I just discovered your blog, and I wanted to say hi – and I agree completely with everything you’ve said in this post! When I was a theatre student, I was only vaguely aware of the lack of real creation and working outside of the traditional that we were exposed to; it wasn’t until the summer after my junior year, when I took part in a production for the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, that I really realized how much was missing from my education!

I wish that more theatre students had the chance to experience something like that – a place where there isn’t the pressure of giving the audience what they want and making money for the department. The most amazing part of my experience was that I’d never done a production where we could try whatever we wanted, and it was okay to fail!

I’m actually working on a project to create a place like that – where undergrad students can come for a semester or a summer, just to work together and create something new and different, without the stigma and pressures that come with either a university department or a professional theatre company. If you’re interested, you can check out our website:

http://www.dramafarm.org

I’d love to hear your thoughts – and thanks for the great post! =)