A few points from Lizzie:

- “I feel strongly that I should be TOTALLY at the disposal of CC drama majors, especially those who want to be professionals.”

- “First, let me tell you the story of my freshman year. I got the lead in a comedy directed by a visiting professional director. After a few rehearsals, he took me into his office and said, “What are you doing here? You should be getting trained at a conservatory.” I was aghast. We talked about it, and I had about the same reaction that you seem to be having: I will never be able to compete with kids who are in BFA programs now. I was wasting my time, I thought. I promptly DROPPED OUT — yes, I filled out the paperwork, and was no longer enrolled. Then I set about getting into UMKC’s BFA program. Soon after, Tom left me a message on my phone that said, “Um, I am your advisor, and I have been notified that you dropped out. Would you like to discuss this?” I went to his office, he looked me straight in the eye, and said, “Do you want to be educated or not?” In that moment I realized what a jackass I was being. And when I entered grad school and saw that a), I was one of the younger people there, and b) one of the students had never read “Hamlet” and it showed — I thanked God I had gotten a college education. Actors need to be well-rounded people who know a lot about the world. Please don’t worry about competing against kids who, compared to you, might be uneducated slobs.”

- “The corollary to that is, when I was at CC, I made a point of creating my own little “conservatory” experience. I took modern dance, African dance, and yoga. I took singing with Victoria…And I was in a LOT of shows. I also directed for Theater Workshop…if you can, at the very least, take ballet and do lots of yoga, and perform every time you have a chance. If Andrew is still offering his acting adjunct, you should be in it! You will be on the right track.”

- “Here are my tough-love questions about musical theater: do you have a great voice? And I mean GREAT? That’s something that you can’t teach, and it would, in my opinion, be a waste of money to pursue a career in which there is so much competition if you don’t possess an inborn talent for singing. I have a very lovely soprano legit voice, if I do say so myself, but I have zero belt and no “pop” sound. So I don’t even try to do musicals. I also can’t dance for shit. More and more, musical theater ladies need to sing like they do in “Wicked,” not like they do in “Phantom.” So examine your conscience about whether this is your path.”

-”I would try in earnest to get into an MFA program…One sure-fire way to know whether they are worth your money and time: ask to see the final-year students perform, in class or in a show. They should KNOCK YOUR SOCKS OFF. If they don’t, then consider whether their time and money has been wasted, and whether there is a risk that yours will be, too. You don’t want to be the most talented person in your school. It’s a recipe for failure.”

- “You have a great guide in Tom, and also in Andrew. Use both of them as a resource. That’s what they’re there for. Ask them outright for criticism and suggestions. You’ll be glad you did.”

~ Alumni Lizzie Larson

Obtained and Shared from Cynthia Whitman