Carnegie Mellon School of Drama Interior

The Carnegie Mellon School of Drama is the first degree-granting drama institution in the United States. Founded in 1914, it is one of five schools within the

Carnegie Mellon College of Fine Arts The College of Fine Arts (CFA) at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania oversees the Schools of Architecture, Art, Design, Drama, and Music along with its associated centers, studios, and galleries. The Col ...

. The school's undergraduate BFA programs in acting, musical theatre, directing, design, dramaturgy, and production technology and management majors are considered to be among the top programs in

undergraduate Undergraduate education is education conducted after secondary education and before postgraduate education. It typically includes all postsecondary programs up to the level of a bachelor's degree. For example, in the United States, an entry-le ...

conservatory training. Its MFA offerings in directing, design, dramatic writing, and production and technology management are also considered to be top

graduate program Postgraduate or graduate education refers to academic or professional degrees, certificates, diplomas, or other qualifications pursued by post-secondary students who have earned an undergraduate (bachelor's) degree. The organization and struc ...

s. The School of Drama offers 18 events every season on campus, and also presents members of its graduating class in produced showcases in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

and

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world ...

. Many Carnegie Mellon graduates have also gone on to successful careers in Pittsburgh theatre. The 2017, ''

The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Hollywood film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade paper, and in 2010 switched to a weekly large ...

'' best undergraduate drama schools ranked Carnegie Mellon second. In 2014, ''The Hollywood Reporter'' ranked the School of Drama number three in the world among drama schools. In 2015, the same publication ranked the MFA program at the School of Drama number five in the world. According to ''

Playbill ''Playbill'' is an American monthly magazine for theatergoers. Although there is a subscription issue available for home delivery, most copies of ''Playbill'' are printed for particular productions and distributed at the door as the show's p ...

'', the Carnegie Mellon School of Drama ranks fourth in the number of alumni represented in the 2015–2016 Broadway season.

Facilities

Carnegie Mellon School of Drama set workshop

Since 2000, the Purnell Center for the Arts, specifically designed for the School of Drama, has been the department's home. The space includes: *Philip Chosky Theater, a 430-seat proscenium theater *Helen Wayne Rauh Studio Theater, a 140-seat

black box theater A black box theater is a simple performance space, typically a square room with black walls and a flat floor. The simplicity of the space allows it to be used to create a variety of configurations of stage and audience interaction. The black ...

*John Wells Video Studio, a sound stage

television studio A television studio, also called a television production studio, is an installation room in which video productions take place, either for the production of live television and its recording onto video tape or other media such as SSDs, or for ...

As well as two movement/dance studios, three rehearsal studios, four design studios, a lighting lab, a sound lab, a costume shop, a scene shop, and various classrooms.

Notable alumni

* René Auberjonois, actor ('' Star Trek: Deep Space 9'') *

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'') *

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'') * Donna Lynne Champlin, actress * Gaius Charles, actor ('' Friday Night Lights'', '' Grey's Anatomy'') *

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, actor, artistic director, Founder of Primary Stages. *

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, actor ( Kevin Keller on '' Riverdale'') * Christina Crawford, author ( Mommie Dearest) *

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'', and '' A Most Violent Year'') *

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, actress ('' The Count of Monte Cristo'') * Barbara Feldon, actress * Katie Finneran, actress ('' Noises Off'', '' Promises, Promises (musical)'') (attended briefly) * Sutton Foster, actress (''

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'', '' The Drowsy Chaperone'', " Anything Goes") (attended briefly) * Christian Borle, actor ('' Smash'', '' Spamalot'', '' Legally Blonde'', '' Peter and the Starcatcher'') * Josh Gad, actor ('' Frozen'', '' The Book of Mormon'') * Renée Elise Goldsberry, Tony Award-winning actress (''

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'') *

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, actor/comedian * Josh Groban, singer (attended briefly) * Van Hansis, actor ('' As the World Turns'') *

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, actor ('' Pretty Little Liars'') * Mariette Hartley, actress * Ethan Hawke, actor (attended briefly) * Sian Heder, writer and Academy Award-winning filmmaker ('' Orange Is The New Black, '' '' Tallulah'', ''

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'') * Megan Hilty, actress/singer ('' Wicked'') (''

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'') * Holly Hunter, Academy Award-winning actress * Erik Jensen, actor/playwright * Cherry Jones, Tony Award-winning actress * Rachel Keller, actress on "Fargo" and "Legion" TV series *

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, actor * Dennis Kenney, actor/singer * Frederick Koehler, actor ('' Kate & Allie'', ''Oz'') *

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, actor *

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, actor * Eugene Lee, scenic designer (''

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'') * Telly Leung, actor ('' Glee'', '' In Transit'', '' Allegiance'') * Judith Light, actress *

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, actress ('' Newsies'', '' Wicked'') * Sara Lindsey, actress * Kristolyn Lloyd, actress (''

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'', '' The Bold and the Beautiful'') * Michael McMillian, actor ('' Dorian Blues'', '' True Blood'') * Gabriel Macht, actor *

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, actor ('' Magic Mike'', '' True Blood'') * Sonia Manzano, actress (''

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'') * Nancy Marchand, actress ('' Lou Grant'', ''

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'') * Rob Marshall, film director, nominated for a 2003

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for ''

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''. * Rebecca Metz, actor, ('' ''Better Things'' (TV series), Coop and Cami Ask the World, ''Shameless'' (U.S. TV series))'' * Patina Miller, Tony Award-winning actress ( Pippin) *

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, actress ('' Mike & Molly'', '' American Housewife'') * Ming-Na Wen, actress ('' The Joy Luck Club'', '' Mulan'', '' ER'', '' Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'') * Leslie Odom Jr., Tony Award-winning actor (''

'') * Rory O'Malley, Tony Award-nominated actor ('' The Book of Mormon'') * Cote de Pablo, actress (''NCIS'') * Stephanie Palmer, Director of Creative Affairs at MGM, Founder of Good in a Room * John Pasquin, film director * Victoria Pedretti, actress (''

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'') * George Peppard, actor * David Pevsner, actor * Billy Porter, actor/singer * Zachary Quinto, Emmy Award nominated actor (''

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'', '' Heroes'', '' 24'') * Darren Ritchie, actor *

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, film director *

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, actor ('' Tick Tick Boom'') * Ann Roth, costume designer ('' The English Patient'', '' The Talented Mr. Ripley'') * Laura San Giacomo, actress * Pablo Schreiber, Tony Award and Emmy Award nominated actor ('' Orange is the New Black'', ''

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'', '' Thirteen Hours'') *

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'') * Stephen Schwartz, film and theatre composer * Leigh Silverman, director * Emily Skinner, actress/singer * Josef Sommer, actor *

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'', '' The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds'') *

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, actor * Roberta Valderrama, actress ('' 10 Items or Less, ER'') * Paula Wagner, producer ( Cruise/Wagner Productions) * John Wells, executive producer/creator ('' The West Wing'', '' ER'') * Maura West, actress ('' As the World Turns'') *

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, actor ('' Angels in America'', '' Little Children'', '' Watchmen'') * Krista Marie Yu, actress (''

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'', '' Last Man Standing'') *

References

External links

Carnegie Mellon School of DramaCarnegie Mellon School of Drama ShowcaseCarnegie Mellon UniversityWest Coast Drama Alumni ClanNew York Drama Alumni Clan"Third Coast" Chicago Drama Alumni ClanThe Official Unofficial Carnegie Mellon University School of Drama
{{Coord, 40.443772, -79.943211, type:edu_globe:earth_region:US-PA, display=title Schools and departments of Carnegie Mellon Drama schools in the United States Performing arts in Pittsburgh Educational institutions established in 1914 Theatre in Pennsylvania 1914 establishments in Pennsylvania

Facilities

Notable alumni

See also

References

External links