Spring Break NYC is an annual student trip organized by alumni each year. The weeklong trip is a series of workshops, masterclasses and panel discussions with Broadway professionals.
Alumni Peyton Royal helped create the OCUNYC alumni chapter in 2005.
“The workshop is completely created, organized and executed by alumni volunteers. Our OCUNYC community loves the opportunity to pay it forward and help the next generation of OCU’ers find their footing during this stage of their careers,” Royal said. “Many even donate to our organization so that we can provide need-based scholarships for those students who may not otherwise be able to attend.”
Royal said housing help is offered to first time participants.
“We match them up with OCU alumni who have an open bedroom or couch to sleep on,” he said.
Brandon Doyle, acting senior, said staying with an OCU alumni for a week was valuable for networking.
“Now I have more connections in New York and will always have a friend to see,” Doyle said. “And a couch to crash on.”
Besides paying for their own meals and transportation, students are charged a $100 enrollment fee that goes towards studio rentals and faculty stipends, Royal said.
“We no longer have a cap on the number of students who can attend. With the implementation of the enrollment fee, we are now able to accommodate as many people as would like to attend,” Royal said.
Doyle said he thinks the fee is beneficial.
“This will really benefit the program and allow us to have more classes and workshops with even more Broadway professionals. Plus, there is a scholarship in case the program fees are too much for some students, making this program affordable for everyone,” he said.
The trip will begin March 12, when most students will arrive in New York, Royal said. There will be an orientation and welcome party, introducing the alumni to students.
“Tuesday through Thursday will be spent in the studio with a wide variety of lectures, dance master classes, vocal master classes, and mock auditions. Our faculty always reads like a ‘who’s who’ of Broadway, with casting directors, agents, choreographers, directors, and even Tony Award winners on board to share their knowledge with our students,” Royal said.
Doyle said the trip gave him the experience of what it would be like to be a working actor in New York.
“I woke up early every day and rode the crowded subway to dance classes and hustled over to auditions, giving me a good sense of being an actor in the hustle and bustle that is New York,” he said.
Royal said Friday classes will be added for seniors, preparing future graduates to move to NYC.
“OCU does an amazing job of setting students up for success, but there are some things you can only learn by living through it. We aim to be the bridge between your university studies and your post-graduate life as an auditioning, working, thriving New Yorker,” he said.
Registration for this year’s trip has closed, but more information on the trip can be found on the Spring Break NYC website.
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