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| Brown/Trinity MFA Programs | |
|---|---|
| Name | Brown/Trinity MFA Programs |
| Type | Joint graduate program |
| Established | 2011 |
| Location | Providence, Rhode Island |
| Affiliations | Brown University; Trinity Repertory Company |
Brown/Trinity MFA Programs
The Brown/Trinity MFA Programs are a collaborative graduate initiative combining the resources of Brown University and Trinity Repertory Company in Providence, Rhode Island. The programs integrate theatrical practice with scholarly inquiry, preparing artists through intensive training in performance, directing, playwriting, and design while drawing on professional networks such as Broadway, Off-Broadway, and regional theatres like Steppenwolf Theatre Company and Arena Stage.
The partnership merges the academic environment of Brown University with the professional production capabilities of Trinity Repertory Company and leverages connections to institutions including The Public Theater, Lincoln Center Theater, Royal Shakespeare Company, National Theatre (UK), and Goodman Theatre. Administratively, the program intersects with departments and centers like Brown Department of Theatre Arts and Performance Studies, Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs, Harvard University affiliates, and arts funders such as the National Endowment for the Arts and Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. The program emphasizes mentorship models seen in programs at Juilliard School, Yale School of Drama, Carnegie Mellon School of Drama, and University of California, San Diego.
Degrees include the Master of Fine Arts in Acting, Directing, Playwriting, and Design, coordinated with professional production opportunities through Trinity Repertory Company and partnerships with regional companies like Chicago Shakespeare Theater and Portland Center Stage. Curricular parallels exist with conservatory models at Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and course offerings reflect pedagogical influences from figures associated with Stella Adler Studio of Acting, Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute, and École Internationale de Théâtre Jacques Lecoq.
Admissions align with competitive models similar to Juilliard School and Yale School of Drama, requiring portfolios, audition reels, and creative statements referencing works such as Angels in America, A Streetcar Named Desire, Waiting for Godot, and contemporary playwrights like Suzan-Lori Parks, Tony Kushner, and Sarah Ruhl. Applicants submit materials through systems like Graduate School application portal and may receive support from organizations like Fulbright Program or Rhodes Scholarship recipients within the cohort. Selection panels include faculty with ties to Tony Awards, Obie Awards, and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama.
Faculty roster features company members and scholars connected to institutions including Trinity Repertory Company, Brown University, Yale School of Drama, Columbia University School of the Arts, and practitioners who have worked with Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Royal Court Theatre, New York Theatre Workshop, and directors associated with Peter Brook and Julie Taymor. Visiting artists encompass actors and directors with credits in productions at Broadway, Kennedy Center, Shakespeare in the Park, and film festivals such as Sundance Film Festival.
The curriculum combines studio practice, seminar study, and production work drawing on methodologies from Stanislavski, Bertolt Brecht, Jerzy Grotowski, and Augusto Boal, alongside contemporary dramaturgical frameworks influenced by scholars at RADA and Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Courses include voice and movement training referencing techniques from Feldenkrais, stage combat certified by Society of American Fight Directors, play analysis seminars engaging texts like Hamlet, The Crucible, and A Raisin in the Sun, and design studios comparable to those at Carnegie Mellon University.
Students access performance spaces at Trinity Repertory Company including black box and proscenium stages, rehearsal studios at Brown University facilities, and technical shops for set, costume, and lighting akin to resources at Curtis Institute of Music and Tisch School of the Arts. Libraries and archives include holdings comparable to New York Public Library for the Performing Arts and research assistance similar to that of Harvard Theatre Collection. Nearby venues for collaboration and presentation include Providence Performing Arts Center and the RISD Museum.
Graduates pursue careers with companies such as Trinity Repertory Company, Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Roundabout Theatre Company, The Old Vic, Shakespeare Theatre Company, and in film and television projects at Netflix, HBO, and PBS. Alumni have received recognition including Tony Awards, Obie Awards, Pulitzer Prize for Drama, and fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation and MacArthur Fellows Program. Career trajectories mirror those from conservatories like Juilliard and Yale School of Drama.
The program engages in community partnerships with Providence Public Library, Community MusicWorks, and local schools, and participates in festivals and exchanges with entities such as Theatre Communications Group, United States Artists, Edinburgh Festival Fringe, and international collaborators like Comédie-Française and Schaubühne. Outreach includes educational initiatives modeled after programs at Lincoln Center Education and artist residencies similar to BAM Fisher residencies.
Category:Brown University Category:Trinity Repertory Company