MTCA

Andrew Smith

There is a certain passion that comes with working with an MTCA student. While each of them are distinctly unique, there is a certain level of curiosity that brings them all together — curiosity in the work, and in finding a way through a complicated process. If I am lucky, I work with MTCA students twice: once in August at the beginning of the prescreen process, and then sometimes again in the room when audition season arrives, which can give me a unique insight into a bit of their process. MTCA students are game for discovery. In working with them before the audition season begins, I seek to give them an approach to their work that will allow their work to grow and change over the month’s long audition process. As a result, the work can be playful, full of discovery, and impulsive. MTCA students are always game to meet the moment — I appreciate how they are very well prepared, and yet full of flexibility and the ability to play and uncover something new in the work. They tend to be interested in experimenting, exploring, and uncovering something new in their work…. The monologues are sometimes strikingly different, evolved into something new.
My experiences in the MTCA rooms have been filled with a sense of professionalism and respect for each other’s work as well, mixed with a willingness to play and discover.. There is a community that is created, and they all help each other through the audition process.

Sapu-D’jano

Where do I start? Going into the pandemic I knew I wanted to be an actor and at the time I had actually given up on musical theater because I thought I wasn’t very good at it. And that’s when I started taking dance classes and song lessons! Those classes and workshops that I was able to take at MTCA changed the way I saw myself in regards to musical theater. My song coach John-Michael not only pushed me to sing every song I auditioned with from a place of truth, he also taught me how to connect over a zoom screen which was really needed this year!

Anyways, fast forward to the callback weekend at Juilliard and that was the weekend I fell in love with Juilliard. On the 2nd to last day at Juilliard I found out I got accepted as a BFA musical theater major at Carnegie Mellon. Made my decision a lot harder. Then about a week after the callback weekend at Juilliard, I get a call from New York and I answer it “welcome to group 55”. I think in that moment I forgot what was real. MTCA and my coaches and mentors there have really seen me go from Texas State to Carnegie Mellon and then finally land at my perfect school, The Juilliard School. All of them so different and special in their own ways, but MTCA helped me the whole way through and I am forever grateful.

Candace Neustein

We knew from the time of our initial consultation meeting during the spring of our daughter’s sophomore year that engaging the help and support of MTCA was going to be what we needed to make it through the college audition and application landscape. However, we had no idea how invaluable a resource this team and family would become. As an All-Access Pass family we did not have to worry or think about being included in Summer Masterclass Week, Mock Auditions, Webinars, Faculty Masterclasses, Private Auditions, and so much more. Having access to “everything” was worth its weight in gold. MTCA knows the ins and outs of how this process works. Their expertise, knowledge and custom tailored advice made finding success possible even when the process seemed impossible. The best advice I could offer to any incoming families is to take advantage of every opportunity MTCA has to offer. It will make a huge difference in the end. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts!