- S
Hi everyone! For those who may not know me personally, my name is Lexie Duval and I was born and raised in New York City.
I currently attend NYU Tisch School of the Arts and have been very fortunate (largely due to the support and help of those around me) to be accepted into two graduate level acting programs through NYU Tisch: Commedia dell’Arte in Florence for the summer and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London for next fall. I am so excited to hopefully attend these programs; however, they are both very costly and my parents and I will not be able to make this dream a reality by ourselves. We have done our best to find the funds necessary for both programs, which has proven an impossible task to complete alone.
I know you may be wondering, "Why would she apply to programs that would cost more than what she can afford?” To answer this question, I honestly did not think I would be admitted into either program, let alone both, as they are both highly competitive and are not only open to Tisch students, but to every school within NYU.
Now that I am a rising junior and have finished my first two years of primary training at NYU’s Playwrights Horizons Studio, I felt that I needed to start taking risks with my acting and challenge myself in ways that would stretch my capability. I firmly believe that the Commedia dell’Arte program and the RADA program are pivotal in order to expand and extend my ability as an actor.
For the fall semester, I will be receiving the same financial aid package from NYU as they have given me for the past two years. However, a meal plan is not provided in NYU London, therefore I will need money for groceries and miscellaneous expenses such as travel. For the full semester in London, NYU has suggested I raise an additional $7,000. Unlike London, the program in Florence does provide a meal plan. However, I did not realize how little financial aid would be offered for the summer program, only $1,600 for a $15,000 dollar program. In total, I have to raise $20,400.
Going to NYU Tisch was always a goal of mine growing up. Since I was seven I had dreams of becoming an actress. When I was accepted into the drama program at NYU I was ecstatic, and since then, I have been working everyday to be the best student possible. My first two years of primary training at NYU have been a blessing and have helped me realize that consistently good acting is the result of serious study and resolve. In my experience, I have had little exposure to comedy acting, which is far more nuanced than commonly perceived and is extremely difficult (and important) to do well. When I saw that Tisch Special Programs offered a 6-week long graduate-level course in Commedia, I was overjoyed!
For decades, Commedia dell’Arte has informed generations of theatre makers, creating a cross-generational community of theatre artists. I have just begun to discover what Commedia has to offer and I am eager to explore every nuance of the comedic art. The assembled curriculum will require me to command the stage—liberating spontaneity and sense of play—while continuously developing my body as a playable instrument. Commedia dell’Arte encapsulates the most heightened and theatrical version of human behavior.
In addition to being accepted into the summer acting intensive, I was fortunate to be one of eight women at NYU admitted into the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art to study Shakespearian theatre in London. Since my primary acting training did not provide the focus on the Elizabethan theatre, I was beyond eager to be a part of RADA class of 2017!
I first read Romeo and Juliet as a freshman in high school. Most first-time readers, when faced with Shakespeare’s unique style, tend to respond with a mix of intimidation and intrigue. However, include a mild case of dyslexia and you are left in a state more along the lines of extreme agony. Since then those agonizing feelings have morphed into an increased appreciation for traditional Elizabethan theatre. The Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts is charged with the commendable task of preserving and protecting the very sense of tradition that has inspired me. The Shakespeare in Performance program at RADA will undoubtedly harness and develop my actor's instinct while molding it into an unconscious apparatus that will immediately inform my acting. I am thrilled and humbled to have been given this opportunity.
Although it is very stressful and overwhelming constantly thinking about how I will afford each program, I am a firm believer that God has opened this door for me and will see me through. I appreciate the time you have taken to read this and I humbly pray that you will be led to give something to aid me in the exploration of my dream. Each donation, no matter the size, makes a huge difference and will mean more to me than I can properly express.
Thank you,
Lexie Duval
I currently attend NYU Tisch School of the Arts and have been very fortunate (largely due to the support and help of those around me) to be accepted into two graduate level acting programs through NYU Tisch: Commedia dell’Arte in Florence for the summer and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London for next fall. I am so excited to hopefully attend these programs; however, they are both very costly and my parents and I will not be able to make this dream a reality by ourselves. We have done our best to find the funds necessary for both programs, which has proven an impossible task to complete alone.
I know you may be wondering, "Why would she apply to programs that would cost more than what she can afford?” To answer this question, I honestly did not think I would be admitted into either program, let alone both, as they are both highly competitive and are not only open to Tisch students, but to every school within NYU.
Now that I am a rising junior and have finished my first two years of primary training at NYU’s Playwrights Horizons Studio, I felt that I needed to start taking risks with my acting and challenge myself in ways that would stretch my capability. I firmly believe that the Commedia dell’Arte program and the RADA program are pivotal in order to expand and extend my ability as an actor.
For the fall semester, I will be receiving the same financial aid package from NYU as they have given me for the past two years. However, a meal plan is not provided in NYU London, therefore I will need money for groceries and miscellaneous expenses such as travel. For the full semester in London, NYU has suggested I raise an additional $7,000. Unlike London, the program in Florence does provide a meal plan. However, I did not realize how little financial aid would be offered for the summer program, only $1,600 for a $15,000 dollar program. In total, I have to raise $20,400.
Going to NYU Tisch was always a goal of mine growing up. Since I was seven I had dreams of becoming an actress. When I was accepted into the drama program at NYU I was ecstatic, and since then, I have been working everyday to be the best student possible. My first two years of primary training at NYU have been a blessing and have helped me realize that consistently good acting is the result of serious study and resolve. In my experience, I have had little exposure to comedy acting, which is far more nuanced than commonly perceived and is extremely difficult (and important) to do well. When I saw that Tisch Special Programs offered a 6-week long graduate-level course in Commedia, I was overjoyed!
For decades, Commedia dell’Arte has informed generations of theatre makers, creating a cross-generational community of theatre artists. I have just begun to discover what Commedia has to offer and I am eager to explore every nuance of the comedic art. The assembled curriculum will require me to command the stage—liberating spontaneity and sense of play—while continuously developing my body as a playable instrument. Commedia dell’Arte encapsulates the most heightened and theatrical version of human behavior.
In addition to being accepted into the summer acting intensive, I was fortunate to be one of eight women at NYU admitted into the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art to study Shakespearian theatre in London. Since my primary acting training did not provide the focus on the Elizabethan theatre, I was beyond eager to be a part of RADA class of 2017!
I first read Romeo and Juliet as a freshman in high school. Most first-time readers, when faced with Shakespeare’s unique style, tend to respond with a mix of intimidation and intrigue. However, include a mild case of dyslexia and you are left in a state more along the lines of extreme agony. Since then those agonizing feelings have morphed into an increased appreciation for traditional Elizabethan theatre. The Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts is charged with the commendable task of preserving and protecting the very sense of tradition that has inspired me. The Shakespeare in Performance program at RADA will undoubtedly harness and develop my actor's instinct while molding it into an unconscious apparatus that will immediately inform my acting. I am thrilled and humbled to have been given this opportunity.
Although it is very stressful and overwhelming constantly thinking about how I will afford each program, I am a firm believer that God has opened this door for me and will see me through. I appreciate the time you have taken to read this and I humbly pray that you will be led to give something to aid me in the exploration of my dream. Each donation, no matter the size, makes a huge difference and will mean more to me than I can properly express.
Thank you,
Lexie Duval