Hello future DART students (and those still deciding):
My name is Elizabeth and I am a graduating student from the Dramatic Arts program at Brock University. I know you are all facing the important decision of where to go for school next year and wanted to write you all and let you know a bit about why I chose Brock, and the amazing opportunities I’ve had as a result.
After my invitational experience at Brock I knew it was the place for me. I left the invitational convinced that this would be a program in which I would be valued and appreciated for what I had to offer as an individual. I also got the feeling that this would be a program focused on building community rather than competition. I was right; DART is filled with some of the most supportive people I have ever worked with — professors and peers alike.
The ability to get a truly well-rounded theatrical education was one of the most important factors in my decision. Although I was in the performance concentration and therefore had plenty of studio classes and performance opportunities, I benefitted the most from being exposed to all aspects of theatrical production and study. Crew courses gave me an appreciation for those who work backstage, as well as valuable skills that performers may need when starting their own small companies; critical theory and theatre history courses gave me a strong foundation of theatrical knowledge that I continuously draw on; directing and devising courses allowed my to develop who I want to be as an artist; and a theatre criticism course with Prof. Karen Fricker — who is also the Toronto Star’s new theatre critic — allowed me to discover a passion I was able to further as a writer and editor for dartcritcs.com. That passion for theatre criticism began my interests in writing and dramaturgy, interests that I am now pursuing in graduate studies at Harvard University and the American Repertory Theater Institute — indicative, I believe, of the quality of education and scope of opportunities DART offers its students.
If you have a theatre-related interest you want to explore, Brock is the place to do it. In my time here I have acted in numerous MainStage and student-run productions, directed a one act play and assistant directed last year’s Fall MainStage, coordinated five seasons of the GimmeTwo short scene festival, attended classes at the Stratford and Shaw festivals, learned technical skills ranging from designing lighting plots to building sets, been employed by the university as a stage hand and as a theatre critic, and am currently working as a summer intern at the Shaw Festival. (I write a blog for DART students about this experience which you can find at shawandtell.wordpress.com). I believe that this program offers students the support and resources to achieve and experience anything they desire.
DART is a program that allows you to pursue your interests with instructors who not only are some of the best in the business, but who respect and build lasting friendships with their students. This is a program to explore and gain confidence in new interests in a safe and encouraging environment. Even better, that environment is now gorgeous and better equipped than ever thanks to the recent move to the brand new arts building.
I hope that you seriously consider the Dramatic Arts program at Brock. This program made all the difference in allowing me to become a confident and competent artist, and I know that my future is brighter because of the decision I made when I was in your place. Please feel free to email me with any questions you may have about the program, I will be so happy to hear from you and will help in any way I can. Hope to see you on (or behind) the DART stage in the coming years!
Best of luck,
Elizabeth Amos
DART Class of 2016