ABOUT Master of Fine Arts in Acting - Acting/Performance

We currently produce seven full-scale graduate productions per year, in addition to classroom and community projects. Our 2004/2005 season includes playwrights ranging from Shakespeare and Moliére to Lanford Wilson and Steve Martin.

In the fall of 2003, the faculty of UMKC Theatre challenged the graduate theatre students in the weekly Collaboration Class to divide into nine groups and each conceive their ideal for a new theatre in Kansas City. Called “Project X,” nine proposals were presented to the entire Department of Theatre several weeks later. Although the proposals were varied, what rang through loud and clear to the faculty was an enthusiasm and desire in the students to experience new, original work. In response to this enthusiasm, we committed to produce two original works of theatre as part of our 2004/2005 season. One of these works is a physically demanding, scriptless piece, generated by the ensemble cast entitled The Circus Show. The other is a new play by Dominic Leggett, Smoking Kills.

In addition to being exposed to playwrights from a variety of backgrounds and genres, we also believe it is important to give our students the opportunity to work with directors of varied experience. We bring in guest directors every year, some of whom are firmly established in the theatre community and some who are poised to lead the direction of American theatre in the future.

Our performance facilities exhibit a wide range of sizes and configurations. Students regularly perform on our two proscenium stages, one of which is shared with Kansas City Repertory Theatre. We also have a flexible black-box theatre on our campus. Off campus we are continuing a tradition of performing one of our productions at the H&R Block City Stage Theatre in Union Station. Additionally, as part of our commitment to new, original work, our first year class performed a piece entitled fifteen minute window in storefront windows of downtown Kansas City during the three weeks prior to the presidential election.

The professional training program for actors at UMKC is exciting, dynamic and demanding. We are interested in talented students who are team players, who value experimentation and discovery, and who are ready to work and play hard. If this describes you, we encourage you to apply! Please feel free to visit our website for more information on our program and our faculty: cas.umkc.edu/theatre