Performance

Curiosity, Critical Thinking and Continuous Learning: 

Performance students cultivate a spirited sense of joy and imagination and exploration of self through physical storytelling, creative play, improvisation, and personal and collective reflection.  Through an exposure to a wide-range of globally and stylistically diverse plays, styles of teaching and pedagogies, performance majors learn a variety of approaches to acting and gain skills to critically analyze their craft which contributes to lifelong learning.  

Artist Citizen  and Social Justice: 

Performance students learn how to understand and empathize with human experiences outside their own through intensive study of character, and analytical study of a variety of texts.  Students build engaged communities, a pillar of a healthy society, by working together towards a common goal and finding deep emotional connections in the process. Through deep connection with experiences that expand across cultures, socioeconomics and circumstance, actors use their craft as a means to engage deeply with contemporary social issues and foster empathy. 

Collaboration and Process:  

Collaboration across theatrical disciplines and within the acting cohort is practiced in all four years of the program.  Actors gain effective communication skills through ensemble work, practical exercises, workshops and hands-on learning. They learn how to give feedback that can challenge and inspire fellow collaborators; develop a playful detachment from individual ideas and an ability to revise work radically; achieve a basic understanding of all theatrical disciplines in the classroom; and connect with an ensemble.  With an emphasis on experimentation, actors learn that the process of creating artistic work is as important as the final product.   

Risk and Artistic Freedom: 

In a brave and supportive learning environment, actors learn how to personalize the text and character circumstances, practicing courageous empathy and deepening vulnerability in performance.  Actors learn how to create story with their imaginations and bodies and are challenged to devise and pursue innovative theatrical projects. 

Technical Skills: 

Through classwork, labs, rehearsals and productions, actors develop key foundation skills, including: active listening and stage presence; physical exercises that enhance awareness, flexibility, and strength; relaxation techniques for ease in performance;  ability to use language effectively to express thoughts and intentions; in-depth textual analysis; articulation and commitment to objectives and physical actions; physical embodiment of a character; audition technique and preparation; professional etiquette in a rehearsal and production environment.     

Concentration Requirements

THEA 2080: Collaboration I

THEA 2090: Collaboration II

THEA 2010: Acting I

THEA 2700: Acting II

THEA 3000: Acting III

THEA 3100: Acting IV

THEA 3030: Actor’s Vocal Technique I

THEA 3040: Actor’s Vocal Technique II

THEA 3011: Text Analysis

THEA 3050: Movement I

THEA 3060: Movement II

Design & Production Elective

Advanced Performance Elective

Two of the three following courses:

THEA 3004: Global Theater History - Foundational Impulses

THEA 3005: Global Theater History - Evolutions of the Present

THEA 3920: History of Theater Design (preference given to D&P concentration)

Elective Courses

THEA 3017 - Song As Scene

THEA 3095 - Stage Combat

THEA 3232 - Shakespeare: Text and Performance

THEA 3563 - French Theatre and Performance

THEA 4000 - Creating a Character

THEA 4010 - Creating a Character II

THEA 4100 - Acting Shakespeare

THEA 4250 - Acting for the Camera

THEA 4030 - Rehearsal Technique

THEA 4305 - Clown and Improvisation

THEA 4400 - Senior Audition I

THEA 4410 - Senior Audition II

THEA 4500 - Theatre, Creativity, and Values

THEA 3350 Ancient Theatre in Contemporary Practice

The following sequential pairs of two-credit courses, when completed successfully, will count as one course toward satisfying the graduation requirement of 36 courses.

THEA 3030 - 3040 Actor’s Vocal Technique I and II

THEA 3050 - 3060 Movement for the Actor I and II

THEA 4400 - 4410-Senior Audition I and II

All D&P classes are open to Performance Majors except for:

Scene Design II

Projection Design II

Costume Design II

Sound Design II

Lighting Design II

Stage Management II

Drafting for the Theater II

Denzel Washington Endowed Chairs

• Phylicia Rashad 2011
• Joe Morton 2012
• Christine Jones 2013
• Kenny Leon 2014
• Joanne Akalaitis 2015
• Stephen McKinley Henderson 2016
• Regina Taylor 2017
• Michael Potts 2018
• LaTanya Richardson Jackson 2019
• Liesl Tommy 2020
• Kaneza Schaal 2021
• Mimi Lien 2022

Visiting Artists

• Beau Bridges
• Patricia Clarkson, Alum
• Willem Dafoe
• Marcia Gay Harden
• John Benjamin Hickey, Alum
• Spike Lee
• Robert Sean Leonard
• Fiona Shaw
• Denzel Washington, Alum
• Julie White

THEA 2750 - Performing Italian
THEA 3017 - Song As Scene
THEA 3095 - Stage Combat
THEA 3232 - Shakespeare: Text and Performance
THEA 3563 - French Theatre and Performance
THEA 4000 - Creating a Character
THEA 4010 - Creating a Character II
THEA 4025 - Flying Solo
THEA 4100 - Acting Shakespeare
THEA 4250 - Acting for the Camera
THEA 4302 - Russian Theatre Workshop
THEA 4305 - Clown and Improvisation
THEA 4400 - Senior Audition I
THEA 4410 - Senior Audition II
THEA 4500 - Theatre, Creativity, and Values
THEA 4600 - Projects: Acting

The following sequential pair of two-credit courses, when completed successfully, will count as one course toward satisfying the graduation requirement of 36 courses.

THEA 4400 - 4410-Senior Audition I and II

Many of our performance graduates have especially distinguished themselves since their time at Fordham. Please see examples below:

Rebecca Ballenger
Alabama Shakespeare Festival 2016 Rep Season, STEEL MAGNOLIAS (Idaho Shakespeare Festival) directed by Sari Ketter, the premiere of Tony Glazer’s AMERICAN STARE (New Jersey Rep), THE TEMPEST (Idaho Shakespeare Festival).

Mayaa Boateng
Her standout work is featured on screen in top streaming arenas such as HBO, Showtime, and Netflix, as well as across New York City stages at notable theaters such as Signature Theatre and The Public Theatre. In 2019, MaYaa starred in the Pulitzer Prize winning drama production of  FAIRVIEW at Theatre for a New Audience. 

Soraya Broukhim
WINTERTIME by Charles L. Mee at San Jose Rep, and WOYZECK at the Culture Project in New York City.

Patricia Clarkson
Emmy award-winning actress for HBO's “Six Feet Under;” more than 30 movie credits; academy award nomination as best supporting actress in Pieces of April.

Kelley Curran
Kelley Curran is known for “The Gilded Age” (2022), The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then the Bigfoot (2018) and “The Blacklist” (2013).

Tommy Dorfman
Tommy Dorfman is known for her role as Ryan Shaver on “13 Reasons Why” and starred in Jeremy O. Harris' DADDY at The Signature.

Allison Dunbar
Allison Dunbar is known for StartUp (2016), Quick Draw (2013) and 2 Broke Girls (2011).

Winter Dunn
Winter Dunn is an award-winning director, producer and actress with a passion for depicting universal stories through the lens of BIPOC voices. Her short film Dear Mama… World Premiered at SXSW 2022, was awarded a Special Jury Mention in Drama at Aspen Shortsfest and is currently streaming on The New Yorker.

RJ Foster
TV: Damages, Blue Bloods, Fringe; Theatre: EDWARD II at Bank Street Theatre, HAMLET with The Pearl Theatre Company.

Gene Gallerano
Gene Gallerano is an Emmy Award-winning producer, actor and filmmaker. Gene produced all 10 episodes of the TV series “Edge of the Unknown” for National Geographic and Disney+.

Betty Gilpin
Off-Broadway: WE LIVE HERE at Manhattan Theatre Club, THE LANGUAGE ARCHIVE at the Roundabout, GOOD BOYS AND TRUE at Second Stage.

Morgan Gould
Associate Artistic Director of the Obie award-winning young Jean Lee’s Theater Company; directing work at New Georges, ensemble studio Theatre, The Culture Project, Ars Nova, and the Lincoln Center Directors Lab.

Zabryna Guevara
Off-Broadway: The Public Theater, Intar, Urban Stages; Regional theatre: Hartford Stage, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Dallas Theatre Center.

Miles Gutierrez-Riley
Miles Gutierrez-Riley is a New York-based actor originally from Long Beach, California, and a recent Fordham University graduate. He has appeared in Leah Bleich’s feature film The Moon and Back as part of Justin Baldoni’s 6 Feet Apart Experiment with Wayfarer Studios. He will appear as “Hulkling” in Marvel Studios’ upcoming Disney+ series Agatha: Coven of Chaos.

John Benjamin Hickey
Broadway: THE NORMAL HEART (Tony award for best featured actor in a play), MARY STUART, THE CRUCIBLE, the Tony award-winning revival of CABARET, and Terrence Mcnally’s LOVE! VALOUR! COMPASSION!, in which he also appeared off-Broadway, winning an Obie for that performance.

Van Hughes
Van Hughes was born on April 20, 1983. He is an actor and composer, known for Sex and the City (2008), Sex and the City 2 (2010) and Rachel Getting Married (2008).

Amen Igbinosun
Amen was cast in TNT's hit TV show The Last Ship, as well as a supporting role in the History Channel miniseries Texas Rising opposite Bill Paxton and Ray Liotta. He has also appeared in Tina Fey's multi-camera comedy pilot, The Kicker.

John Johnson
Broadway producing credits include: A View from the Bridge, Skylight, Fish in the Dark, A Delicate Balance, This is Our Youth, A Raisin in the Sun, A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder, Betrayal, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike

Emily Kunkel
Regional includes: DRACULA at Actors Theatre of Louisville; A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM at Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, ALL MY SONS at Barrington Stage Company. TV/Film: “Nurse Jackie,” Ostrander.

Christopher Larkin
AJ Hawkes on the CW pilot “Cooper & Stone;” KAFKA ON THE SHORE at the Steppenwolf Theatre in Chicago.

Ian Lassiter
Ian Lassiter is known for Mixed Up (2014), Queen of Glory (2021) and King Theodore Live (2013).

Christina Lind
Christina Lind is an actress and producer, known for Fireworkers (2017), Grown (2009) and The Talk Man (2011).

Heather Lind
Heather Lind is an actress and producer, known for Mistress America (2015), “Boardwalk Empire” (2010) and Demolition (2015).

Grant Lowenstein
Grant Lowenstein is known for his portrayal of “Young Bernie Madoff” in the Netflix series Madoff: The Monster of Wall Street (2023). He is slated to appear in the upcoming films Back to the Present! and One Week in Heaven.

Olivia Macklin
Olivia Macklin was born on March 16, 1994 in Glencoe Village, Illinois, USA. She is an actress, known for “The Young Pope” (2016), “Christmas Always Finds Its Way” (2022) and “Dead to Me” (2019).

Michaela McManus
Michaela McManus is known for her portrayals of Lindsey Strauss on “One Tree Hill,” A.D.A. Kim Greylek on “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit”, and Grace Karn on the NBC drama “Aquarius.”

Tom Pecinka
Tom Pecinka is known for The Survivalist (2021), The Kill Room and “American Rust” (2021).

Ian Quinlan
Ian Quinlan is known for “Gotham” (2014), “Sneaky Pete” (2015) and City Hall (1996)

Taylor Schilling
Piper Chapman on “Orange Is The New Black”. Film: The Lucky One, opposite Zac Efron; Atlas Shrugged; Dark Matter; TV: NBC’s “Mercy” (Veronica Callahan); Regional Theatre: UNCLE VANYA (Bard Summerscape).

Aja Singletary
Aja Singletary is an actor, dancer and singer originally from Philadelphia. She received her B.A. in Theatre Performance from Fordham University. She is also a 2019 School at Steppenwolf graduate and moved to Chicago after feeling the warmth and support from the Chicago performing arts community. Chicago credits include Dance Nation (u/s, Steppenwolf Theatre) Eclipsed (Jeff nominated for Best Ensemble, Pegasus Theatre); The American Revolution (Theatre Unspeakable); and As You Like It (Eclectic Full Contact Theatre). Her upcoming show will be Ghost at Adventure Stage Chicago.

Denzel Washington
Two Golden Globes, two-time Academy Award-winning actor; films include Training Day, The Taking of Pelham 123, American Gangster, Man on Fire, The Preacher’s Wife, Courage Under Fire, Malcolm X, Glory, and A Soldier’s Story; Broadway: Tony Award for portrayal of Troy Maxson in FENCES, played Walter Younger in A RAISIN IN THE SUN, Brutus in JULIUS CAESAR.