, because they have no record to base the decisions on. For graduate school, disregarding ones record is total BS. These ‘gods’ pretend that they can look into someone’s eyes for 2-3 minutes, or often times not look at all or not listening at all, and tell with 100% precision what his/her future is going to be. So, who needs to look at an existing record, right? Totally, against any notion of a true ‘graduate’ program.
5. Quite a lot of the heads of the top MFA acting programs do not hold any level of graduate studies. For some of them, their educations clearly come from vocational acting schools.
6. Are these schools really in the 21st century? Most of them are relics of a century long gone, it’s just that the school leadership is too impotent to adapt.. or worse, it’s too ‘convenient’ not to adapt.. One example is the example that Yale is using by pointing to Meryl Streep. Think about it, Meryl went to Yale 40 years ago and she probably followed a program designed decades prior. Does anyone truly believe that a student going to Yale in 2012 will be able to function the same way Meryl does today, 40 years from now? In the era of iPad I really do not think that anyone is that naïve.. so, why then, these ‘top MFA programs’ continue to do what they did mid last century?
7. If all of these things were happening in a 3rd world country, I do not believe that anyone would call them ‘top MFA programs’.. rather would think of ‘corruption’ and ‘crooked’ first.. that’s what these ‘top MFA programs’ seem to be. A disgusting charade.. or better yet, a scam that keeps perpetuating out there only because people are too afraid to take them to court to force them to disclose what the ‘real’ deal is. False, deceptive or misleading advertising is illegal and they should stop it.
8. Everyone should demand that all MFA acting programs change their admittance procedure as well as programs to adjust for true ‘graduate studies’ rather than ‘vocational studies’ as they are now.
9. Everyone should demand that all MFA acting programs post their records that they have internally, or force them to collect those records to indicate what graduates do 1-2-3 years after graduation.
10. Everyone should demand that all MFA acting programs clearly spell out their admittance criteria. If you look at the ‘profiles’ of people who graduate out of these programs there is a strong indication that they select mostly blue/green eyes/blond red hair/ white skin for anyone to really believe that in the 21st century only those people are talented or ‘pretty’.