CWRU/CPH MFA Academic Structure

Overview:

In 1996, Case Western Reserve University and Cleveland Play House joined forces to create a new Master of Fine Arts program in acting. The students begin their involvement with the Play House in their first semester, and their level of involvement steadily increases until, in the third year, they become professional interns at the Cleveland Play House.

The MFA in acting is a terminal pre-professional degree. Candidacy for the program requires an undergraduate degree with (ideally) a major in theater, equivalent training and experience, or demonstrable potential for work at the MFA level. In addition, candidates must provide evidence of technical skill and creative ability.

At the end of each semester in residence, the student’s skill and creative ability are evaluated in light of his or her work in the department. Only students who have clearly demonstrated growth and excellence are permitted to remain in the program. The award of the MFA degree is contingent upon the student’s academic progress and upon the assessment on the part of the faculty that the candidate possesses the potential to work in the field of theater on a professional level.

Core Components:

  • Three years of intensive conservatory and academic graduate course work beyond the bachelor’s degree
  • Performance in the graduate ensemble productions and Cleveland Play House season as assigned
  • Departmental assessment of student progress on a semester-to-semester basis

Thesis Portfolios:

  • The Portfolio will consist of detailed, articulate account of the actor’s rehearsal process and related preparation for the performance of at least three roles created during their MFA course of study.
  • Content of the portfolio will include a narrative outlining the synthesis of craft and class work with research directly relevant to the creation and performance of the role, and how this synthesis affected the actor’s choices in rehearsal and performance. The portfolio will include a minimum of three roles, two of which must be “major”
  • Each year, once roles in the theater’s production season have been assigned, MFA acting students will meet with their advisors to determine roles which might be included in the thesis portfolio.
  • In the final semester of the third year, the Thesis Portfolio is turned in to the students’ Faculty Advisor in a timely manner. Satisfactory completion of the portfolio and the third-year internship are among the requirements for the awarding of the MFA degree.

Requirements for the MFA degree include:

  • A minimum of 82 semester hours of graduate work beyond the bachelor’s degree
  • A cumulative grade point average of 3.0 for all course work on the graduate level
  • Completion of the requirements for the MFA Thesis Portfolio
  • Successful completion of the Third Year Internship at The Cleveland Play House

Course requirements and credit hours for the MFA in acting can be found HERE.