Boston University

Boston University College of Fine Arts (CFA) is a small, conservatory-style school within a major university, offering outstanding professional training in music, the theater, and visual arts. The college was begun as the College of Music in 1873, and the School of Theater was organized in 1950. The School of Theatre enrolls approximately 250 students and offers the Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.) and the Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.). A theater conservatory within the embrace of a metropolitan university, the School offers programs in acting, directing, design, production, management, theater education, and theater arts. The programs foster the synthesis of imagination, intellectual inquiry, and technical skill by combining rigorous training with study in a traditional liberal arts curriculum. The School of Theatre offers unique educational experiences for students possessed of theatrical imagination and professional promise.

Campus Surroundings

Boston University—independent, coeducational, nonsectarian—is an internationally recognized center of higher education and research. The University is located in the heart of Boston, along the banks of the Charles River and adjacent to the historic Back Bay district of Boston. Boston University is perfectly situated to enjoy both the charm and beauty of the city and its cultural and recreational attractions. Students benefit from the many major theaters, musical organizations, and museums and galleries that make Boston a rich and varied cultural environment.

Program Facilities

Performance spaces include the Boston University Theatre, an 850-seat proscenium house; the Lane Comley Studio 210, a 100-seat black-box space; and the TheatreLab, a 100-seat proscenium studio. The theater is equipped with a computerized lighting system, shops for scenery and costume construction, and an electronic sound studio. There are three movement studios and six additional rehearsal studios.

Faculty, Resident Artists, and Alumni

Faculty members are not only master teachers but are also accomplished professionals who maintain vital careers in the theater. Distinguished faculty members include Nicholas Martin, Artistic Director of the Huntington Theatre Company, and Jim Petosa, Director of the School of Theatre and Artistic Director of the Olney Theatre Center outside Washington, D.C. Guest artists have included actors Jason Alexander, Claire Bloom, and Campbell Scott and designers Ralph Funicello and Desmond Heeley. Alumni include actors Geena Davis, Julianne Moore, Michael Chiklis, Ginnifer Goodwin, and Olympia Dukakis; Stewart Lane, Tony Award-winning Broadway producer; Nina Tassler, President of CBS Television, Drama Division; Craig Lucas, Tony-nominated playwright and screen writer; and theater designer, Wynn P. Thomas, whose credits include A Beautiful Mind and Analyze This.

Special Programs

The Huntington Theatre Company, one of Boston’s leading professional companies, is in residence at the Boston University Theatre. A variety of assistantships and internships are available for students in the areas of design, production, directing, stage management, and theater management. Advanced acting majors have the opportunity to audition for understudy assignments and supporting roles in Huntington Theatre productions. Through the Professional Theatre Initiative, School of Theatre students gain professional opportunities with the Huntingdon Theatre Company, the Boston Playwrights Theatre, the Williamstown Theatre Festival, and the Olney Theatre Center. In addition, students are encouraged to study abroad at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts (LAMDA) in their junior year. A postgraduate program, the Los Angeles Internship Program, offers a semester of study and work in the heart of the film and television. The program provides an unparalleled introduction to the theater, film, and television industries and is appropriate for any student interested in an entertainment career. Students can also earn minors in dance, liberal arts, business, or communications.

Application Procedures

Deadline--freshmen: January 1; transfers: April 1. Notification date--freshmen: April 15. Required: essay, high school transcript, 2 letters of recommendation, audition, portfolio, SAT or ACT test scores, audition for acting and independent theater study applicants, portfolio for design, technical production, and stage management applicants. Auditions held 20 times on campus and off campus in New York, NY; Chicago, IL; San Francisco, CA; Los Angeles, CA; Washington, DC. Portfolio reviews held 10 times on campus and off campus in New York, NY; Chicago, IL; San Francisco, CA; the submission of slides may be substituted for portfolios when distance is prohibitive.