BRITISH AMERICAN DRAMA ACADEMY, LONDON

NOTE: This program requires students turn in all application materials to the USC Overseas Studies office usually one month before the Sarah Lawrence College deadline. Check our website for USC deadlines. You are bound by USC deadlines, not the program provider's deadlines.

Program Provider: Sarah Lawrence College

Program Site: The British American Drama Academy (BADA), located in north London on the edge of Regent’s Park.

Duration: Fall, Spring, or Year. Fall semester runs from early September to mid- December; Spring semester runs from early September to mid-April.

Description: BADA provides American students with an intensive conservatory experience in the theater capital of the world. The program is designed to expose undergraduates to the rigor of professional British training in acting by helping them improve their ability to perform plays from the classical repertoire and develop techniques and approaches to acting that will stand them in good stead in any role. Only 40-45 American students are chosen to participate in the program each year.

Academics: Students will take courses which include scene study workshops in Shakespeare, high comedy, modern drama, acting in performance, voice, movement, stage fighting, theatre history and dramatic criticism. Students attending the program for a full year will add classical acting for stage and screen to their academic program for the second semester. The last month of each semester is devoted to rehearsals for final productions, which run for one night in London’s West End theater district.

The program faculty includes some of Britain's most distinguished actors and directors; all BADA instructors are working professionals who provide a direct link to the London theater scene.

Course load and Credit: Students take a set course of study and can earn 15 units per semester. These units are often articulated as Theatre upper-division units. There is a 40 unit cap on upper-division Theatre units. (Be sure to check with your USC SOT advisor as to how this will affect your course plan).

Accommodations: Students live in furnished shared flats provided by the program. The apartments include fully furnished kitchens where students can prepare their meals.

Activities and Other Program Features: The resources of London are central to students' experience at BADA. Attendance at performances is an integral part of the program. Master classes and talks with guest artists from the theatre world are arranged throughout each semester. There is also a field trip to Stratford-on-Avon and a visit to the Royal Shakespeare Company.

Eligibility: Minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA. Open to theater majors or minors only. Must have junior standing by the start of the program. All students must audition for the program.

Estimated Semester Cost:
Tuition................................$23,211
Additional Expenses*............$12,939
Total...................................$36,150

Cost Updated: 4/30/12
Text Updated: 7/1/11

*Additional expenses include estimated costs for airfare, room and board, books and supplies, health insurance, and personal expenses (which can vary greatly from student to student). USC financial aid, scholarships, and tuition remission may be applied to program costs. Please visit the Office of Overseas Studies for more detailed cost information.