Spots wrote:I believe UCB holds auditions after a certain class level, first in order for that student to continue taking classes, then to cast that student in a house troupe.
This structure is fairly common, yeah? Improv Olympic and Annoyance too? Not certain but Im pretty sure about UCB.
Brad Temple, is that accurate?
At the UCB Theatres in New York, there are three levels of house improv teams: weekend teams, Harold teams (perform Tuesdays at UCB Chelsea), and Lloyd teams (they also perform Harolds, but on Wednesdays at UCB East). The Artistic Director controls the rosters of Harold and Lloyd teams. Ideally, the best performers on Lloyd Night eventually get promoted to Harold Night, which clears up space for more new performers on Lloyd Night. Exceptional Harold teams graduate to a weekend slot, where they gain control of their own roster and are no longer bound to do Harolds. Weekend teams looking to add new members will have some of their favorite Harold Night performers sit in on shows and, if they are a good fit, eventually invite them to join the team.
One of the main differences between UCB and iO is that iO lists something like
32 different Harold teams and those teams perform on various nights of the week. UCB has one dedicated Harold Night, and as a result, a maximum of eight Harold teams. Lloyd Night is even smaller - it started with four teams and a fifth was added back in May last year. UCB also likes to stick with eight people to a team, which is less than the 9 to 11 you'll see on a standard iO Harold team.
So, how do you get onto a Harold or Lloyd team? The main route is through auditions, which happen twice a year. The Spring audition is open to any UCB student cleared for the Advanced Study program who has taken a class within the last year. Last year, over 550 people auditioned in the Spring and about 28 were added to teams. In the Fall, there is a round of invite-only auditions. Teacher recommendations, overall performance in past classes, good past auditions and more factor into who gets an invitation. Last fall, 48 people auditioned and 4 were added to teams. UCB Los Angeles doesn't have a Lloyd Night. They also only have six Harold teams.
I mentioned Advanced Study in the last paragraph. UCB has four levels of core improv classes - 101, 201, 301, and 401. Upon completion of 401, students can apply for admission into the Advanced Study program. The Academic Supervisor looks at the student's notes from previous classes, what the 401 teacher thinks and a few essays the student writes for the application. If rejected, the student is encouraged to retake 401 and apply again or some four-week classes tailored to work on problem areas like listening or game. If accepted, the student gets into the equivalent of UCB's grad school, where classes are more elective-based and it's an opportunity to work with top teachers on subjects that interest them.