How I Went from "Musical Theatre Or Bust" to a BFA in Acting

I was that theatre kid growing up.  I started doing theatre at six years old, and I did nearly every musical in the book (yes, including CATS).  So when it came time for me to choose a major in college, musical theatre seemed like an obvious choice.  It was what I loved to do and wanted to do for the rest of my life...right?  So how did I go from that mentality to now entering my fourth year in a BFA Acting program with a minor in Electronic Media planning on moving to LA after graduation to pursue acting and filmmaking?  It was a decision I never thought I would make, that is, until I went through the life-changing college audition process.

Carlee Coulehan

One of the best decisions I made while applying to schools was to allow myself to be considered for the acting programs when auditioning musical theatre.  Some programs automatically do this, and some will only do so if you request it.  Ironically, the school I ended up going to, CCM Acting, is one of the few where you need to do two separate auditions due to both departments having a different set of faculty.  (Make a note of that if you are planning on auditioning there!)  At the time I was doing this as a safety.  I really, really wanted to continue my training in dancing and singing.  However, I had been told from my teachers that acting was my strongest of the three.  And that showed during auditions.

While I did well with prescreen callbacks, I did not get into a single musical theatre program.  A single one.  And how many schools did I audition for?  Honestly, I cannot even remember the exact number.  But it was twenty-something.  (Shout out to my parents for being incredibly supporting and loving during the process.  They encouraged me to cast a wide net.)  However, I lost count how many times I got the letter “You have not been accepted into the Musical Theatre BFA.  However,  we would like to offer a spot in our Acting program!!”  At the time, this felt like a slap in the face.  It felt like a consolation rather than an achievement.  Do these results mean that I am bad at singing and/or dancing?  Not necessarily.  I might have gotten in to a musical theatre program had I decided to take a gap year.  However, I came to see this as a sign that maybe I should pursue an Acting track.  And I am so thankful I listened to that sign.

When it came time to decide if I wanted to go to a school I got into or take a gap year, I remembered advice I heard from a Broadway actor during a master class.  He said major in Acting, because you can always take classes in dancing and singing on your own time.  But acting is required in singing and dancing.  It is what you need to refine and train in order to be a good performer in any performing art.  This brought me peace of mind.  And as luck would have it, I got into a program I loved, CCM Acting.  I attended their Accepted Students Day, which happened to be a day where they had a festival of student-created new works called the Transmigration festival.  I remember sitting in the front row on the floor and watching a show called Lifeboat, about people stranded on an island.  There was a fight scene that broke out, and someone was “killed” an inch away from me.  I remember thinking “Oh yeah.  I’m going here.”  Because I went to this program, I found my love for new works.  This led me to my first study abroad trip to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, the largest theatre festival in the world.  

And as that Broadway actor suggested, I did end up taking singing and dancing lessons while in school.  In fact, my major required at least one class in each but more were encouraged.  I ended up taking modern and tap with other MTs, and I took group singing.  I was even in a musical called Yeast Nation in a crazy turn of events!  I even had to drop from the Transmigration festival that year in order to do it.  

But not only did I get to continue pursuing musical theatre while in an Acting program, I also got to minor in Electronic Media and fall in love with filmmaking.  I know this is something that never would have happened had I attended a Musical Theatre program.  I also got to study abroad twice and join the honors program.  Again, these were things that may not have happened if I was not an Acting major.  

Carlee Coulehan on set of her short film ‘Mouse in the House’

When I was a senior in high school, I thought I would be graduating with a BFA in Musical Theatre and heading straight to New York.  Now, as a senior Acting major, I am preparing my move to LA next year.  My story is my own.  This is not to say Musical Theatre programs are invalid.  They are great fits for some people and not so much for others.  For me, an Acting program gave me the freedom to explore my interests in the performing arts field while also staying focused on my craft.  I have classmates who have also done musicals on and off campus, and I also have classmates who swear they do not sing at all.  I also have classmates who are planning on not even pursuing acting after graduation, and instead focusing on other interests.   It all depends on the person. 

So sit with yourself, journal, and maybe think about different paths you can take.  But in the end, as cliche as it sounds, do what makes you happy!  And allow what you want to change during this process.

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Carlee Coulehan is in the CCM Acting Class of 2021. Born and raised in Scottsdale, Arizona, she moved out to the Queen City to pursue Acting as well as a minor in Electronic Media. She is an actor/filmmaker who interfaced with different departments during her undergraduate career. Recent CCM credits include the sociable Lawyer Kathy in Clybourne Park, ensemble and fight captain in CCM Musical Theatre’s Yeast Nation, and an H2O Victim in H2O: A Play About Water at the Cincy Fringe and Edinburgh Fringe Festivals. Film credits include Tethered (Nightmares and Cindependent Film Festivals), an actor/editor on the 48 Hour Film Festivals (CCM), and Mouse in the House, which she wrote, produced, edited, and starred in (Cindependent Film Festival). Carlee also studied abroad with Hope After Hate, a multimedia project following the story of a Holocaust survivor. Because her website, carleecoulehan.com, is currently under construction, follow her on Instagram for updates! @coulcarlee

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