COURSE DESCRIPTIONS

Connecticut College is the school of record for the National Theater Institute. 20 credit hours or 5 course credits are awarded to undergraduates who successfully complete the National Music Theater Institute Semester. Final grades are reported to Connecticut College where they are recorded by official transcript and forwarded to the student’s college or university registrar upon request. Connecticut College is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges. DIRECTING FOR MUSIC THEATER (NMTI-202) Working on classic and contemporary musicals, students learn not only the basic skills of directing through table work and practical exercises, they also practice being a confident artistic leader that is able to pull together the complicated threads of a musical collaboration into a unified artistic vision.
WRITING THE MUSICAL (NMTI-203) Through a variety of assignments reflecting the range of contemporary musicals, students develop skills as lyricists, book-writers, and composers. The course culminates in Music Theater Week, dedicated to the development, reading, and staging new 30-minute musicals created by students during the NMTI semester. Music Theater History is a weekly lecture series offered within the writing curriculum.
ACTING FOR MUSIC THEATER (NMTI-301) Students are given specialized actor training in a wide variety of scene work and music theater styles by core instructors and visiting artists. Classes concentrate on improving the student’s craft as an actor and on strengthening their intelligence and imagination as an artists. In-depth scene study covers a variety of musicals from Oklahoma! to Avenue Q.
SINGING/VOICE (NMTI-311) Students train in singing as well as vocal technique, production, and care. In addition to singing classes–using songs from classic and contemporary American musicals, songbooks, and pop music–there are speech and voice classes in a variety of techniques and styles (Linklater, Fitzmaurice Voicework, etc.).
DANCE/MOVEMENT (NMTI-312) Students train in a variety of dance and movement techniques for the musical actor, including: modern, jazz, ballet, hip-hop, street dance, tai chi, yoga, and acrobatics. Guest artists teach specific workshops in choreography and new dance forms, looking at the movement languages being employed and invented for the modern musical.

DATES & FEES

Fall 2020 - Sunday, September 13 - Sunday, December 20, 2020
The comprehensive fee of $28,500 includes:

• Tuition
• Housing
• Three Meals Daily
• Two Weeks All-Inclusive Residency in London/New York City
• Theater Tickets (approximately 16 shows a semester)
• Two Official Transcripts

SCHOLARSHIPS & FINANCIAL AID

NTI endeavors to ensure access & opportunity to all students seeking a semester with us, regardless of economic circumstance. For that reason, NTI offers need-based scholarships through a need-blind admission policy. > Learn more about Scholarships & Financial Aid.

TESTIMONIALS

“I loved my experience at NMTI and think this program does an amazing job of building a supportive community. I think this program made me a more grounded and flexible actress and expanded my idea of myself beyond a narrow ‘type’ that I could play. I also felt like all of the professors truly cared about me and wanted me to do well.” “Overall, this program absolutely changed my life. It was a vital experience for me because it turned me from theater fan to an artist ready to work in the theater professionally.” “My musical ear and acting muscles are stronger than ever after this program. I was amazed at the mentors and professionals that [NMTI] brought on campus to influence and guide us, and [their] perspective of us as equals/artists rather than as students was a gift.” “NMTI was one of the most life-altering experiences for me. I got to write my first musical and it ignited a spark in me to work harder towards my dreams as a writer.”

NEW YORK CITY RESIDENCY

Train with professionals in a singular series of workshops and master classes in a two-week residency in New York City - the epicenter of American musical theater. You might try new techniques in classes at Broadway Dance Center or with Deirdre Goodwin, develop your voice with masters like Aimée Steele, Kate Douglas, or Victoria Clark, or create characters with members of Fiasco Theater. This performance training is balanced with interdisciplinary exploration, as students may orchestrate with Michael Starobin, craft songs with Ryan Scott Oliver, or build an ensemble with Erin Ortman and Alex Gemignani. You'll also get a first-hand look at the industry in Q&As with New York artists, all while staying in the B&B-inspired American Dream Hostel. With housing, travel, and meals covered in your comprehensive tuition, this residency is a chance for students to discover what a creative's life in New York truly looks like, amidst the support and safety of their ensemble. And no trip to New York would be complete without attending shows, as you'll do nearly every night during your residency. You'll see exciting new work on Broadway, as well as explore downtown and Off-Broadway theaters, like Ars Nova, 54 Below, and St. Ann's Warehouse. A trip to BAM, the Met, or the ballet may round out your trip, as you explore all the incredible work New York has to offer.

HOW TO APPLY

> Please visit our admissions page to learn more & apply.

SAMPLE SCHEDULE

> View the National Music Theater Institute sample schedule. A Day in the Life of the National Music Theater Institute 7:00am – Wake up! Quick shower, double-check I have my cuts and notebook in my backpack, and I’m ready for the day. 7:25am – Arrive at the Dina Merrill Theater for yoga warm-up with Marya. The long savasana at the end was like an extra 10 minutes of sleep! 8:20am – I eat breakfast (scrambled eggs, bacon, and hashbrowns – yum) while looking over some sheet music. 8:50am – I head to the barn for Song Performance with Aimee Steele. I chose ‘What Is It About Her?’ from The Wild Party to help me root my acting choices in my vocal technique. I was so surprised when I found out that show was actually first developed at the O’Neill! 10:30am – A short break before I have my private voice lesson. We run through what I just worked on in Song Performance to make sure I’ve got it, and then start on my audition cut for our masterclass later this week. 12:05pm– Lunch. I catch up with classmates over our Mongolian Beef bowls – it seems like everyone is making breakthroughs today! 1:00pm – Song Analysis & Lyric Writing with Jeff Bowen is one of my favorite classes. We’ve learned so much about the history of musical theater, different styles, composers – and gotten to put that into practice writing our own stuff, too. It’s a long session, so we take a break halfway through and reminisce about when Jeff took us bird watching in Central Park during our New York Residency. 5:00-6:00pm – Q&A with one of my favorite actors, Tonya Pinkins. I feel so lucky to get to meet these incredible people and hear stories of when they were young creators like me. 6:15pm – I get to dinner a bit late because I stay after the Q&A to chat with Tonya. Eventually we decide to walk over to the cafeteria and some classmates join us for our penne with pesto dinner (gluten-free for me!). 7:00pm – Residency presentations are an unexpected treat during the NTI semester. This week, Erin Ortman, Ari Afsar, Lauren Gunderson, Jennifer Lin, and Meg Zervoulis present songs from their new musical as part of the NMTC Incubator series. It’s unlike anything I’ve heard before – and so incredible to see an all-woman creative team! 10:00pm – Homework time! My scene partner and I meet for a half hour to run lines for our scene study, and then I set to work reading and analyzing our musical for Theater Labs this week, Spring Awakening. We’ll get our casting and scene assignments tomorrow, so I study the whole play just in case. 12:00am – Bedtime! Days at NTI are long, but packed full of incredible opportunities and experiences. I can’t wait to get up tomorrow and do it all over again.