| | Purchase was the hot topic of discussion recently. Here are copies of several emails about the school. These notes are from both our HSTech mailing list and the StageCraft Mailing list. | Hello from Purchase, I am currently an undergrad lighting design student in the design technoogy program. Personally, I love it here. Like Herrick said, the variety of other artists is wonderful, and I find them to be a source of new kinds of iseas and creativity. While the campus buildings themselves lack certain charms. If you like nature, were surrounded by it there is a circle of woods around the campus great for jogging or rollerblading. The main costume design teacher is Michael Cesario. If you look up his name on any web browser you should find his line of of band uniforms. When I had him last year he occasionally lamented about his experiences with Disney. Costume seems to be a lot more popular as a graduate program here as opposed to undergraduate. As far as designers on Broadway, there's at least one in about half of the current productions. That goes for our teachers as well, Dave Grill has been MIA since last fall. Although I am enjoying the guest speakers. Feel Free to contact me off list with any kind of question. ~Miriam | | Hi I am currently a Purchase student, a Tech Direction major. To add to the list of purchase grads workign on Broadway Rich Cocchira - Tech supervision "42nd St" Daniel Ordower, Jason Lyons, John Viesta...all assistant LDs on "42nd" too may grads to name working in scenic studios, tours, regional theater, etc. All of the professors here are great...they can be a little rough around the edges, but they tend to make class interesting. Michael Cesario, the head of the costume design program is one of the best teachers that I have EVER had!! Professionalism is heavily stressed from day one. There can be a LOT of work at times, but our production schedules aren't too overwhelming. Generally 3 till either 6 or 10 weekdays except for wednesday, and occasionally a saturday or sunday...rarely both. the campus is a lot of boring brick, but you get used to it pretty quickly...the food has its moments both good and bad. Don't know much about NCSA, though we are commonly told that they produce more technicians than designers. Hope this helps...please feel free to reply off list if you have any questions. All the best Benjamin Granucci | Well Steve since you asked
Current Broadway designers from Purchase are as follows This is off the top of my head.. Dave Gallo Set design "Thoroughly Modern Millie" in tech now (3 assistants all from Purchase) Brian MacDevitt Too many to list but I Think he has at least 4 shows this season including Urinetown
Kenny Posner "Side Man" and many others including the current Off Bway "Monster"
Brian Nason "1776" and others
TV "Millionaire" is designed by Bruce Ferri
Laura Lambert is a set decorator/designer for 3rd Watch
The Olympics represented Purchase very well. The Hoberman Arch was built by Sam Pierce and John Sochoky at Scenic tech both Purchase grads Dave Grill was one of the associates on the Opening and closing ceremonies
One of our production managers Kathy Havey was a Manager for the Luge, Bobsled , and Ski jump The projections for U2 at the superbowl were implemented by Purchase grads
I know there are more of the "Purchase Mafia" running around doing tours and regional. I am certain I missed some of the Broadway crowd as well. As for Joy's post... Yes it is an ugly brick campus! The people are great and they don't all go home on the weekends! there are 1500 resident students in dorms and apartments. In 6 months you know most of the people by face. It's not just the theater folks who work hard. You are surrounded by artists! VISUAL ARTS, music, Film and a great dance department. Purchase is a conservatory program ( I think NCSA is too) you take 120 credits 100 of them are in theater. The other 20 are in "liberal arts" for me that meant Dramatic Structure, History of theater, Shakespeare and film, and CPR which I ended up teaching. The long hours are killer but no worse than the real world. The pressure is real and seems totally insane it took me 2 years of being out to discover that I worked harder and more willingly than most of my peers and that I had been trained to expect it at Purchase. The PAC and physical plant are gorgeous and you get international companies coming through all the time. YOU should have a car but White plains is not the closest train station. Harrison is and it is 6 miles away. Where is NCSA is it in a city? I bet New York is a slightly bigger town and it's not hard to get to NYC for an evening or a weekend. NCSA will make you buy tools and drafting supplies too. Make no mistake it's a tough program. I do not know anything about NCSA but I think one of the Purchase Profs moved there, Franco Colavecchio is a brilliant designer and painter. He may be at NCSA. I have heard good things about NCSA but I have no specifics. Go see the schools and meet the students. They can give you the inside scoop.-H Herrick Goldman | <<snip>>
>>The campus is hideous but your mostly in the
theatre so you don't see it. Over all theatre in general in long hours so
you
may as well get used to it. The classes I took while there were good, and I
learned a lot from them. The program is not an easy one, but most of your
credits are theatre so you don't have to take much outside of theatre which
is good.<<
<<snip again>>
Hmmmm - interesting. I've hired SUNY Purchase grads before and got the
impression that they'd been encouraged to venture outside of the theatre
department more - they seemed to be pretty well rounded. But (from Joy's
post) I wonder if that's still the case.
and ARRRRGH! Her post describes exactly the kind of thing that I wish
schools (*especially* undergrad schools) would stop doing - keeping the
students constantly buried in production. I know I'm beating a deceased
equine, but I really don't want to hire somebody who's spent all their time
in college learning how to work in a shop. I may recommend them to one of
my scene shop friends, but I want somebody with a broader range of skills
and experiences. Otherwise, why'd they go to college? (OK, in my case there
was also the lure of women and strong drink, but it was during the Middle
Ages and we didn't have much else to do).
Sigh....gotta go find an airplane...site survey with new associate (who got
his undergrad degree in philosophy...and his masters in architecture...with
a secondary concentration in the use of remote operated devices in hazardous
environments)(he did theatre for fun)(see why I hired him?)(and he was an
intern for me 5 years ago).
Michael Finney | I went to Purchase my freshman year of college, for set design. I ended
up leaving for my own reasons. You don't get to start your costume design
classes until sophomore year, is number one. Number two the campus is in the
middle of nowhere. You have to travel 20 min to get to white plains there is
a bus that takes you there if you don't have a car but you have to pay for
it. There is a train station in white plains which takes you to the city, and
an airport not far from the campus. Everyone besides theatre students go home
on the weekends, so there isn't much of a weekend life. The food is horrible.
Teachers are not available too much outside of class, because they all go
home to there Apartments in the city. The school, is a 45 min drive from
NYC. Some of the students are great, I still have a few friends there. Crew
is long hours, it can go from 3pm to 10 pm, with and hour dinner break, 4
days a week. Wednesday there isn't mandatory crew, but if there is a call
your expected to go. Saturdays and Sundays can sometimes be all day crews. I
more then once had Saturday and Sunday crew that went from 9am to 11pm. With
these long hours sleep is not much of an option because you stay of late
doing your work in your studio. The school is a good experience don't get me
wrong and I loved the work, and didn't mind the long hours but wished I had
known what I was getting myself into. The teachers while not wildly
available, are nice people. The campus is hideous but your mostly in the
theatre so you don't see it. Over all theatre in general in long hours so you
may as well get used to it. The classes I took while there were good, and I
learned a lot from them. The program is not an easy one, but most of your
credits are theatre so you don't have to take much outside of theatre which
is good. The shops are large and well stocked. You do require a lot of
supplies, tools, art stuff, drafting materials which are expensive. You get
to know and Love Pearl paints discount art supply store on Canal in the city.
There are some good parties, and the program does become like a family
because the only people you see are the people in the theatre program with
you. The mid and end of the year portfolio reviews are tough, and people
stress about being kicked out but if you are good and you do your work and
are a hard worker you don't really have to worry about that. I know nothing
about NCSA. I hope I have been a little helpful.
Joy | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
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