Graduate Studies

Students performing a scene from Ida B Wells

 

Graduate Program Mission

Dedicated to Art in Action and offering the only Graduate Certificate in African American Theatre in the United States, Our Master of Fine Arts in Performance program offers a three-prong approach. We train actors to act, teach, and make theatre that resonates locally, nationally, and internationally. Our students push boundaries of thinking and challenge conventions of theatre and society through exploration of classical, contemporary, and global dramatic forms. Marrying theory, practice, and engaged outreach, we encourage the application of research, creativity, and sustainability in embodied, socially-conscious performance.

The MFA in Performance offers a three-year course of study that includes classes in acting, movement, voice, drama, and performance theory. Students perform in shows directed by faculty and guest artists and staged in our two main theatres. They may also perform in our Repertory Company's touring productions and/or mount their own performance projects. The Graduate Certificate in African American Theatre, which can be completed alongside the MFA in Performance, features classes in the craft and theory of acting and directing African American theatre.

See Our Current Class of MFA Grads Here