Theater

DEPARTMENT OVERVIEW

The Theater department houses three distinct programs offering specialized BFA studies in Acting & Original Works, Musical Theater and Performance Production.

ACTING & ORIGINAL WORKS AND MUSICAL THEATER PROGRAM

The curricula of the Acting/Original Works and Musical Theater Programs are centered around intensive acting-based studies, supported by rigorous training in voice, dance and movement along with devising and intellectual skill-building to facilitate student growth as innovative theater-makers. Students collaborate in foundational acting coursework while pursuing their specialized BFA studies in Acting & Original Works and Musical Theater.

ACTING & ORIGINAL WORKS PROGRAM LEARNING OUTCOMES

At the completion of their program of study, graduates of the Acting & Original Works major at Cornish College of the Arts are able to:

Synthesize the tools of acting, movement, and voice in the creation of character, intention, and dramatic action.
Integrate improvisation and experimentation into the creation of the performance.
Demonstrate fluency in multiple methods of creating new work for performance.
Articulate an emerging personal aesthetic, grounded in historic and current practices of the art form.
Communicate complex ideas in a variety of media including visual, written, and oral formats.
Apply research, critical thinking, and contextual analysis to both interpret established work and create new work.
Foster ethical, productive collaboration in their creative practice.

MUSICAL THEATER PROGRAM LEARNING OUTCOMES

At the completion of their program of study, graduates of the Musical Theater major at Cornish College of the Arts are able to:

Synthesize the tools of acting, movement, and singing in the creation of character, intention, and dramatic action.
Integrate improvisation and experimentation into the creation of the performance.
Demonstrate proficiency in dance techniques and movement skills required for musical theater, informed by the awareness of historical styles and social context.
Articulate an emerging personal aesthetic, grounded in historic and current practices of the art form.
Communicate complex ideas in a variety of media including visual, written, and oral formats.
Apply research, critical thinking, and contextual analysis to both interpret established work and create new work.
Foster ethical, productive collaboration in their creative practice.

PERFORMANCE PRODUCTION PROGRAM OVERVIEW

The Performance Production Program provides a unique in-depth degree pathway separate from Cornish’s two other Theater programs. Our holistic approach immerses each student in the fundamental skill-building of all the disciplines offered; scenery, costumes, lighting and stage management, encouraging students to make an informed decision before identifying their upper-level concentrated discipline. Hands on opportunities, collaboration and exploration are at the heart of our program. Active professionals themselves, the faculty mentor and collaborate with students as they develop their own pathway in the production industry.

PERFORMANCE PRODUCTION PROGRAM LEARNING OUTCOMES

At the completion of their program of study, graduates of the Performance Production Program at Cornish College of the Arts are able to:

Employ a collaborative approach to the performance production process.
Integrate information from a variety of sources.
Generate discipline-specific craft.
Articulate complex ideas verbally, visually and in writing.

FACULTY AND STAFF

Melanie Burgess Associate Professor & Department Chair
MFA University of Washington
BA Boise State University

Richard Gray Assistant Professor, Program Director (Musical Theater)
University of Oregon
Actors Equity Association, American Federation of Musicians

Kate Myre Professor, Program Director (Acting & Original Works)
MFA Brandeis University
BA Willamette University
Actors’ Equity Association

Bret Torbeck Associate Professor, Program Director (Performance Production)
BFA Carnegie Mellon
Certificate Project Management 2022 University of Washington

Leah Adcock-Starr Instructor
MFA

Geoffrey Alm Instructor
BA Evergreen State College
Drama Studio London
Fight Director/Fight Master/Certified Teacher, Society of American Fight Directors

Nicole Beerman Instructor
BFA Cornish College of the Arts
Simonson Technique Certified, NYC
Actors Equity Association

Carl Bronsdon Instructor
Cornish College of the Arts

Jeannette d’Armand Instructor
BFA NYU Tisch

Sheila Daniels Assistant Professor
BA Liberal Arts/Devising and Directing, Antioch University
Actors’ Theatre of Louisville Apprentice Program
Stage Directors and Choreographers Society

Holland Graham Instructor
MFA

Sarah Harlett Instructor
BFA Cornish College of the Arts ‘92

Charlie Johnson Instructor
BFA Elon University

Danny Kam Instructor
BA

Claire Marx Instructor
BFA Cornish College of the Arts ‘16

Matthew McCarren Instructor
MFA The Ohio State University
BA Wilmington College

Meg McLynn Instructor
MFA Columbia University
BFA Emerson University

Thorn Michaels Instructor
MFA

Timothy Piggee Professor
MFA National Theatre Conservatory at the Denver Center
BFA University of Utah

Naghmeh Samini Instructor
PhD

Robin Lynn Smith Professor
MFA New York University
BFA Boston University

Mathew Smucker Professor
MFA University of Washington
BA Goshen College
Certificate AutoCAD 2019 Seattle Central College

Rhonda J. Soikowski Instructor
MFA Contemporary Performance Naropa University
BFA Cornish College of the Arts ‘00

Amy Thone Instructor
MFA National Theatre Conservatory, Denver
BFA Southern Oregon University, Ashland

Guillaume C. Tourniare Instructor
PhD University of Washington
MA Catholic University
BA Boston University

Amy Wheeler Instructor
Honorary Doctor of Fine Arts, Cornish College of the Arts
MFA University of Iowa Playwrights Workshop
BFA University of Kansas

Heidi Zamora Instructor