Visual & Performing Arts

Program Description

University of Southern California

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Founded in 1945 by playwright and director William C. DeMille, the USC School of Theatre is recognized internationally as a leader in theater education. Ranked among the top five undergraduate theater programs in the nation, the school blends artistic training in a conservatory environment with all the academic advantages of a major research university.

The school offers Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) and Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.) programs in acting, design, stage management, and technical direction. The B.F.A. offers a conservatory approach, while the B.A. offers more flexibility and the opportunity to double-major or minor in another discipline. The School of Theatre also offers minors in applied theater arts, dance, performing arts, and playwriting.

The School of Theatre has intentionally kept classes small to maintain a close student interaction with faculty members. Every student is also assigned an academic adviser to guide in course selection throughout the undergraduate’s four years.

Unique Opportunities for Students

The school offers educational and performance opportunities overseas. Students can study abroad at the British American Drama Academy (BADA) for course credit, working with leading actors and directors. The School of Theatre holds the distinction of having created the first American university theatrical troupe—Festival Theatre USC-USA—to be invited to perform at the prestigious Fringe of the International Theatre Festival in Edinburgh, Scotland.

On campus, performance opportunities abound. USC’s School of Theatre produces more than twelve main stage shows each season. The school also encourages independent student productions. Students can participate in Brand New Theatre, which presents plays written, produced, acted, and directed by students. The school’s partnership with the USC School of Cinematic Arts allows theater students the opportunity to collaborate with film students on a variety of projects.

The location of USC in Los Angeles—in the heart of the entertainment industry near major motion picture studios, performing arts centers, museums, and vibrant resident theaters—offers enrichment for the artist and the young professional that makes the School of Theatre distinctive among colleges and universities in the United States.

The school encourages students to gain professional experience and academic credit through internships. The school’s on-going partnership with Center Theatre Group, one of the country’s leading professional theaters that runs the Tony Award–winning Mark Taper Forum, the Ahmanson Theatre, and the Kirk Douglas Theatre offers internships to students who receive professional experience and academic credit in such varied departments as production, development, marketing, press, literary management, and casting as well as performance opportunities. In the last two years, more than 50 students have benefited from this unique relationship. Additional internship opportunities can be arranged for students through the school’s association with other theaters as well as various film and television production companies and entertainment agencies.

The many performance and production opportunities, the high quality of programs, and the lasting relationships students forge with faculty members and peers make USC a nurturing environment for developing theater skills and knowledge. Whether a student chooses to major or minor in theater or to pursue studies in acting, dance, theatrical design, or dramatic writing, a theater education at the University of Southern California is a unique and invaluable experience.

Program Facilities

The School of Theatre’s active production program utilizes five theater facilities—the Bing Theatre is a traditional proscenium house with seating for 550 people, the Massman Theatre is a flexible performance space comparable to L.A. Equity Waiver and New York off-off-Broadway theaters with seating for 50 to 75 people, the Scene Dock Theatre is a flexible performance space with seating for 99 people, the new McClintock Theatre offers another space for performance opportunities seating 99 people, and the Village Gate Theatre is a cabaret-style performance space that comfortably seats 70 and is primarily reserved for student productions.

Faculty, Visiting Artists, and Alumni

 Comprising first-rate master teachers and theater professionals working at the highest level in their respective fields, the School of Theatre’s faculty members have strong ties in the theater world and are sought out by leaders in the industry, the arts, and the media for their expertise. Faculty members include Tony Award–winning designer and Director of Production Christopher Akerlind, MacArthur Genius Grant–recipient playwright Luis Alfaro, award-winning stage/film/television actor Andrew J. Robinson, Royal National Theatre and Royal Shakespeare Company member actress Charlotte Cornwell, Tony Award nominee Mary-Joan Negro, author Angus Fletcher, and Applied Theatre Arts founding director Brent Blair.

The USC School of Theatre also attracts a wide range of guest artists who are some of the most distinguished talents from stage, film, and television, including Academy and Emmy Award–winners Tim Robbins and Christine Lahti; Tony Award–winners playwright David Edgar, composer/lyricist Jason Robert Brown, actors Brian Stokes Mitchell and Bill Irwin, director Peter Hall, and director/choreographer Twyla Tharp; as well as hip-hop artist Danny Hock, world-renowned director Peter Sellars, internationally acclaimed actresses Kathleen Turner and Fiona Shaw, and four-time Olympic Gold Medalist Greg Louganis.

The strength of the school’s programs is reflected in the professional success of its students in theater, film, television, and related fields. The school’s alumni have been honored with the most prestigious awards in the profession—the Oscar, Tony, Emmy, Golden Globe, Laurence Olivier, and Palme d’Or—and include Academy Award–winner Forest Whitaker, Golden Globe–winner Kyra Sedgwick, Emmy Award–winner LeVar Burton as well as Eric Stoltz, Tate Donovan, Anthony Edwards, James Lesure, Jonathan Silverman, Sophia Bush, writer/actor Grant Heslov (Good Night, and Good Luck; Leatherheads), writer/director Andy Tennant (Fool’s Gold, Hitch), producer/director Jack Bender (Lost, The Sopranos), and producer Todd Black (The Pursuit of Happyness, Antwone Fisher). Recent graduates who have starred on Broadway include Stark Sands in 2007’s Journey’s End, for which he received a Tony Award nomination as Best Featured Actor in a Play, and James Snyder, who had the title role in the 2008 Tony Award–nominated Best Musical Cry-Baby.

Application Procedures

Deadline--freshmen: January 10; transfers: February 1. Notification date--freshmen and transfers: continuous. Required: essay, high school transcript, college transcript(s) for transfer students, minimum 3.0 high school GPA, 2 letters of recommendation, interview, audition, SAT or ACT test scores, portfolio for stage management, technical and design applicants. Auditions held 4 times on campus and off campus in New York, NY; Chicago, IL; Los Angeles, CA; San Francisco, CA; videotaped performances are permissible as a substitute for live auditions. Portfolio reviews held on campus and off campus in New York, NY; Chicago, IL; Los Angeles, CA; San Francisco, CA.

Undergraduate Contact

Phyllis Lemons, Assistant Director Theatre Admissions, School of Theatre, University of Southern California, 1029 Childs Way, DRC 116, Los Angeles, California 90089-0791; 213-740-1286, fax: 213-821-1193.

Graduate Contact

Sergio Ramirez, Director of Graduate Student Services, School of Theatre, University of Southern California, 1029 Childs Way, DRC 116, Los Angeles, California 90089-0791; 213-821-4163, fax: 213-821-1193.