Ryan Chalmers and John Kuchinski have devoted themselves to the Acting Troupe of Lambert (ATL) for the last four years. Boasting a one-act state championship win and a Shuler Hensley award for their leading performances in “The SpongeBob Musical,” ATL president Chalmers and Lambert Improv president Kuchinski are getting ready for the next step in their musical theater endeavors.
The Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in musical theater is a selective, intensive four-year degree designed to prepare highly skilled undergraduate performers for careers on and off Broadway. Seniors Kuchinski and Chalmers traded the Common App for a casting room, auditioning for over 20 universities in hopes of a spot on the playhouse roster.
“It feels like every other weekend we’re flying somewhere doing dance calls and auditions,” Chalmers said. “We’re also still in shows at our school. John and I were both in four shows with named characters in all of them so we’re pretty busy with that, too.”
Kuchinski and Chalmers made several trips to audition for musical theater programs in person in addition to sending in virtual tapes. Through the National Unified Auditions, they were able to perform for multiple colleges at once, getting decisions back more efficiently.
“One of the things we also did was a bulk pre-screen send out by going to Pittsburgh Unified,” Kuchinski added. “That was an initial send-out so we can know which colleges are interested, and both of us got callbacks, but we also got offers right off the pre-screen.”
BFA decisions, particularly for musical theater applicants, are far more complex than a simple yes, no or even waitlist. Applicants may go through multiple ‘callback’ stages before receiving any kind of concrete decision, and you’re never really sure where you stand until you get that final status update; you could be called back ten times and still, in the end, receive a no.
“If you’re submitting your Common App, you never get to see the people who rejected you,” said Chalmers. “But for an audition, you go in the room, you meet with them, you have a nice experience with them.. and then sometimes they’ll get back to you and just be like, ‘there’s not a spot for you.’”
Most theater programs seek a combination of different types of people, and this serves as yet another obstacle to getting into the ideal program. Different personality types, backgrounds, looks, and other attributes can prevent someone from being accepted into a program that otherwise would have been a great fit. Everyone auditioning at this level is talented, but sometimes, that is not enough.
“At Pittsburgh Unified, everybody was really talented so it became less about how talented you are and more of if they need you in your program,” Chalmers said. “You have to be really talented but you also have to be really unique. If they already have someone like you in their program, they may not need another.”
The auditioning process for these colleges consists of finding the best mutual match between both the actor and the program. The talent level of many of the actors auditioning for each program is very similar, which then results in a competition that is decided solely by which type of actor the program is currently lacking.
“Connections are the main thing you want out of a theater program because it’s all about how you can get a job after college,” Kuchinski said. “It’s like how people are related to people who are currently active in Broadway, national tours and any kind of director because that’s the name of the game. You just have to be connected to the right people, and they’ll bring you in for auditions. Once you’re working, you’re working a lot.”
Kuchinski and Chalmers are both looking to pursue careers in theater beyond the collegiate level. Their passion for theater runs deep, which is why it is incredibly important that they have the ability to choose between various prestigious collegiate theater programs and their alumni networks. Wherever they decide to go, they will be a great addition to that program due to their outstanding work as members of the Acting Troupe of Lambert for the past four school years.
