Grad Schools

Through my recent work in theatre, I've discovered I have a talent and thirst for directing.  Although I've always thought of myself as an actor, but directing has become a new-found passion of mine.  It is for this reason that the MFA in Directing program at the University of Texas at Austin is appealing to me.  The Directing program usually only admits one or two candidates at a time, so it is highly competive; however, coming from one of the most well-respected undergraduate programs in acting and directing in the nation would certainly heighten my chances.  This would have to be somewhere down the line, however, as the program only admits students with professional directing experience after their undergraduate program, so I would need to work a bit before applying. The curriculum for students in the program is well worth it.  It is a three year, 60-hour program designed to shape students as well-round artists.  Students develop skills in script analysis, playwrighting, design, dramaturgy, composition, working with actors and more.  The curriculum also allows students to take multiple electives which gives them room to tailor their own path as artists and scholars.

A more idealistic, yet most likely unrealistic, program would be the MFA in Acting program at Yale University.  For the most serious and promising actors, this program has long held a reputation as one of the most respected in the nation.  It's easy to see why, as it boasts such an illustrious assortment of alumni, including powerhouse Meryl Streep, Sigourney Weaver, and the recent Tony Award winner for Best Actress Lupita Nyong'o.  Perhaps the most appealing part of this program for me is the amount of actual production work each student has the opportunity to perform.  Quite unlike many undergraduate and graduate programs, in which most students spend multiple semesters without the opportunity to work on actual productions, students in the MFA program at Yale are guaranteed to begin performing at the end of their very first semester.  The program is very intensive and elite, so much so in fact that students are strictly prohibited from performing in productions outside the university.  Once students leave the program, however, they can be confident that they now hold the reputation of the creme of the acting crop and therefore enjoy highly rewarding careers.