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Three O’Dowd Seniors Accepted to Top College Theatre Programs


Three Bishop O’Dowd High School seniors have made the cut and will be attending some of the most elite undergraduate performing arts programs in the country beginning this fall.

Taylor Daniel and Ruby Perez will be attending the University of Michigan and its renowned Department of Theatre & Drama; Daniel will be pursuing a BFA in Musical Theatre and Perez will be working toward a BFA in Acting. Nora Hurley will be attending the acclaimed Boston Conservatory at Berklee where she will be pursuing a BFA in Musical Theatre.


Both schools are listed in the Top 10 most represented colleges on Broadway for the 2017-2018 season (source: Playbill) and are perennially designated among the finest U.S. performing arts colleges. They are very selective and typically only accept 20-40 students per year out of thousands of applicants and an exhaustive audition process.


The University of Michigan has produced a long list of notable performers, screenwriters and directors including James Earl Jones, Arthur Miller, Lucy Liu, Gavin Creel and Darrin Criss. Similarly, Boston Conservatory has produced music and theatre luminaries including David Benoit, Lorraine Hunt Lieberson, Katharine McFee, Constantine Maroulis, Nick Adams, and Erin Davie.


About University of Michigan Department of Theatre & Drama

The Department of Theatre & Drama provides students with a stimulating blend of cultural diversity, intellectual rigor, and professional experience, all in an intimate and supportive atmosphere. The notable faculty comprises accomplished working professionals including actors, directors, designers, technicians, and published scholars. The program combines intense, conservatory-style training within the context of a liberal arts education at one of the nation’s leading research universities. Renowned for their breadth of experience, Michigan theatre alumni work on stage, on camera, and in all behind-the-scenes roles, and they boast one of the strongest and most supportive networks in the industry.


About Boston Conservatory

Founded in 1867, Boston Conservatory is the nation’s oldest performing arts conservatory to offer fully accredited programs in dance, music, and theater that train exceptional young performing artists for careers that enrich and transform the human experience. Known for its multidisciplinary environment and deep community engagement, the school is internationally recognized as an innovative leader among conservatory programs, focused on elevating and celebrating every aspect of the performing arts. With its groundbreaking programming and its 700-plus annual performances, the institution has established itself as an important voice in the movement to make all forms of performing arts a more visible and valued dimension of communities, both locally and abroad.


In 2016, the Conservatory merged with Berklee to become the most complete and comprehensive performing arts institution in the world. Energized by this game-changing partnership, the Conservatory continues to grow as a vibrant community of artists, educators, and industry leaders, and is paving the way for the future of the arts.

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