The Program
The fundamental objective of the B.F.A. Professional Actor Training Program is to graduate students who are able to find work in the professional theatre or who will be in a position to enter M.F.A. programs to continue more specialized training.
Students in the Professional Actor Training Program may select either an acting or acting with musical theatre emphasis. Both tracks emphasize the development of self-discipline, the acquisition of acting and performance methodology, mastery of a wide variety of skills, and knowledge of theatre and performance history, literature, and theory.
Although the acting track is essentially a classically oriented program, the curriculum includes musical theatre instruction as well -- such preparation being vital for the well-trained American actor. As a consequence, all acting majors are required to study one year of dance fundamentals and modern dance, followed by jazz/theatre dance or ballet as electives. The acting major is encouraged to participate in additional dance courses.
The acting faculty endorses the concept that all actors must be trained to sing. Students who study singing learn the rudiments of breathing, vocal support, and placement. Singing is required all four years of the training period.
Singing training begins the freshman year and continues through the senior year. Students regularly participate in voice recitals. See also Musical Theatre.
The most crucial time in an actor's career is immediately following graduation. It is important that the young actor be able to win acting opportunities wherever they are found. Our students have worked on Broadway, off Broadway, in many regional theatres (including the Guthrie, Cincinnati Playhouse, Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Santa Fe Stages, Milwaukee Repertory, Seattle Repertory, the Intiman, St. Louis Repertory, the Arizona Theatre Company, Hillberry Repertory, the Human Race Theatre, the Clarence Brown Theatre, A Contemporary Theatre, etc.), in industrials, interactive cd-roms, renaissance festivals, comedy clubs, cabaret acts, television (sit-coms, soap operas, national commercials), films, and on radio. Many graduates of the acting program have achieved membership in the Actors' Equity Association, the Screen Actors Guild, and the American Federation of Radio and Television Artists, the professional actors' unions.
While the department sees its mission as preparing actors for immediate entry into the profession, some students benefit by continued training in graduate programs, particularly actors interested in teaching. The department is especially interested in placing those students desiring graduate education in programs with highly active production schedules.
Last updated December 7, 2007
