Undergraduate Acting
School of Drama
Undergraduate Acting
The School of Drama is committed to educating each individual’s mind, body and spirit. Rigorous coursework is coupled with intensive production work to produce actors ready to compete for acting careers at the highest level in today’s demanding professional environment in theater, television and film.
Bachelor of Fine Arts
Each undergraduate drama program student committed to a career as an actor engages
in a demanding course of study with required classes in voice, movement and acting.
The curriculum also includes more specific skills such as mask, stage combat, verse,
singing, dance, and accents and dialects. The schedule for each day includes class
work relevant to afternoon and evening rehearsal periods.
Productions are our most important classrooms, where intensive study is united in
deep explorations of work from across the classical and contemporary repertory. An
actor graduating from the School of Drama will possess a finely honed technique and
a discriminating artistic sensibility.
First-Second Year
During your first and second years, you will discover and explore your physical, vocal and imaginative talents, applying these elements more frequently in your second year while focusing on the development of character. Courses cover basic acting exercises, text analysis, improvisation, improving your voice and speaking technique, dance, combat, and movement. As part of your degree, you will take liberal arts courses. You will also be required to take a course on the technical aspects of drama to expand your knowledge of the profession, being part of a stage crew for a school production.
Third Year
You will begin to apply the craft of acting to many plays in different styles, with the introduction of a full performance schedule opposite rigorous classwork during your third year. Your classes will build on previous years’ instruction, further emphasizing the importance of breaking down a script and analyzing character elements, accent and dialects, dance styles, advanced physical comedy, audition techniques, introduction to acting for the camera, and personalizing songs for your voice and acting techniques. Classical values will be taught through a program of study in Shakespeare.
Fourth Year
Your final year in the Acting program will consist of a season of classical and contemporary plays, and at least one musical. In addition, you will participate in master classes including audition workshops, television and film camera techniques, cold readings and résumé preparation taught by theater professionals. In the spring, graduating seniors are presented in New York and Los Angeles to major agents, casting directors, artistic directors and management from all branches of theater, film and television. You will also take part in a year-long project, Keys to the Kingdom, in which the class presents a season of independent work alongside the main-stage productions to encourage and explore artistic entrepreneurship.
Drama Careers
Professionals in the field of television, film and theater recognize and respect the rigorous and comprehensive training of students of UNCSA’s School of Drama. Our actors graduate, entering into the profession in a wide variety of roles in Broadway and off-Broadway performances, regional theaters, television and film.
