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Learn about the Theater Department at Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle, Washignton
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CORNISH. THEATER
QUESTIONS?
EMAIL: [email protected]
PHONE: 206.726.5016 or 800.726.ARTS
FAX: 206.720.1011
MAIL: 1000 Lenora St., Seattle WA 98121
WWW.CORNISH.EDU/ADMISSION
LIKE US ON FACEBOOK
www.cornish.edu/facebook
FOLLOW US ON TWITTER
@CornishCollege
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY Cornish College of the Arts does not discriminate in education or employ ment on the basis of: gender, race, national origin, religion, age, marital status, sexual orientation, disability or veteran status. This policy is consistent with relevant federal regulations and statutes, including those pursuant to Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act. Questions regarding the application of this policy and information on services for disabled persons may be referred to the Dean of Student Affairs or the Director of Human Resources.
Cov
er Im
age:
The
Mai
l Ord
er B
ride
by
Cha
rles
L. M
ee P
hoto
: Mic
helle
Sm
ith-L
ewis
Bac
k C
over
Imag
e: T
he M
yste
ry o
f Ed
win
Dro
od, I
ntim
an P
layh
ouse
(201
2). P
hoto
: Chr
is B
enni
on
Cornish College of the Arts is one of only
three private arts colleges in the United States
that offers degrees in the performing and
visual arts. As a student at Cornish, you will
be exposed to and inspired by a myriad of
other artists—instructors, working profes-
sionals and students alike—representing a
full spectrum of artistic endeavors in dance,
music, theater, design and art. And every
day you’ll be working to develop yourself as
a creative individual and a dynamic
contributing member of your ensemble within
the Cornish mission, growing as an “artist,
citizen and innovator.”
Why choose Cornish?
When you select Cornish, you select its
illustrious history, intimate size, excellent
reputation and long tradition of educating
emerging artists. At Cornish, you will earn a
college education – a Bachelor of Fine Arts,
or BFA – recognized as the best preparation
for a career in the arts. Located in a dynamic,
evolving urban environment, in walking
distance from all Seattle’s major theatres and
cultural institutions, Cornish is truly at “the
heart of the arts” in the Pacific Northwest.
Wom
en o
f Tra
chis
by
Kat
herin
e E
. Rya
n P
hoto
: Mic
helle
Sm
ith-L
ewis
Our mission is to help you develop your own
creative voice within the broad and embracing
art form that is theater, and to actively connect
your work with the world around you. You will
gain a solid grounding in essential techniques
of theater performance while developing your
expressive abilities and your capability to
work effectively in a group. These foundational
skills remain with you, applying themselves
in countless ways, for the rest of your profes-
sional life. With a clear understanding of your
own artistic goals and a creative toolbox full
of new and useful skills, you can proudly
share your inspiration with your community.
TheaTer at cornish
The department provides a safe learning
environment where you can grow and chal-
lenge yourself, both as a human being and
as a theater artist. You, your peers and your
instructors focus on supporting each other
as individuals and as an ensemble. Our
students “live in the hyphen”—actor-director-
writer, actor-singer-dancer, and combinations
we are only beginning to imagine.
Intim
ate
Ap
par
el b
y Ly
nn N
otta
ge P
hoto
: Chr
is B
enni
on
At Cornish you will connect to a community
of students committed to becoming practicing
artists in the theater and a faculty committed
to facilitating your artistic development. The
Cornish Theater Department offers you a
comprehensive curriculum through which
you build the physical, vocal, intellectual and
imaginative skills to make a life for yourself
as a theater artist. You put those skills to the
test in a wide variety of performance
opportunities including productions of
classical and contemporary plays, ensemble-
generated productions, and a large number
of new plays written by student authors.
“i learned Who i Was as an artist at cornish. so
much of one’s education is based on their felloW
students and i Was constantly impressed and
inspired by my classmates. by their ambition, sheer
talent, and Willingness to fail. We share a common
vocabulary that has only strengthened over time.”
— MargoT bordelon, th ‘02
theater CurriCuluM
Theater students take a two-year sequence
of foundational classes in the fundamentals
of performance technique which also ground
you in an understanding of the historical
roots of the art form and its literature. At the
same time, you investigate methods for
generating both ensemble and solo original
performance. As the program progresses
and you develop a greater sense of your own
mission as an artist, you will take more
specialized courses in your areas of interest.
FounDaTions
El P
aso
Blu
e. P
hoto
: Mic
helle
Sm
ith-L
ewis
theater ConCenTraTions
aCTing
Sum
mer
time
by
Cha
rles
L. M
ee P
hoto
: Chr
is B
enni
on
In the third year, Acting students engage in
intensive study of classical theater styles,
from the Greeks to Shakespeare and other
Elizabethan and Jacobean playwrights. You
learn the technical skills necessary to bring
heightened and poetic language to life on
stage, while imbuing your character portrayals
with a sense of dramatic authenticity. In the
spring semester you advance your study of
heightened text, physical / verbal specificity,
and historical circumstances with work on
Restoration playwrights, and plays by
Chekhov and Ibsen to explore creating a
greater sense of internal truth. Acting majors
also do on-camera projects each semester.
In the senior year, acting students delve
deeper into subtext, ambiguity, and mystery
through the work of Beckett, Pinter, and a
range of contemporary playwrights. You will
also explore how to launch your career, while
developing useful skills such as stage
combat, audition techniques for stage and
camera, dialects, voiceover, and developing
your business plan.
This is designed for artists whose goals
include performing in musical theater, to
facilitate your development as a performer
with range. You supplement your core acting
skills courses with classes in singing, dance,
and musical theater. You also study music
theory, including the basics of ear training,
sight reading and singing, rhythm and harmony.
This culminates in a musical capstone as
part of the sophomore ensemble project.
Juniors and seniors participate in classes in
musical theater performance and audition
techniques, dance styles, and perform in
productions of both original and established
musical theater works, including a cabaret.
You also continue with private voice lessons.
MusiC theater original WorKs
Original Works is designed for artists whose
goals might include directing, playwriting,
solo performance, ensemble devising or
working on the artistic staff of a theater. After
successful completion of an audition at the
start of the junior year, you explore a wide
variety of generative methods, including
playwriting, directing, personal clown, solo
performance, burlesque and other physical/
improvisational approaches, as well as
self-producing and dramaturgy. OW students
produce an annual ten-minute play festival
and participate in the Winter New Works
Festival, as well writing and directing their
senior thesis projects.
“cornish breeds fearless students.”
— riCharD gray, director
theater FaCulTY
Both in the classroom and onstage, you
will work with and learn from a faculty of
accomplished artists, including:
MarYa sea KaMinsKi
(Acting/Improvisation) A performer, director,
and writer, Marya’s recent credits include the
title roles in My Name is Rachel Corrie and
Electra. She received the 2010 Theater Genius
Award from Seattle’s weekly The Stranger.
TiMoThY MCCuen Piggee
(Text Analysis/Music Theater) has performed
major roles at all Seattle Equity theatres as
well as the Denver Center, Milwaukee Rep,
and Arizona Theatre Company. In 2011 he
appeared in the Broadway production of
Catch Me If You Can.
roBin lYnn sMiTh
(Junior Acting) has worked for more than 20
years as an actor, director and teacher in
Chicago, Boston, New York and Seattle. She
co-founded Freehold Theatre and directs the
Engaged Theatre Project, which tours to
prisons and other underserved populations.
roBerT MaCDougall
(Movement, Stage Combat) A certified Fight
Director with the Society of American Fight
Directors as well as a Feldenkrais practitioner,
Bob has taught and directed stage combat
nationally as well as in Germany, Thailand,
Taiwan and Australia.
The
aud
ienc
e at
our
out
doo
r p
rod
uctio
n of
As
You
Like
It P
hoto
: Mic
helle
Sm
ith-L
ewis
theater VisiTing arTisTs
Your classes are enhanced by lectures
and workshops with exciting visiting artists
such as:
Master teacher of clown and commedia
ChrisToPher BaYes
Emmy Award-winning performer and
recording artist liZ CallaWaY
Tony Award-winning performer
ChuCK CooPer (pictured)
Tony Award-winning performer
FaiTh PrinCe
Mas
terc
lass
with
Chu
ck C
oop
er P
hoto
: Win
ifred
Wes
terg
ard
TV and solo performer
lauren WeeDMan
Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize-winner writer
Brian YorKeY
Playwright oCTaVio solis
Broadway performer louis hoBson
launChing your career
In your senior year, following intensive pre-
paration, you audition for local and national
theater internships. Internships allow you to
experience all facets of the theater, not just
performance. Recent Cornish seniors and
graduates have earned internships at ACT
Theatre, Seattle Children’s Theatre,
Milwaukee Rep, and Shakespeare Santa Cruz.
Cornish connects you not just to the art form
but with the practice of it in one of the
country’s most vibrant artistic communities.
Some Cornish alumni choose to continue
their studies in graduate programs, such as
Yale, Harvard/American Repertory Theatre,
and Northwestern University.
inTernshiPs graDuaTe schools
“cornish taught me hoW to be myself, onstage and
in life, but more importantly, hoW to present
myself — hoW i Want to see myself and be seen by
others — and before every audition, every rehearsal,
every performance”
— Connor toms, th ‘01Sen
ior
Sta
ge C
omb
at P
hoto
: Win
ifred
Wes
terg
ard
Cornish provides you with a strong and
transferrable skill set based in the ability to
express yourself and work with people to
achieve extraordinary goals. You become part
of an exciting network of practicing artists
through the professionally active faculty and
the guest artists brought in to teach and direct.
Casting directors for theater and film/TV
know they will be working with accomplished
performers with an amazing work ethic when
they hire Cornish graduates. In the past year,
Cornish alumni have appeared at every major
theater in Seattle, as well as creating their
own productions, and touring and performing
as far as Brazil, Australia and Germany.
Cornish alumni also work in the theater in
Chicago, New York and Los Angeles, as well
as on film and television, both in front of and
behind the camera.
A Cornish Theater education has also proved
to be a valuable jumping-off point for alumni
with fulfilling careers as lawyers, urban
planners, counselors, therapists and teachers,
among many other fields.
eMPloYers
people | raMiZ MonseF
“Cornish has some of the best teachers I have
ever or will ever have in my life. I continue to
learn from them, and I feel so lucky that I got
to learn from them, and only wish I could do
it all again so I can soak up more. Cornish
makes fearless, individual artists. That’s no
small feat in this world. I didn’t come out of
there feeling like I fit some kind of mold. I came
out feeling like I knew myself, and what I was
meant to become. I came out there knowing
I was good at what I did, and I was ready to
take on the professional world. And I did.”
— raMiZ MONSEF, TH ‘02
Ramiz Monsef is a Grammy-nominated actor
in the acting company at The Oregon
Shakespeare Festival. The Unfortunates, a
blues musical, written and performed by
Ramiz and his hip-hop group, 3BlindMice,
will be produced in OSF’s 2013 season. In
addition to his five seasons with OSF, he has
performed at Second Stage Theatre, New
York Theatre Workshop and the Culture
Project in New York and regionally at Actors
Theatre of Louisville, Berkeley Repertory
Theatre, The Humana Festival of New
American Plays, Steppenwolf Theatre,
Seattle Repertory Theatre, The Studio
Theatre and Yale Repertory Theatre.
HUMANITIES & SCIENCES LIBERAL STUdIES LEARNINg ANd THE BFA dEgREE
An essential component of your BFA degree
includes the courses you will take outside of
your major in the Humanities and Sciences
Department. As the general education division
of the College, we provide a liberal studies
curriculum that engages Cornish students in
an exploration of the social, environmental
and cultural contexts in which artistic
production takes place, while developing
critical thinking, problem-solving and com-
munication skills. The curriculum helps you
consider multiple perspectives when looking
at complex problems and issues, drawing
on a variety of ways to understand the world
and our human experience.
Our curriculum is constantly changing and
inquiry based. It is intended to engage you in
active analysis and problem-solving in relation
to thematic issues that may have a long-
standing history, but that continue to challenge
contemporary societies and individuals, both
locally and globally. Classes are limited in size
and conducted “seminar style.” Students at
Cornish are not passive learners; they
contribute to and help shape the experience
in their classes. Many classes go into the
community, exploring the urban and natural
environment, doing field observations and
visiting local organizations and the people
involved in them.
Both in and out of the classroom, instructors
in Humanities and Sciences help you acquire
the kind of confidence and competence that
will serve you well both during and after college,
in your personal and professional lives. In the
end, our aim in Humanities and Sciences is
to inspire the curiosity and habits necessary
for life-long learning and development.